Marketers are increasingly waking up to the unique opportunity that trade shows can provide in terms of interaction with potential customers. In fact, according to a poll carried out by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 99 percent of exhibitors believe that trade show marketing offers unique value of some kind.
However, it is important for exhibition stands to have a unique appeal of their own and one of the ways in which businesses are achieving this is through the use of guerilla marketing techniques. Here, we take a closer look at the value of guerilla marketing and explore why you should use it at your next trade show.
Attract Attention
Perhaps the single best reason to make use of guerilla marketing is the ability to capture the attention of trade show attendees. Although this is ultimately the aim for all exhibitors at a trade show, research shows that it is a far more difficult task than you may initially think.
Statistics published by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. show that the average attendee spends more than eight hours viewing exhibits. Yet, a large percentage already have a clear idea of which stands they want to visit before arriving, and according to Statista Inc. around half of all attendees leave without a meaningful engagement having been made.
Guerilla marketing allows you to push the boundaries of creativity. For example, Nvidia made excellent use of the strategy at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, creating a mysterious crop circle. Speculation grew that it could be a sign of alien life, before the company confirmed it was a promotional strategy for a new processor.
“We simply couldn’t think of any other way to explain that our new Tegra K1 processor, with 192 graphics cores, can do things no other technology — on this planet, at least — could,” their statement said.
Generate Social Media Buzz
Another major reason to consider guerilla marketing at your next trade show is the potential to make a significant impact on social media websites. Any good international exhibition company realises the importance of social media, as it allows a business to reach beyond the trade show itself, to customers in other parts of the world.
One of the most memorable examples in recent times came when Central Desktop made use of guerilla marketing at the ad:tech conference in San Francisco back in 2012. The company utilised humour by featuring a dancing, cigar-smoking, bearded angel, known as the Collaboration Angel, who promoted their cloud-based products.
The Collaboration Angel campaign allowed the company to take visitors by surprise, but also stay on message, and proved to be a hit on social media. In fact, the hashtag #collaborationangel was utilised frequently on Twitter over the course of the day, with one user describing the campaign as “the best booth surprise at the show.”
Make a Lasting Impression
In the end, the main reason for exhibition marketing is to generate leads, boost revenue and reach out to new customers and guerilla marketing can help you to achieve these things by making a lasting impression.
For Nvidia, their crop circle guerilla campaign generated worldwide media attention for the company and its new product. This then resulted in greater brand awareness and a higher volume of sales. Meanwhile, for Central Desktop, the Collaboration Angel campaign allowed them to attract new customers through in-person interaction.
Trade show attendees are likely to visit dozens of exhibitions and speak to countless people. When they leave the show, you want your brand to be the one they remember. If you come up with a creative idea, utilise humour and/or originality, and make sure there is a clear message to link it to your company, you stand a great chance.
