August 31, 2009

What’s in a Name? The Quandary of Marketing “3G”

Let’s be up front. I don’t own an iPhone. I don’t have a cell phone with 3G networking (at least I don’t think I do).

And yet I see advertisements every day on TV that hawk the ‘fastest 3G’ networks out there, etc. As if it’s supposed to mean something to me.

Look, I think I’m a typical electronics and IT consumer. I am online for hours a day, both business and home. I spent too much time on Facebook and Twitter. I check into LinkedIn now and then. I cruise my favorite websites, such as CNN.com and ESPN.com daily. I subscribe to way too many e-mail newsletters. So I know the Internet pretty well.

But I get confused and confounded when I see ads from AT&T or Verizon or whoever touting their latest ‘3G’ networks.

I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.

I can make some presumptions, though. Perhaps it’s a new way for cell phones to work faster? No? How about getting online with an iPhone or Blackberry? Am I getting closer?

I think I’m on the right track, but it still doesn’t answer the question: Why are these companies presuming their customer even know what they’re referring to?

Hey, let’s go Googling!

Searching for ‘3G network’ the first listing (under the sponsored links which must have cost thousand of dollars, right?) is a Wikipedia page:

Let me quote a couple of sentences: “International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000), better known as 3G or 3rd Generation, is a family of standards for mobile telecommunications defined by the International Telecommunication Union,[1] which includes GSM EDGE, UMTS, and CDMA2000 as well as DECT and WiMAX. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Compared to 2G and 2.5G services, 3G allows simultaneous use of speech and data services and higher data rates…” blah-de-blah…

So I’m right. I guess.

I was camping with a friend over the weekend. She delighted in showing me her new iPhone ($99!) and all the things it could do. Her take on 3G? “I think it means Third Generation,” she said, “but Third Generation of what I don’t know.” I guess it just means faster.

To my mind, the phone companies hawking the 3G network capabilities are making a giant leap. Whether it’s a leap of faith or a leap of confusion I’m not sure. No doubt this has been discussed at the highest levels of advertising agencies and the phone companies selling the technology.

But doesn’t it seem like the same thing when we used to see ads comparing the online dial-speeds: “14.4 MBS vs 28.8 MBS vs. 56.6 MBS…” and we just assumed that – even without know what the hell they were referring to – the bigger the number, the better?

Perhaps that’s the answer. The ad agencies and phone companies just keep throwing confusing terminology at us, assuming that we’ll at least grok the essence of what they’re saying: 3G is good! 4G is better! Well, whenever 4G arrives, which it must! Right? As one follows two…

Still, I can’t help but think that they should do a bit of explaining. What is 3G and why is it so cool? Why would you want it? What benefits does it give you? I mean, more than just ‘fast.’

But then again, maybe that’s the only thing that matters. We see “3G: Faster!” And that’s all we need. Gotta have it!

Are you making assumptions with your marketing? Does your audience understand? Or do they just need to know that it’s faster, better, higher, brighter?

It reminds me of the old story about how one ad agency – several decades ago – took an everyday consumer item – beer – and by describing it in great detail to their audience, managed to catapult themselves into holding the lion’s share of the market. But it’s just beer! Right, but when you tell your audience how you do what you do, and what the reason is, and what it means to the end user, you position yourself against the competition.

I don’t see this happening with the positioning for 3G networking. It’s all the same. No specifics.

I don’t know the answer. I’m just asking the question.

However, I’m nearly convinced I should get an iPhone if I can find one for $99. Pretty cool stuff.

UPDATE: I was thumbing through the latest edition of Portland’s Business Journal and ran across an ad for the new ‘4G’ network. Hey, I thought I was just making it up…

Sprint 4G ad in Portland Business Journal

August 26, 2009

Speaking: A Great Way to Get Noticed at a Tradeshow

Of course we all want to be noticed at a tradeshow. It’s the main reason for being there!

Whether your goal is to network, write orders, set up distributors, introduce a new product or any of a variety of other ‘business-building’ activities, being noticed is the key.

So what are some good ways to get noticed?

Naturally, if you’re an exhibitor, you can focus on your booth and any promotions that bring people to your booth. A striking graphic, a bold design or an unusual demo all contribute to being noticed.

If you’re not exhibiting, but are still hoping to draw attention to your product or service, there are a number of ways to be noticeable. Stop at booths of people you’d like to do business with. Don’t try and sell them anything on the spot; that’s not ethical (after all, they paid for the booth space, not you). But you can strike up a conversation, and direct that conversation the way you want.

