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Type of Promotion:
Increase Trade Show Booth Traffic
Product(s) Used: Game
Method(s) Applied: Contest
The promotion took the form of a game. First,
the players, who were called agents, rolled the dice to collect parts of a real estate transaction from the game board. Once they accumulated a buyer, financing, house or listing, they earned a commission. Agents who
obtained all four parts achieved a "double pop," and collected two commissions. The first person who earned five commissions before getting five rejections was declared the winner. On the other hand, agents
who received too many rejections got "agent burnout," and lost the game. The game was promoted at the March 1991 international RE/MAX convention where the originators distributed brochures that said "Come
Play With Us," and encouraged attendees to visit their booth and play the game. The three highest commission-earners received certificates for $20 worth of ad specialties from distributor Carole Kelby Winner's
Workshop. Also, Ads ran in the RE/MAX Times newsletter with the tagline, "Remember when selling real estate was fun? It can be again." The game is currently being marketed for specialty advertising use and can
be easily personalized for a particular user by imprinting different logos or company names on the appropriate game cards. For example, a California-based mortgage company used the game as part of an incentive program
for real estate agents and had its name imprinted on the "financing" cards. The booth at the convention was packed with agents who wanted to play the game.
Type of Promotion: Increase Tradeshow Booth Traffic Product(s) Used: T-Shirts Method(s) Applied:
Tradeshow Booth Giveaways Rainmaker Marketing Inc., the oldest and largest full-service advertising agency servicing the legal profession, used logoed T-shirts as prizes for business-card drawings it held several times each day at tradeshows around the country. The shirt design was different for each show, usually incorporating Rainmaker's corporate logo, a colorful striped umbrella, and some connection with the show's location. For a show in Chicago, Rainmaker took advantage of the location's long-time "Windy City" nickname by using a design that incorporated several of its logo umbrellas tumbling about as if in a windstorm. In another case, the shirt used for the American Trial Lawyers Association show in New York was a white, long-sleeve style, imprinted on the back with an illustration of a large red apple with a bite out of it. Curved around the apple in black letters was the copy, "Rainmaker Summer '95." As a humorous touch, the words,"Bite Me" were subtly incorporated into the bitten portion of the apple. On the front were the words, "Rainmaker Staff." For most shows, the company ordered a gross of shirts. By each exhibition's end, all 144 had been distributed. In addition to the T-shirts, Rainmaker used logoed products such as leather goods, letter openers, tote bags and sunglasses as handouts at various trade shows.
Type of Promotion: Incentive Product(s) Used: Plush Toys Method(s) Applied:
Premium, Tradeshow Booth Giveaways As the company's mascot is a bear, the promotion used a "Top-Gun Bear" -- a teddy bear dressed in a vest and matching silk pilot's scarf, both of which were imprinted with the firm's name. The bear also wore sunglasses and, on some versions, featured a miniature staple gun in its holster, too. The company used 3,500 18-inch and 250 36-inch bears. The 18-inch bears were distributed to lumberyard owners as well as home-builders who bought three giant Barricade rolls at lumber yards, and the 36-inch bears were distributed at tradeshows via booth drawings. The distributor involved said the response to the promotion was "amazing," and that many people offered to buy the bears.
Type of Promotion: Increase Tradeshow Booth Traffic Product(s) Used: Puzzles Method(s) Applied: Preshow Mailer, Contest Theme(s):
Mazes A new company that specialized in setting up and maintaining in-house rehabilitation programs wanted to ensure that hospital administrators would visit their booth at an upcoming exposition. The company believed that it was critical, as a new company, that they have the hospital administrators who were the decision makers stop by their booth and listen to the presentations. To accomplish the goal, 1,000 folded postcards were sent to the administrators who worked for targeted hospitals. The postcard, from The Chest (asi 44830), served as an invitation to visit the booth. The 4-inch by 6-inch folded card opened to reveal a punch out of a puzzle piece. A maze theme was used for the promotion, with the front of the postcard showing a hedge maze with business people wandering around. One man was shown on a ladder above the confusion. Inside, the postcard stated that "The path through the world of rehabilitation doesn't have to be a puzzle." The inside also invited recipients to visit the company's booth at the exposition and bring along the enclosed punch-out puzzle piece for a chance to win one of 100 prizes. Even if the puzzle piece wasn't a winner, the person could register for the grand prize drawing by filling out the information requested on the back of the puzzle piece. The promotion was a success as an invitation and increased traffic to the booth. The collection of information generated by the grand prize drawing was used to start a data base of potential customers.
Type of Promotion: Increase Trade Show Booth Traffic Product(s) Used: Clocks, Key Tags Method(s) Applied: Tradeshow Booth Giveaways, Sales Leave-Behinds Theme(s):
Racing The purpose was to increase trade show exhibit attendance and to secure leads for a new blood-pressure monitor. Critikon's new Dinamap 1846 SX blood-pressure monitor was billed as the fastest unit available, giving a systolic reading in eight seconds. To highlight this speed feature, promotion of the equipment was centered around a racing motif. Three weeks before the American Society of Anesthesiology convention, a racing flag (copy: "0 to Systolic in 8 Seconds Flat!") was mailed to 4,000 anesthesiologists. At the convention, a model in racing attire gave product demonstrations at the Critikon booth. Following the demonstrations, booth visitors were given a box with race-car graphics ("Take a look at a high-speed machine"). Inside was a product replica key tag and a form which, hopefully, would be filled out and left at the booth as a request for a salesperson to call. On the sales calls, Critikon salespeople presented a box ("Break the speed limit") with a Lucite desk clock. The advertising director reported 2,952 doctors and critical-care technicians visited the Critikon booth, 47 Dinamap units were sold at the show and 600 doctors requested sales calls.
Type of Promotion: Promote Convention/Tradeshow/Conference Product(s) Used: Lamps, Briefcases, Sculptures Method(s) Applied:
Conference Reminders, Thank-You Gifts The three-day technical conference held in Vail, Colorado was to cover many serious topics so it was important to make the event inviting and entertaining to its participants and to show appropriate appreciation to the event planners. The conference logo featured "Chilly Willy" the mascot seal set in a backdrop depicting the Rocky Mountains and the mining heritage in the Vail/Leadville vicinity. In addition to planned social activities, logo imprinted mugs, pens, flashlights and briefcases were distributed to attendees for use during the conference and subsequently at home or in the office. Cloisonne pins, portable flourescent lamps and sterling sculptures of a seal were used as appreciation gifts to presenters, board members, VIP's and officers and senior staff. Commemorative T-shirts and sweatshirts were offered for sale. It was stated 150 evaluation forms were received from attendees and all rated the conference as exceptionally successful and enjoyable.
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