When planning your exhibition stands it’s very tempting to start by adding a plasma screen. Why? Well we live in the age of multimedia content and apparently that means you need a plasma screen if you want to be part of it. The problem with this viewpoint is that you are starting in the wrong place. You don’t want to get the screen and then develop content for it. You want to develop content first and then get the screen if and only if you need it.
The best way you can ensure that your new plasma is a waste of money is to run your corporate video on it. Corporate videos usually tell the story of a business, where it’s come from and where it’s going. To ensure longevity these videos tend not to feature specific products, but rather focus on the business itself, problematic if you are at an exhibition to promote a product. They will often have strong and dynamic rock music backing tracks. The problem is whilst this message might work well on a website or a training room, on the exhibition floor, where you only have seconds to grab someone’s attention it’s simply too long and too complex.
The moving image can be a powerful way to communicate if it used correctly. For example special effects and computer generated imagery don’t just improve footage but have actually become the content in and of themselves. If Dinosaurs can be brought back to life, some interesting graphics and content for your company should be relatively simple.
The content doesn’t need to be exclusive to your trade show either, after the some stream the video on your website so that it is available 24 hours a day and is easy to share with your customer’s decision makers. Or you can use it in your reception to captivate visitors and give them a heads up on your company if they are customers or suppliers. Send copies to the prospects you expected at the event but didn’t make it. Engage them in a way a static brochure can never match.
When brainstorming for content a good starting point is “What do we want to get across?” and then build a video that does just that in a way that is suitable for the trade show floor. Some essential points for inclusion in the script are the following:
- Your product or service
- What its benefits
- What are its USP’s
- What is its market
- Why it is better value than what your competitors are offering
- Testimonials
- Reinforcing your brand
New technology means the cost of video production is always falling. Launching a new product and don’t actually have a physical object to film? 3D CAD software is more than powerful enough to provide sophisticated renderings and Flash programs such as Adobe have revolutionised digital animation.
Whatever you do your video content should be both relevant and fit for purpose. That is what will make it cost effective when customers visit your stand and engage with your brand. Boring content will always be boring content no matter how exciting the medium is through which it is relayed. It is worth remembering that many exhibition stand developers such as Nimlok can help you develop content for your videos.