Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/51841
MANAGEMENT UNCORKING PR C o n t i n u e d columns for consumers, restaura- teurs, retailers, distributors, import- ers, academics, media, etc. It doesn't have to be complicated. It's just a list of the most important audiences. If you don't know who those are, then it's about time that you did. You can't do effective mar- keting communications without knowing who your audiences are. Obviously, all of this must be determined before you decide to attend a trade show. The informa- tion should be referenced against the marketing goals of the compa- ny to develop a plan for each trade show. In short: who is going to be there, and what do they want? Once you enter this information into the spreadsheet, you will have a way to compare the various trade shows and festivals that solicit your participation each year. You can measure them against each other and make an intelligent decision about which ones to attend. Of course, that assumes that you have a marketing plan that actually identifies specific goals in terms of more retail or restaurant accounts, more direct-to-consumer sales, broader geographic distribu- tion, etc. If you don't have a market- ing plan that gives you measureable goals – the more specific, the bet- ter – it's time to lock the door to that marketing meeting again. SPECIAL DELIVERY You should now have a clear message and a clear definition of the audience. Now all you have to do is create a plan to deliver that message to the audience. The plan should consider all sorts of differ- ent ideas, from press releases to sales calls to marketing materials to, yes, trade shows and festivals. How is your participation in a show going to achieve the goals of your marketing communications plan? This is not a rhetorical ques- tion. You need to answer it as spe- cifically as possible. Make a list of all the audiences you are going to see at the show, and then explain how you are going to make sure that they get your message. Don't wait for clients to happen by your booth – go and hunt them down. Photo: Thinkstock/George Doyle Standing (or even worse, sit- ting) behind a table and waiting for people to arrive is not a plan. Here are a number of ways that you can avoid sitting like a lame duck at a trade show, watching the world go by … and go buy somewhere else. Make your booth stand out. Make it bigger, better and more active than your competition. Use bet- ter graphics and bigger signs to attract attention. Never show a picture of something when you can show the real thing. Never show the real thing when you can show the real thing in action. And staff your booth with the liveli- est, funniest and most educated and helpful people on the planet. The average time spent at a trade show booth is 15 seconds; give your visitors a reason to stay longer. 18 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT JAN - FEB 2012 WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM