What is with this broken record, "We're here to build awareness," crap I keep hearing from exhibitors (usually the big ones) at trade shows?
I personally think this is a copout, as it's simply saying, "We have no idea how to connect the dots between our trade show participation and real, meaningful results."
Build awareness? What does that get you? I've personally never heard of any company cashing a check on awareness. Are you aware of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Southwest Airlines? Bet you are. Do you fly them all? Bet you don't. What about Ford, GM, Chrysler, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, and Rolls-Royce? Bet you've heard of all of them, too. Examples abound.
There's a huge difference between brand awareness and brand insistence. Brand awareness only means they know about you. Brand insistence means they will consciously choose you when the need arises. I have a mantra, "The PURPOSE of marketing is to be on the mind of the prospect when the prospect is ready to buy." When that lightning bolt comes down from the sky, hits your prospect on the head, and they realize they need something, do they think of you first? Do they think of you second? Do they think of you at all? Brand awareness means you might be on the list. Brand insistence means you're the ONLY one on the list.
Creating awareness at a trade show is actually pretty easy. Build a huge exhibit! Make it loud! Have lots of flashing lights! Give away 20,000 logoed tee shirts! Serve food! I guarantee your booth will be crowded and after the show you can say, "We built awareness!" And six months later, when I ask what results you got from the show, you can say again, "We built awareness!"
Customers just need to get things done. When people find themselves needing to get a job done, they essentially hire a product or a service to do that job for them. If you've convinced them ahead of time your products/services will do that job, they'll buy from you. That's brand insistence.
A trade show is a marketing tool, pure and simple. Connecting the dots between exhibiting and results is not rocket science. How can you use an upcoming event to attract the exact right targeted prospects into your booth and convince them that you can do a specific job for them?
If you do that, then when that lightning bolt strikes, they'll insist on your brand. The dots will connect themselves.
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