Experiential Exhibit and Event Agency

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Awareness

Awareness: Have a plan.

Generating awareness for your upcoming live event is the vital first step to a successful outcome. But it’s not enough to compile a list of potential attendees, blast out an invitation, and sit back waiting for them to show up at your exhibit.

INNOV8 believes that the first step in any successful plan is to identify, understand and define your audience, not only in demographic terms, but on a deeper motivational level. Understanding your audience’s core needs and how your products and services satisfy those needs is essential. And it is important to realize that multiple stakeholders from the same organization can, and often do, have different needs.

For example, a company that designs, develops, and manufactures medical devices for coronary procedures often will contend with multiple types of visitors to their event. They will find that the head of cardiology at a large hospital will have a very different set of needs than the hospital’s administrator. And those requirements may even conflict. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses will all have a distinct need to be filled and have different buying personas. These individuals are your potential decision makers or, at the very least, they contribute significantly to the buying outcome. So it is vital to understand how your products and services meet the different needs of the various decision-makers.

When crafting the messaging for your event, INNOV8 will also consider your current brand strategy and communication plans. This will result in a seamless event plan that fully leverages your marketing tools for a positive customer experience.

Understanding your audience’s core needs and how your products and services satisfy those needs is essential.

Now that you’ve defined your audience(s) and crafted your messaging to align with the needs of that audience, the next step is how you will communicate it. And since live events are time-limited, this must be done in a fashion so compelling that your audience makes it a priority to meet with you. Ideally, your customers should look forward to meeting with you, putting you at the top of their list.
 
There are multiple channels for communicating and creating awareness. And we will help you select and manage an integrated and effective program. For example:
 
    • Native advertising (also called sponsored content). Employing native advertising is one of the most effective ways of increasing awareness and winning over new customers.
    • Running a social initiative promoting your event. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can all be employed to reach your audience. You can broaden the event’s footprint using social media pre- and post-event.
    • Capitalize on your team’s human talent. Align your subject matter experts with your target’s various stakeholders. Create a tool to connect your talent pool to your prospects and clients. This could be a private event, podcast, or web event.
    • Partner with influencers to create content and promote your message.
    • Mail. Sometimes, a beautifully designed invitation or mail piece will break through the e-clutter of daily distractions.
 
INNOV8 has over three decades of experience helping clients understand the needs of their audience, crafting messages to address those needs, and delivering those communications promptly and compellingly to ensure successful, productive events.  Ask us how we can do this for you. 
Picture of Gene Shapiro

Gene Shapiro

Senior Account Strategist

Company

Corporate Technology Center
60 Commerce Drive
Trumbull, Connecticut 06611

Corporate Operation Center
11 Heritage Park Rd
Clinton, Connecticut 06413

203.335.0633