How to Get the Most Benefits of Branding Before Your Next Trade Show

Posted on by Jessica Scanlon

Exhibiting at a Conference This Year? Consider Your Brand Strategy First

Benefits of Branding before TML

Texas Municipal League will be here before you know it. For many small-to-medium-sized businesses that work with the public sector in Texas, TML is the largest, most important conference for their sales teams. While it’s still early enough in the year, you have time to think critically about your company’s strategy and understanding the benefits of branding.

Brand strategy and execution are the foundation of everything marketing and sales. If you feel like your previous marketing attempts or attempts at gaining leads at TML didn’t go as planned, your brand strategy as a company wasn’t strong, and the company didn’t present strongly enough in a sea of competition and bright, shiny objects on the exhibition floor.

Here are a few things to consider now before you begin work on your conference strategy, materials, and training:

Develop Consistent Brand Messaging:

Conferences provide a significant opportunity to interact directly with potential buyers and industry stakeholders. To get the most benefits of branding, you have to ensuring consistency in brand messaging across all touchpoints, including booth design, marketing materials, presentations, and staff interactions, helps reinforce brand identity and values.

  • Thoroughly researching the needs of your ideal buyers, understanding how you solve those problems, and how you’re different from your competition can lead to solid brand messaging in your marketing materials.
  • Training your team to talk about your company consistently can affect how people perceive your brand.

Work on Brand Differentiation:

In a crowded marketplace, you must differentiate your brand from competitors. A well-defined brand strategy helps articulate what sets your company apart, highlighting unique selling propositions, key differentiators, and your value to customers. This differentiation can attract attention and interest from conference attendees seeking innovative solutions.

  • Brand positioning in the marketplace can help define your differentiation. A positioning statement typically states who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why you’re the best choice. Generic positioning statements are rarely memorable or easy to understand.
  • Researching your competitors’ and buyers’ needs can help you identify where you need to differentiate to reach a larger market.

Establish Brand Authority:

Establishing your brand as an authority in your industry or niche can increase trust and credibility among potential buyers. You can position your company as a trusted source of information and solutions by aligning conference activities with your brand strategy, such as hosting thought leadership sessions, participating in panel discussions, or showcasing expertise through product demonstrations.

  • If you can’t earn a spot on the conference schedule as a speaker, consider publishing authoritative content on your website. Create branded resource guides, eBooks, and white papers to encourage booth visitors to download.
  • Host your thought-leader session at your booth. Think of a topic that would truly help your ideal buyer. Market that session ahead of time to your contact list, and use the material in various ways to position yourself as the expert.

Ensure Target Audience Alignment:

Effective marketing requires clearly understanding your target audience’s needs, pain points, and preferences. By incorporating insights from your brand strategy into conference planning, you can tailor your messaging and activities to resonate with your ideal customers, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

  • Who makes the purchasing decisions at the municipal, county, and state levels? How many people are involved in the buying committee, and what information do they need to understand that you’re the best choice?
  • Mapping these individuals on their buyer’s journey can help you understand what information needs to be available on your website, at your booth, and how your salespeople need to engage with these individuals.

Consider Long-Term Brand Growth:

While conferences, like TML, offer immediate opportunities for lead generation and sales, they also present opportunities for long-term brand growth and relationship building. A strategic approach to branding at conferences can lay the foundation for ongoing engagement with prospects, nurturing them through the buyer’s journey and ultimately driving sustainable business growth over time. When investing in your company’s brand strategy, consider the benefits of branding will work for you long after the tradeshow is over.