One of the best ways to draw attention to yourself is by speaking at the show. If you have been in the industry even for a few years, chances are your expertise is enough to get you a speaking gig at a show somewhere. It may not be THE industry show that you’re aiming for, but any exposure is apt to be good.

If you’re not a public speaker – or not confident in your abilities at this point – you might consider joining a discussion panel. This is a great way to get some exposure as an ‘expert,’ and it will also help ease you into more prominent speaking roles. In the meantime, join Toastmasters, or hire a personal coach that can help you with your speaking skills.

Author and consultant David Meerman Scott did that early on when he wanted to promote his consulting and speaking business. Scott is the author of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” which was initially released as a shortened free PDF downloadable e-book. He’s often suggested that getting on a discussion panel at a conference or tradeshow is a great way to open doors. It’s obviously worked for him: he is often hired to deliver keynotes at larger tradeshows and it’s helped him become known as an author and thought-leader in his field.

Scott is a popular blogger at Web Ink Now and offers at least four free e-books – just check the right column of his blog.

To become a speaker at a tradeshow, browse the websites of shows you’re interested in, where you’ll find the speaker requirements and submission methods. The narrower the topic of your proposed speech, and the more eye-popping the title, the better the chances that you’ll book a speaking gig.

August 25, 2009

Are You Serious About Tradeshow Marketing?

For some reason, in the past three hours I’ve seen the phrase “…if you’re serious about…” in at least four email newsletters I subscribe to. In Jeffrey Gitomer’s “Sales Caffeine” his lead article discusses what being serious about something is all about from his perspective.

Two Internet marketers used the same phrase in regards to their question about readers’ seriousness about building an Internet business. Another email asked if I was ‘serious’ about creating a good life for myself.

It’s a fair question, and one you probably don’t think about enough.

“Of course I’m serious,” you respond. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I weren’t serious!”

Gitomer’s approach is from the sales aspect, and he covers such things as ability to deliver, desire to serve, friendliness, truth at ALL cost and more.

Much of that applies to tradeshow marketing. So, how serious are you?

Do you plan your pre-show marketing?
Do you pick your staff with an eye to having the most open and enthusiastic personalities at the show?
Do you train your staff?
Are you regularly re-examining your tradeshow booth’s marketing message to make sure it in sync with your products and your audience desire?
Do you debrief your staff each evening before turning them loose?
Do you make adjustments at the show based on your observations of visitors or the staff debriefing?
Do you have definable, measurable goals for each tradeshow?
Do you re-assess those goals based on the type of show and expected audience?
Can you crunch the numbers to come up with the ROI over the last year’s worth of shows?
Do your sales staff have real, actionable leads after each show, rated as ‘hot,’ ‘warm,’ or ‘cool?’

These questions can go on and on and break down each aspect of your tradeshow marketing, from the moment you commit to a show to the time a year later when you go back through the sales figures you’ve been tracking to see what business came out of the show.

If I may quote Jeffrey: “Serious is the intention, the intensity, and the focus that you put into your work ethic and your personal ethics.”

Serious is not having a sober or grave demeanor. You can have fun at tradeshow marketing, or sales, or whatever it is that you have chosen for your livelihood. In fact, I’d say that making as much of it “fun” as possible is important to your overall success and your mental well-being.

So…are you serious about tradeshow marketing?

(Plug: I’ve been an avid reader of Jeffrey Gitomer’s ‘Sales Caffeine’ e-zine for years…and highly recommend it – thanks for the inspiration this morning!)

August 21, 2009

The 8 Best Tradeshow Tweets

1. Conferences and Break-out Sessions. Business execs find this useful. It gives insights into presentations and ideas, and helps bring you closer to people who are not there…as well as connect with ones who are.

2. Booth Promotions. Got a prize to giveaway? Regularly tweeting about stuff going on at your booth is a good way to bring visitors by, and helps remind non-attendees what kinds of things your company is doing.

3. Raves. Love a booth? Promotion? Graphic? Break-out session? Meet a cool dude/chick? Tweet out a rave. Works even better if they’re on Twitter; if so, be sure to use their handle.

4. Ask/Answer Questions. Trying to find a good restaurant or watering hole? Need an answer to an industry question? Ask and ye shall receive.

5. Engage in Conversations. Similar to #4, but perhaps on a more casual or personal level. A conversation may only be a few tweets long, but even a short one can be engaging.

