Who doesn't remember the 1979 Coke commercial featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers 'Mean Joe Greene'? Yeah, the one where he guzzles a Coke and in appreciation (instead of a major burp) tosses the kid his game jersey to the line of 'Hey kid, catch'. Oh how this delighted TV viewing audiences for what seemed like forever. The commercial won all kind of awards and is noted as one of the most popular television commercials of all time. So how successful was this commercial? The creative guys and ad agencies would all quickly thump their chests and proclaim this a heart warming moment where 'football giant makes happiest day of small boy's life.' And in the center of the spotlight is our favorite soft drink brand - Coke. Ahh. How nice. Hey, I'm not knocking it. This remains a fantastic commercial memory.
But did you know Coke jerked that commercial off the air the moment it failed to produce additional sales? They didn't keep it aired just to satisfy consumer fluffiness. No sir. Instead, they took a business approach and determined based on measurement and ROI that the commercial had run its course in driving additional revenue for Coke. Sergio Zyman - then Chief Marketing Officer for Coke - now head of Zyman Group - pulled the plug. How many of us would have been that bold? How many of us have been guilty of wasteful marketing spending? Think about that. Unless your marketing dollars - - whether advertising or other - - are tied to new business and additional revenue, it's probably a really good idea to scrutinize what those dollars are accomplishing for you. Marketing is an investment. And, investments are supposed to yield favorable returns. Mean Joe Greene turned 'softee' in that famous Coke commercial for just a few seconds. In reality, it was the Coca Cola Company who avoided the trap and made the right business decision to move on.
Have you ever attended a trade show that was just absolutely 'over the top'? I still recall a show in Las Vegas several years ago that was undeniably first rate. It was actually a software company's annual conference, but it included numerous exhibitors and some of the normal trade show flair. The event included very well done exhibits, excellent conference sessions, plenty of food, entertainment - the list goes on. They even brought in the famed Doobie Brothers for two free concerts at the Hard Rock Cafe. Can't beat that.
While discussing the event with a colleague after returning from the conference, neither of us could find the right word to describe it. Finally, he nailed it - Galactic! Bigger and almost better than life.
Even though you may not be able to influence your next trade show beyond your company's exhibit, you can make your visitor's experience 'galactic'. Focus on doing everything right from your booth design to those who will be in your booth interacting with visitors.
You may also benefit from engaging the services of a trade show expert like Julia O'Connor. She provides online trade show training to ensure you maximize your show experience. This takes into account all of the components from pre-show planning to post-show follow-up - - and the all-important in-between tactics that need to be organized, planned and properly executed.
And, ensuring that your exhibit provides an engaging message to show attendees is critical toward your success. Skyline Exhibits & Design does an excellent job at determining what kind of exhibit is right for your company and then designing that exhibit for your display needs.
Don't cut corners and fail to plan for your trade show marketing. Simply showing up in your booth and watching aisle traffic will result in nothing more than disappointment. You can have a galactic experience with your next trade show if you plan, strategize and execute well. And, you'll be very pleased with the ROI.
More than ever, it seems, marketing has come under the scrutiny of company CFO's who want to know where that ROI exists. They are completely justified in doing so. In the old days, marketers would often hide behind ambiguous things like 'market exposure', 'awareness campaigns', 'brand education', etc. No more. If marketing doesn't help drive revenue opportunities, the ROI is zero. Just this week, Ginger Colon, Editor-in-Chief at 1to1 Media for the Peppers & Rogers Group, posed the question about how finance and marketing get along and on the same page for addressing money issues - and the all important bottom line. We participated. You can see our response by visiting the 1to1 blog.
But did you know Coke jerked that commercial off the air the moment it failed to produce additional sales? They didn't keep it aired just to satisfy consumer fluffiness. No sir. Instead, they took a business approach and determined based on measurement and ROI that the commercial had run its course in driving additional revenue for Coke. Sergio Zyman - then Chief Marketing Officer for Coke - now head of Zyman Group - pulled the plug. 
