7 Branding Tips for Your Next Exhibition
Exhibiting at a trade show or conference is a fantastic way to get your brand in front of a larger audience, see the competition, and interact with potential customers. While it’s a given that your logo, company name and brand colours should be central to your booth design, you also need to consider the experience of the visitors, how you will display your products, attract visitors and how you will make your booth stand out in a busy venue.
Whether you are running a small company or a large one, here are 7 branding tips to help make your next exhibition a success.
1.Keep it simple
The first point to keep in mind is that you don’t have to go over the top in terms of making your stand glitzy or extravagant. If anything, this is more likely to confuse your brand message and mean that people miss what you are trying to get across. Your brand needs to be the star.
2.Make your booth stand out
If you have been to exhibitions before, think about how other companies were exhibiting and the styles of booths they were using. Combine this with some research into the booths available now and consider how you can differentiate your stand from the competition and current trends.
3.Use portable banners and flags
In addition to the branded booth, you should also be using portable banners and/or flags with images of your product with key features and benefits. This will mean even passersby will be able to take in your key messages without having to come to speak to you. If they are large enough, they can also make your stand more visible from across the venue.
4.Brand all printed marketing materials
Your printed marketing should align with your branding and be prominently displayed. Pamphlets, posters and flyers are essential as you need to be able to give visitors something tangible they can take away with them and read after the event.
5.Offer giveaways to visitors
Giving printed literature is standard practice at exhibitions, but you can differentiate your company again by also giving away samples or useful promotional products. Find a unique product that will get people talking, such as a custom magic 8 ball printed in your brand colors. This magic 8 ball can also be tailored with unique questions and answers.
6.Give your products centre stage
Your products should be prominently displayed and, ideally, you should only feature a few of your main products. Trying to show your whole range at once is likely to be complex and overwhelming for visitors, so focus your efforts towards your priority products.
7.Run regular contests
To encourage visitors to your booth and increase engagement, consider running a small contest every couple of hours. Each winner could receive a small gift like a promotional product and have their name entered into the main prize draw at the end of the day for something more valuable. You might even give one of your products or a voucher for your service as the top prize.