6. Announcements. Got a media event? Unveiling a new product? Is there a demo or celebrity in your booth? Tweet it out and let your followers – and show followers – know.

7. Tweet-Ups. Seems every tradeshow or conference has a tweet-up of some sort. If you’re going, re-tweet the location/time. If not, do it anyway.

8. What You Are Doing? This kind of tweet can be easily overdone, but if cleverly packaged it doesn’t hurt to know what other people are doing and where. Could bring back a good response.

Of course, if you’re tweeting about the show, be sure to insert the show’s hashtag identifier so that anyone searching that tag can see your tweet. If you are at a booth, don’t forget to include the booth number.

August 19, 2009

Twitter E-Book Gets a Mention in ‘Exhibitor’ Mag; Meeting a Fellow Tweeter

Even though my ‘twittering’ comes and goes according to the time and inspiration available, it’s always nice to connect with other Tweeters – and see your stuff get mentioned in the national landscape.

Just arrived back this morning from a week-long golfing and historic car vacation with a buddy and found the latest edition of Exhibit Magazine on my desk. I was looking forward to this edition because I’d worked with writer Charles Pappas at the magazine on some elements. I’d originally proposed doing the article and they tentatively accepted, but then decided to expand the scope of the article and do it in house with a senior staff writer.

The article covers LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, the ‘Big Three’ of social media in 2009. And yes, Charles and his folks did a terrific job.

I’d give you a link to it BUT they don’t post current issues online, so you’ll have to check the magazine (p. 21), or wait a month for the current issue to appear on their website.

Who is this guy? And what's up with his thumb?

IN THE MEANTIME… speaking of Twitter, I had a chance to sit down with fellow Tweet-Man @KenNewman this week. We met up for about an hour at the Ritual Roasters coffee house in San Francisco and shot the breeze about expensive cars, selling cars, coffee roasting…and whatever other thoughts shot through our brains. Nice guy, great guy – glad we could meet face-to-face and connect on a personal level – all because we found each other on Twitter and decided we had stuff in common.

Check out Ken at Twitter and take a look at his company’s website: Magnet Productions.

August 10, 2009

Interpretive Exhibits Now Represents Nimlok Exhibits

Yeah, yeah, it’s a tough market. And ya gotta have what the people want, right? Of course!

Warning: the following is part plug and part explanation as to why Interpretive Exhibits has now teamed up with Nimlok. Most of my blog posts aren’t plugs (this one is!), but I thought it a useful blog post:

Recently the good folks at Nimlok headquarters in Chicago approached us and inquired if we would be interested in representing them in the Northwest and more specifically, in Oregon.

Given our long-time affiliation with Classic Exhibits in Portland, we were hesitant, but decided to check it out anyway.

Nimlok brought quite a bit to the table. And while their product line does cross over some with Classic Exhibits, there is enough difference between the two (and they are aggressively marketing the brand online to help their dealers), so it made sense to take a closer look.

Classic Exhibits for years has excelled in high-quality, low-to-moderate-cost portable exhibits. In the past few years they’ve expanded to custom-hybrid exhibits.

Nimlok made their bones years ago on quick-and-easy pop-ups and portables as well, but also in recent years have expanded greatly, becoming a leading vendor of high-quality aluminum exhibits and fabric graphics. They’ve invested heavily in state-of-the-art fabric production, which was really the element that tipped the scales. Being able to keep graphic production in-house means having complete quality control. They have new aluminum framing systems and exhibit approaches that are out on the leading edge. When at the Nimlok New Distributor Boot Camp in July they showed us a new truss that’s capable of spanning 30 feet without any support other than at each end. Drop a seamless fabric graphic up to three meters tall below that and you have a dynamite tradeshow back wall.

So even though there are similarities, there are enough differences that to us it makes a good fit.

Meanwhile, back at the Interpretive Exhibits ranch….our in-house talents are geared to ‘one-of-a-kind’ custom design and fabrication that is well suited to museums, visitor centers and unique tradeshow exhibits. Our clients, such as Bob’s Red Mill, Kettle Foods, Nancy’s Yogurt, Natracare, gDiapers, Bi-O-Kleen, Allegheny Teledyne Wah Chang and many others have all been knocked out by the design and fabrication skills brought to bear on their tradeshow exhibits. Not being a designer, I am often amazed too at what our team comes up with.

Classic Exhibits is out go-to-source for the low-cost smaller modular and pop-up exhibits, and we’ll continue to use them.

