Your Story Alive: A Live Communications Blog

May 13, 2013 2:18 PM

Key Trends: Event Marketing Summit 2013

Posted byKatie

Waiting for class to start at EMS 2013.

The annual Event Marketing Summit is known for big ideas and big campaigns - and this year did not disappoint. Here are the top findings from our attendance this year - with the caveat that try as we might, we couldn’t attend every session that we wanted to.

Employees are gaining more market share and attention. Several brands talked about the importance of communicating internally – and not just to the sales force. One presenter from Textron, the maker of the Bell Helicopter – shared concerns about keeping new product details under wraps, even from employees. An information leak happened despite their best efforts, and when they realized that the leaked information wasn’t factual, they decided to embrace it instead, and go for full transparency. The resulting campaign was a mix of surprise and delight, starting with tactics as simple as window and floor decals in employee lunchrooms. The campaign that started with employees also served as the foundation for an incredible product reveal. They may not be responsible for sales directly, but employees certainly bring something to the table when it comes to brand integrity, reputation and buzz.
Long product cycles and sustained outreach. This year, we saw a bit more focus on those brands that face long product cycles. Whether its helicopters or cars, it seems that brands are shifting away from campaign or program-focused execution, and instead looking for the long game. What are the implications for the brand identity? What kind of messaging are we putting in the marketplace? By being considerate of the flow of information and cadence, some are finding a way to refocus on the sequence of live events – not just a few nights a year.
The brand ambassador is changing. Forget booth babes and the traditional product specialists! We kid. But seriously, for many of the events and case studies we saw, the idea of the brand ambassador is going through a fundamental shift, and not just for tradeshow programs. Take Genlivet’s campaign, The Guardian. This membership club brings together highly curated content, events and recommendations, anchored by the venerable, agency-created, Jonathan Dram. (Who, by the way, comes complete with his own Pinterest account: http://pinterest.com/jonathandram/pins/). Another presenter that we saw talked about how one automaker worked with an architect for a recent event and even asked him to open his home and car collection to journalists. And, Audi shared their efforts as they identified a niche audience representation, skiers, led by a former US team member, as they delivered experiences for one of their most niche products, the Audi allroad. While these representatives are implicitly talented and cool – they also safely guard their own creative content and presence, so good luck telling them what to do and say, exactly. In the words of the Glenlivet representative, properly vetting this group is a “fine art.”
The power of the personal story. We believe this goes hand in hand with the trend in brand ambassadors. While a corporate brand is cool, personal stories are better. The Textron marketer talked about how their sales meetings kicked off with a look at what makes their speakers unique – and those interests helped drive better connection during those meetings. Likewise, Paul Blurton of inVNT found that people who had the same personal aspects as those the brand was working to emulate (creative, adventurous, discerning, etc.) helped create touchpoints that prospects and customers could relate to. Interesting people, they are finding, drive more interesting conversation and more effective communications. While it means less control, better relationships are the tradeoff.

Sending a huge thank you!
Last but not least, thanks to everyone who joined us at our UX track session, “Big Footprints, Bigger Impressions: Making the Most of Large Real Estate.” Great questions were asked. If you want a copy of the presentation, leave a comment or contact us at media ‘at’ ewiworldwide.com.

Tags: Brand Stories, Creative Inspirations, Exhibits, Innovation, Interactives, People, Special Events, Technology

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May 01, 2013 11:43 AM

EWI at Event Marketing Summit

Posted byAlisha

Chris Petit, Creative Director at EWI Worldwide, will present the session “Big Footprints, Bigger Impressions: Making the Most of Large Real Estate” on Wednesday, May 8th from 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in the Chi Bar of the Sheraton Hotel as part of the Event Marketing Summit.

The session will focus on creating an effective customer journey within large exhibit spaces. In addition, attendees will find out how to create intelligent traffic patterns, design unique product zones, incorporate theater and lounge spaces, and leverage event technology and interactives.

Event Marketing Summit 2013 (EMS) will be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in the heart of downtown Chicago. The annual conference on face-to-face marketing regularly attracts the world’s leading marketing agencies and brands such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, and Under Armour. These companies and more will be instructing attendees on what the newest trends are, how best to generate sales and how to best use exhibit spaces.

Chris Petit is responsible for developing highly conceptual and effective programs and live marketing events, including mobile tours, auto shows, and tradeshows for such companies as KIA, DFI Tech and Obagi Medical Products.

Tags: Exhibits, Promotions, Technology

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April 25, 2013 4:39 PM

ICare

Posted byAlisha

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending an event for the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society’s Michigan Chapter. The da Vinci Awards is an annual event that showcases the most innovative new technologies that help promote individuals overcoming physical limitations caused by having MS. There were 15 finalists, all of them equally brilliant enough to take the top nod.

The Madonna ICARE by Sports Art was nominated in the area of “Recreation and Leisure.” It is a machine that re-trains an individual’s brain after losing the ability to walk due to illness. For the first time people are able to afford this care within the comfort of their own home. Watch the video above to learn more about this innovative and inspiring new machine.

