Trade shows (aka trade fair, exhibition, and expo) started off as an idea for companies in specific industries to showcase and demonstrate each of their latest products, services, research, etc. As the trend of trade shows move on, some shows started incorporating what we now know as a hybrid shows, where the first few days are for trade purposes and the last one or two days are open to the public. Back when digital marketing is not a common trend yet, companies will advertise their trade shows in printings, and/or through relevant associations or organisations through the traditional word of mouth. Therefore, for the word to reach out to the people who are far away, may take a longer time. However, with digital marketing keeping up in the industry, it has made it so much easier to promote the shows, and companies have also started using digital marketing as their platform to share out information on their products and services. Despite this, the question still remains, with the exponential growth of digital marketing, do trade shows remain as a relevant tool for Companies to reach out to the masses?
Trade shows are unique, such marketing channel can never be replicated by the digital world without significant trade-offs. Through trade shows, it offers companies the opportunity to be meeting up with, as many would put it, “the Decision Makers” of their respective clienteles. As nothing can be compared with meeting face-to-face (F2F), to be able to rub shoulders with their clients, companies will have a bigger influence on the productivity of their outreach.
On the other hand, Digital Marketing itself offers a variety of tools and platforms for companies to advertise their company’s products. Yet to date, there is no guarantee that these marketing initiatives will be able to reach to their target audience. Unlike the outreach through trade shows, where the target audience is usually the ones being invited and this will give a higher level of control for company over their target audience.
Despite that, it would be foolish to discredit the importance of Digital Marketing and the benefits one can reap from it. Presently, Companies are using Digital Marketing as a tool to broadcast to their audience in regards to their participation of certain trade shows, as well as giving their audience a sneak preview of the products they are showcasing and what they can be expecting in the trade show. Therefore, to answer that question, trade shows are still relevant to Companies, it is when digital marketing is not seen as substitute to trade shows, but more as a complimentary tool to trade shows.
Should you have any upcoming exhibition or event, and would like know more about what Hawt Dotz can do for you and your Company, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss further.