Nimlok is an added dimension to our offerings at Interpretive Exhibits. Aluminum frames from small to gigantic; from traditional rectangle shapes to ‘I can’t believe they did that with an aluminum frame!’

Truth be told, exhibit-buying is off quite a bit in the industry. But with the economy appearing to turn around, we feel we’re in a great position at Interpretive Exhibits when those tradeshow marketing purses start to open up a bit more.

August 6, 2009

Podcast: Kenji Haroutunian Interview

Kenji Haroutunian, the Show Director of the Outdoor Retailer Shows (Summer and Winter Market) discusses how the recent show went, the state of the show, the upcoming year, and how social media is set to explode as a means of connecting people at the show. If it hasn’t already!

Follow Kenji on Twitter: @OutdoorRetailer

Follow @ORShowLive to receive hour-by-hour notices of exhibitor and show events

Follow @ORSM09 for the unfiltered “buzz” of the industry. Tweeting from the show? Use #OR09 for your feeds to aggregate to the @ORSM09 feed.

August 2, 2009

Drawing a Crowd? Or Whispering ‘Please Don’t Stop at my Booth’?

One thing I paid a lot of attention to while walking the floor at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show in Salt Lake City in July was how booth staff interacted with attendees.

It’s the single most important action item that determines the success or failure of a tradeshow exhibit.

You can have the best-looking exhibit in the world – or the worst – but people are not there to see your exhibit. They’re there to engage with the people behind the exhibit.

Based on what I saw a ORSM09 some folks are doing an awesome job – and some have a long way to go. Let’s take a look…

I mentioned Keen Shoes in my last post but it’s worth detailing a bit more how they responded to visitors. As you first approach the welcome counter (which you had to, because the rest of the booth – except for a small entrance – was walled off) somebody smiled and greeted you and asked if they could help you. Note: they didn’t try and sell you anything or give you anything you hadn’t asked for.

Next, Keen had a funky-looking spinner that let you try your hand at winning some prize, including a pair of shoes.

Third, you were invited to enter a contest which took a minute or two: members of the contest crew took your picture while you filled out a small form with your personal information. Once the digital picture was promptly printed out, it was attached to the back of the form and pinned to a giant corkboard. You were then given a raffle ticket and told specifically when you were needed to be in the booth for your chance to win $1500 towards your ‘Hybrid-Life’ adventure.

Whether or not you entered the contest, twirled the spinner or engaged with the folks at the greeting counter, you would see a lot of activity as you went by the booth.

The activity drew a crowd. And as we all know, at a tradeshow, a crowd draws a crowd.

I saw many similar instances of ‘drawing a crowd’ at the show. Whether it was the antics of GoPro Camera, or the contest at Aquapac or any number of other attendee engagements throughout the show, lots of exhibitors were doing the things they needed to do to get people into their booth.

What about the smaller booths in the smaller ballrooms? Same thing there, only on a smaller scale. The booths that had a lot of people in their ‘space’ were doing things to engage attendees.

As for the booths that were empty…. Why were they empty?

Lots of small reasons to my eye: the person in the booth was ignoring passersby while pounding away at a laptop keyboard. Or they were eating (a big turn-off to visitors). Or they were on a cell phone. Or they ignored visitors completely, even when they walked up into the booth (yes, it really happens!).

It appears to boil down to having uninterested, unmotivated or untrained booth staff. Now, even if it’s the CEO of the company manning the booth, if he’s acting as if your presence isn’t important, it will subtly communicate to you: ‘please don’t stop at my booth.’

Are you communicating that subtle message?

Most people I engaged with told me (after I asked) that they were having a good show. The ones that said the show was not good for them usually had a serious deficiency in ‘attendee engagement.’ Either that or their booth was buried at the back of a hall and the bulk of the foot traffic just was not reaching them.

Now I realize that over long shows – especially a four day show that’s open a total of 33 hours – it is extremely difficult to stand in a booth and be “ON” the whole time. When you have a large staff, it helps to have booth shifts that rotate through and keep lively and fresh faces ready to greet people. In a smaller booth where the time is split between two or three people, maintaining a positive attitude for every visitor is extremely difficult.

Keep in mind, however, the single visitor that you’re too tired to greet might be the one attendee who can open doors for your business and help you land a big deal.

Wouldn’t you hate to let that one visitor go by simply because you’re pounding away on a keyboard and are too engrossed with an e-mail to engage with a real live person?

August 2009