Tags: Healthcare, Innovation, Technology

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March 14, 2013 8:26 AM

EWI leads international, tech sessions at EXHIBITOR2013

Posted byAlisha

The buzz surrounding EXHIBITOR2013 is louder than ever here at EWI Worldwide. We are excited to be hosting two educational sessions during the conference March 17 and March 18 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino.

EWI’s Benedict Meissner, managing director, Europe headquarters, and Andy P. Austin, president, Digital Engagements will present a half-day workshop entitled “International Cultural Protocol” in room Palm A, Sunday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Andy and Benedict will discuss how our commonalities and cultural differences can overlap in an ever changing and expanding global economy, give pointers on regional cultural practices in order to navigate communication between cultures and give a top 10 etiquette “do’s and faux pas” to be successful in international interactions.

On Monday, March 18 from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Elisa Stokoe, global account director, and Austin will present the new session “Hands On - Tech Possible” in room Palm A. In order to understand how technologies transform the way marketers communicate at live events you must first understand how the latest innovations can impact the bottom line.

Attendees will learn ways to apply popular interactive tools strategically to allow for longer dwell times and increased ROI and will explore various delivery methods such as tablets, touch screens and RFID readers. Within their session Stokoe and Austin will also be inviting attendees to participate in an interactive to demonstrate different program solutions.

To join EWI Worldwide, Andy, Benedict and Elisa in Las Vegas sign up here.

Tags: Interactives, Special Events, Technology

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February 21, 2013 11:29 AM

All About Digital Signage

Posted byAlisha

We are excited to have Andy Austin, President of Digital Engagements at EWI Worldwide present at the Digital Signage Expo with Christian Burke, Creative Services Manager at Tri Counties Bank (TCB) and Steve Collet, Owner/Producer at Synergy Productions. Their session “Using Digital Signage to Connect a Bank with Its Community,” is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28. The trio will discuss how digital signage can bridge the gap between a bank and its community, leading to a more tailored brand image and increased customer satisfaction.

Digital Sign Expo (#DSExpo), hosted by the Digital Signage Federation, is the world’s largest international trade show dedicated to digital signage, interactive technology and Out-of-Home networks. The show is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, February 26-28.

TCB was looking to change the look and feel within the lobbies of their banks in order to create a better environment for the customer. Their ultimate goal was to rebrand TCB to be a friendlier atmosphere and create a place that would assist in building relationships with the customer. This was accomplished when TCB and EWI Worldwide worked together to develop an interactive that was unique to each individual bank lobby.

Tags: Brand Stories, Interactives, Technology

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February 18, 2013 10:13 AM

Join Us at DSE to Learn About Digital Interaction

Posted byAlisha

February 26th marks the start of the largest international trade show dedicated to digital signage, interactive technology and Out-of-Home networks. Digital Sign Expo (DSE), held in Las Vegas, runs from February 26-28 and we’re excited to be there. EWI Worldwide’s very own Tracy Cogswell, Director of Interactive Design and Alex Nichols, Technical Evangelist to present their session “Interactive Technology Integration Considerations” on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m.

During the session, Tracy and Alex will discuss how design considerations in both the digital and physical spaces can help create a more complete experience, and how extending physical objects into the digital world can create a more cohesive experience and lead to better understanding of products and brands alike.

DSE, presented by Digital Signage Federation, is sure to be full of new ideas and designs in the signage industry. Please join EWI Worldwide, Tracy and Alex in Las Vegas to learn more about it.

Tags: Interactives, Technology, Global Design

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February 08, 2013 2:51 PM

What We Can Learn from the Super Bowl Blackout

Posted byAlisha

photo by: newdiscovies.com

With the phenomenon that is the Super Bowl, the producers and team have a backup plan for just about anything that could go wrong. Well, this past Sunday viewers across the world were able to see that backup plan when the power went out in half of the Superdome.

While 108.4 million people watched Super Bowl XLVII at home and another 72,000 people waited patiently in their seats within the dome, crews scrambled to get power back up and running. Thirty-four minutes later the game resumed, but not without talk of how the power outage changed the whole momentum of the game. Just before the lights went dark Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens returned a history-making 108 yard opening kickoff, continuing the Ravens’ domination into the second half. After the blackout the Ravens only scored six points for the rest of the game, while the 49er’s gained 25 points.

With all of this drama that surrounded the Super Bowl it is important to point out how you can ensure a power outage will not happen during your event – pending any natural disasters. In an interview with Tony Barras, President of EWI Worldwide’s The TERM Group, we discussed the main points that need to be covered in order to help ensure your event will happen without losing power, based on his 25 years of experience working thousands of shows, exhibits and events:
1.   Do your due diligence to ensure you have all of the information about the venue that is needed
2.   Communicating venue information to the proper people, including managers, technicians, etc.
3.   Do not cut corners, answer all questions and have a backup plan; i.e., have a surge protector to ensure that the “abnormality” that happened at the Super Bowl will not happen at your event.
4.   Have skilled technicians on hand to handle any emergency situation. Usually the venue will provide you with a team.
5.   Before you choose a specific venue for your event run through this simple check list:
a.   Site Inspection
b.   Look at electrical capabilities
c.   Check the weather
d.   What is your back up plan?
e.   What are all the pitfalls?
6.   Have insurance to cover catastrophes. Murphy ’s Law states, “Anything that could go wrong, it will.” Prepare for the unexpected and address all problems before they get worse.

