Engaging prospects BEYOND your booth at the tradeshow
In our last post we touched on some ways that Branded Body Paint in your Trade Show Booth can deepen brand awareness to the wider public, BEYOND just selling to your narrowly targeted prospects.
But perhaps you are a smaller or newer brand. Not many know who you are yet, or what you're offering. Or you have a very technical widget that needs to be explained clearly. You might need your presence at the Trade Show to be all about demonstrating the details of a new product or service, using more of a straightforward presentation. A booth packed with gawkers may end up being a hindrance rather than a benefit.
Makes sense.
But does that mean Branded Body Paint is of no use to your brand?
No way! There are so many other ways to use this hot ticket item to boost your visibility!
1. Sponsored Areas: Many companies are choosing to sponsor special areas at an event where attendees can unwind, regroup, grab a bite or a sip, and plan for their next round of keynotes or booth visits. These "Hangouts" and "Lounges" are a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the show floor, but also a unique opportunity to connect with a captive audience. Designed to mesh with the colors and logo of the brand, these are usually set up with the company's latest offerings to test in a casual setting. These areas are an ideal setting for Body Painted models in the company colors: whimsical, surprising, and ultra-memorable, attendees will be lining up to take photos with the models- especially if you include a connected selfie station. Don't forget to post a custom hashtag for your hangout space.
2. Post Exhibit Networking Events: Every Tradeshow or Conference has at least one after party. From cocktails on the show floor after hours, to a networking mixer at a nearby bar, to taking over Treasure Island with a ferris wheel and U2 (hello Dreamforce 2015). No show would be complete without a get-together where EVERYONE can casually network, unwind, and form deeper connections than they could on the show floor. Interacting with painted models- either having cocktails delivered, taking photos with them, or watching them perform acrobatics- is the type of shared experience that brings guests together, creates lasting memories, and makes attendees want to keep coming back.
3. Road Shows / Pop-up marketing Capaigns: Many brands take the innovative route of creating their own pop-up campaigns. Pop-up stores using exhibition trailers and upcycled shipping containers are all the rage right now and provide brands with an affordable and effective way of marketing their products and generating sales. However, in order for a pop-up campaign to be successful, the brand needs to offer customers a unique and memorable experience-
can you say: "Live Body Paint Demo"?
4. Viral Videos: Thanks to smartphones, the average person today has the attention span of – oh look, a squirrel! Consumers’ attention is fragmented across multiple screens and platforms, so marketers are in a kind of arms race to keep up, establishing footholds wherever they can. Vine and Youtube provide primo opportunities to get your message where the eyeballs are- and body paint gets their eyeballs to stick around awhile. Remember the "Natural Bliss Cafe" videos that went viral in 2015?
5. In-Booth Video Loops: If you're looking to keep your booth experience low-key, but still want to provide something engaging and outside-the-box, a video loop that features Body Paint can be just the ticket. Check out the Springpath video presented at VMworld 2015. Simple. Elegant. Engaging.
6. Product Launch / Press Events: You've got something new and exciting to share. You've gathered the press, your team, and your followers. Everyone's camera (aka smart phone) is at the ready. But maybe your new product is something etherial, like an app, very small, like a thumb drive, or perhaps just not all that "sexy", like a shower head. Using Body Painted models to showcase your product ensures that the press will have a great photo to "print", and the crowd will have something they're excited to post and share. This was very effective at my very first Branded Body Painting, done for the launch of the SanDisk-Ducati memory cards (way back in 2007).
There are of course many other types of events where Branding and Body Painting can go hand-in-hand. But for now I'll leave you to chew on these 6 juicy ones.
To learn more, or brainstorm ideas that fit with YOUR VISION for your next marketing event, contact Body Masterpiece. info@BodyMasterpiece.com
