Comments on: Printed Marketing Pieces http://www.tradeshowstartup.com/2005/07/15/printed-marketing-pieces/ Lessons From the Launch of Tradeshows & Internet Media Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:19:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Aaron http://www.tradeshowstartup.com/2005/07/15/printed-marketing-pieces/#comment-24 Aaron Sat, 16 Jul 2005 16:32:48 +0000 http://www.tradeshowstartup.com/?p=39#comment-24 Tim, I agree with Rich in that you cannot ignore concentrated ad campaigns. As for direct mail...you have to use those lists, at least for your first podcast expo. Your direct mail pieces will not only generate registrations but they may help build a feeling legitimacy for your conference with your customers, sponsors, and media partners. I'm sure your on this already but since this is a podcast expo...what about asking speakers, media, etc. to include quick mentions of the expo in the podcasts they produce leading up to the expo? Tim,

I agree with Rich in that you cannot ignore concentrated ad campaigns. As for direct mail…you have to use those lists, at least for your first podcast expo. Your direct mail pieces will not only generate registrations but they may help build a feeling legitimacy for your conference with your customers, sponsors, and media partners.

I’m sure your on this already but since this is a podcast expo…what about asking speakers, media, etc. to include quick mentions of the expo in the podcasts they produce leading up to the expo?

]]> By: Rich Westerfield http://www.tradeshowstartup.com/2005/07/15/printed-marketing-pieces/#comment-23 Rich Westerfield Sat, 16 Jul 2005 05:24:38 +0000 http://www.tradeshowstartup.com/?p=39#comment-23 Tim, Allow me to be the first show marketer to suggest that print and online advertising (and perhaps PR) can deliver better ROI than direct mail for a suprising larger number of events. When I first did the historicals for one of my clients last year - a pretty big show in building products - I was a bit confounded by the results I was seeing because, like you, I went into the process with the assumption that DM would carry the day. But it didn't. And now, after looking at results for the second go-round, this is definitely the case. The cost per attendee for advertising was, on average, half that of DM tactics. And online is a fourth of printed direct mail. That said, I typically don't use lists from publications where I'm not planning to advertise, so there is a synergistic effect that's all but impossible to measure. But don't forget to consider the ads when you're planning your attendee campaign. Tim,
Allow me to be the first show marketer to suggest that print and online advertising (and perhaps PR) can deliver better ROI than direct mail for a suprising larger number of events.

When I first did the historicals for one of my clients last year - a pretty big show in building products - I was a bit confounded by the results I was seeing because, like you, I went into the process with the assumption that DM would carry the day. But it didn’t. And now, after looking at results for the second go-round, this is definitely the case.

The cost per attendee for advertising was, on average, half that of DM tactics. And online is a fourth of printed direct mail.

That said, I typically don’t use lists from publications where I’m not planning to advertise, so there is a synergistic effect that’s all but impossible to measure. But don’t forget to consider the ads when you’re planning your attendee campaign.

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