The goal to holding an event is to have it be successful in all aspects. The most important factor that needs to be considered is who you partner with for the show. The more experience, the better and the questions you know to ask the more successful the show will be.

Tags: Exhibits, Pop Culture, Special Events, Technology

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January 22, 2013 11:48 AM

Sanofi: Root and Branch Reinvention

Posted bySusan Hough

As most of us in the business world have experienced, there are wins and losses. When this happens, change is inevitable. The creative ‘road less traveled’ can be a very risky path for responsible corporations to take when faced with lost sales.

Healthcare giant, Sanofi, experienced significant losses at the start of 2012 when three of its pharmaceuticals’ went off-patent, losing US exclusivity and facing generic competition, resulting in over $5 billion in sales lost. Instead of battening down the hatches, Sanofi chose the creative path to implement new digital media programs, groundbreaking gadget design and visionary contests aimed at techies, scientists and non-profits.

At the end of 2012, Sanofi out performed earnings forecasts through ‘root and branch reinvention,” excellence in digital efforts and the importance of collaboration.

Tags: Healthcare, Innovation, Social Media, Technology, Mobile Marketing

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December 14, 2012 10:25 AM

Technology's Impact on the Industry - 2012

Posted byKatie

EXHIBITOR magazine has just released their 2012 Marketing Technology Survey - evaluating the use of tech in exhibits and events.

Although you should head over to the full story for specific findings, here are some standout stats we think were impactful:

93% of survey respondents currently use tech to enhance their marketing efforts
Technology helped the following corporate objectives (in order by most popular): Increased booth traffic; increased brand awareness; increased leads
Only 29% of marketers using tech are proactively creating measurement goals
Lack of staff and lack of tech knowledge are the two biggest barriers to entry from integrating tech into their programs

There is a lot of great data here to dig into. While the specific programs and products lumped under the title of "technology" are broad, here are our top highlights and takeaways from the survey:

There seems to be a hesitance to integrate marketing for marketing's sake (agreed, wholeheartedly!) and anecdotal concerns that technology may alienate non-tech savvy customers
Tech is proving its value - and is bleeding into nearly every facet of a marketer's responsibility as evidenced by the broad range of goals it helps support
The opportunity for growth in the ROI of tech engagements seems to be huge. With such low measurement figures, it will be interesting to see how this aspect develops in the year ahead

Tags: Consumer Electronics, Exhibits, Interactives, Social Media, Technology

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December 07, 2012 12:15 PM

Technology is in the Driver's Seat

Posted byAlisha

Image courtesy of dtvusaforum.com

The holidays are upon us, and with that comes the rampant sales and frenzied shopping that is now associated with the season. No two days are more frenzied than Black Friday and its counterpart, Cyber Monday.

This year when the sales numbers were released it was shocking, because 2012 was the first year that Black Friday sales were over one billion dollars. While many people were standing impatiently for the doors to open at their favorite store, many others were waiting patiently online in order to be part of the largest increase in online retail sales ever. Most of these transactions were made on mobile devices or tablets. This brings up the question: How is technology influencing the two most lucrative shopping holidays of the year?

On Black Friday 57 million Americans visited an online retail store, up 18 percent from 2011. The retailers that profited the most from these visits were Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target and Apple. The primary reason for this increase was due to the development of mobile and tablet apps that allow consumers to shop online just by touching a few buttons. This also allows the consumer to enjoy being at home with family and friends, avoid the crowds and get the same deals that are available at the store. Purchases made on mobile devices or tablets reached 48.2 percent of the total online purchases on Black Friday.

With the success of Black Friday analysts were expecting Cyber Monday to perform even better. While Cyber Monday set a new record for the biggest online shopping day ever, it paled in comparison to Black Friday’s overall income. On this day it wasn’t consumers using technology to make their purchases that was so outstanding, it was the consumers purchasing technology. According to AdAge, tablets accounted for 7.1 percent of all Cyber Monday purchases with Apple’s iPad line accounting for 90.5 percent of all tablets purchased.

The days of consumers running out at midnight to be first in line at the stores are coming to an end. Retailers are being forced to develop strategies that deliver the same messages as an in-store display without the added benefit of having the face-- to-- face contact with the consumer. A major reason retailers cut prices on Black Friday is to get people into the store in the hopes of them purchasing higher priced items, which are often-times are not on sale. When a consumer purchases an item online it becomes easier for them to avoid the impulse buying the stores are hoping to see. The challenge that retailers are facing is developing the same impact in-store and on their websites. This year shows that a new era of ease and access is inundating the holiday shopping season. With the largest profits ever recorded in history, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales were driven by technology, whether it is by using it or purchasing it. If Black Friday was any indication of what the retailers have in store for consumers then look forward to more great deals in the future.

Tags: Technology, Promotions, People

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