by Ceri | May 4, 2012 | Advertising
When it comes to outdoor branding it often boils down to a whole new ball game. The reason for that is purely because the costs often begin to escalate the bigger you go. The more repetition you have, the larger your board and the better the location all affect the price you pay for the advertising.
Of course you want the best exposure possible but your budget might not allow you to get the job done effectively. If that happens, you need to find ways to scale down your communication, while still being able to create the impact necessary to make people remember who you are. If you can’t afford to create a big sign that is posted on a highway billboard, you will need to opt for smaller more repetitive measures.
Promotional Flags and Banners are Ideal
The cost of using promotional flags and banners is usually quite cost effective and you can create as many of them as you want, or at least as many as your budget will allow. They are both light and mobile so you don’t have to get stuck with a single location and if you really want to get in to places with lots of traffic, you can target busy roadsides or set up a stand somewhere inside a shopping mall on a busy Saturday.
With the affordability of the flags, you can create a whole lot more of them than you would with any other form of advertising. You can then use them on a number of different street corners or perhaps along the drop-off zone where kids go to school. It would need to be a relevant location of course so it’s important to pick your spots well.
If you are offering a multivitamin for kids then the mall and outside the school would be ideal but it won’t be such a good idea to place it at a gaming conference.
Outdoor Branding is the Way to Get Out There
It’s important to get as much exposure as you possibly can and by placing an advert for your business on a big outdoor sign is a good way to do it. If you can’t afford to rent the advertising space of a big billboard, try to consider alternative options. You can find something that is cost effective and simple without losing the required effect.
All it takes is a little creative thinking and a clever application of the cheaper mediums available and you can turn your outdoor branding campaign into a successful one no matter what your budget is.
by Ceri | Mar 20, 2012 | Counters
Exhibitions and conferences are one of the ways marketing professionals make contacts and establish relationships. Marketing counters are one of the tools used when you have a stand at an exhibition. Smaller than shopping kiosks, it is one of the retail displays you would use within your marketing space.
What Are Marketing Counters?
Think of big trade shows like Mining Indaba, Electra Mining, and Markex. Usually it takes place in a massive hall or conference centre where each exhibitor is allocated a marketing area. Usually it’s a sort of cubicle or sectioned off squared for them to set up shopping kiosks and other retail displays.
The idea is to attract potential customers and showcase what you have to offer in the form of a product or service. At the forefront will be marketing counters – a podium styled desk which will display your brand and product. It also serves as a desk to display pamphlets and business card and an area for anyone to write notes or communication details. Basically marketing counters take a practical device and turn it into one of the retail displays.
Marketing counters are smaller than shopping kiosks, but still display your brand identity. They can come in various sizes and shapes to suit your needs. Some of the basic used in retail displays include:
- Flexi Counter – this is an above waist high counter that has a graphic display at the front – this is ideal to display your brand and/or product. It has optional door and shelving in the back to keep marketing materials and samples of your product.
- Promoter Counter – the promoter counter is light weight and very easy to assemble. It has a branding area at the front as well as signage raised up on two poles at the top. This is ideal for branding and communication contact detail like email and website address.
- RT Case Counter – The RT case is ideal for those that promote product often and need versatile and mobile marketing counters. It doubles as a transport device to keep all your products then converts into a waist high marketing counter – all you need to do is apply the wrap around branding.
The Advantages of Attending Exhibitions
Exhibitions are a great place to advertise your brand. Using marketing counters, shopping kiosks and retail displays you can establish a growing brand or reinforce an established one. Considering attending a trade show or exhibition can unlock some of the following advantages:
- Meet contacts and establish relationships with customers and other people in the field. It’s also an opportunity to meet up with other retailers and maintain relationships.
- Collect data and do market research. You’ll have a multitude of customers walking past your shopping kiosks and retail displays. Use the opportunity to collect data, do surveys and find out ways to improve your product. You can therefore do comparisons and make adjustments.
- Collect contact details to further market with. Exhibitions are a good way to collect names, numbers and email addresses. By doing email and SMS campaign you might attract customers through a different medium and keep existing customers abreast of new products or specials.
Having a stand at an exhibition is a great way to increase your business potential. You’ll have thousands of potential customers walking past your stand. Having an attractive stand to showcase your product goes a long way and using tools like marketing counters, shopping kiosks and retail displays makes it easy and convenient. In a sea of marketing competitors you want to stand out and with the right tools you’ll ensure success.
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by Ceri | Mar 15, 2012 | Events
Getting To the Nugget of the Mining Indaba
The Investing in African Mining Indaba is a yearly exhibition and conference focusing on mining development and capitalisation in Africa. With an 18 year history the Investing in Mining Indaba is the premier event for investing in African mining.
The world’s most influential investors and stakeholders attend this event at the Convention Centre in Cape Town. There are over six thousand five hundred representatives hosting stands with exhibition banner displays, forums and speaker sessions.
Events at the Mining Indaba
The annual Mining Indaba is a key forum for mining analysts, investment specialists, fund managers and governments to get together and make decisions pertaining to African mines. By sharing ideas and opinions, attendees can get the latest developments from leading experts. There are exhibition banner displays and many other interesting sessions to provide insight and information:
- Keynote Speakers – some of the leading authorities share their insight on the state of African mining. Amongst the more notable keynote speakers in recent years are Tom Butler, Dr. Barry Eichegreen and Dr. David Evans.
- Feature Speakers – along with the keynote speakers some feature speakers are invited to give their analysis and expert opinions on mining. Some feature speakers who have graced the Mining Indaba include Ibukun Adebayo (London Stock Exchange), Ben Aryee (CEO Ghana Mineral Commission), Mamdou Barry (World Bank) and Ian Benning (CEO ZYL Limited).
- Exhibition Banner Displays – There are many representatives from various companies and organisations with stands. Professionals are geared to provide information and share ideas on the latest trends and display their products and services. By showcasing exhibition banner displays they can illustrate the latest technologies and information pertaining to the mining industry.
- Securities Exchange Sessions – These are sessions designed specifically to assist delegates and sponsors with education in areas of mining. These areas include natural resources, capital markets, liquidity and diverse investment opportunities. Financial and legal experts take the floor and share information. The session ends with a Q & A and social networking.
- Discussion on Sustainable Development – Member companies discuss the challenges of sustainability with regard to their core business practices. Areas of discussion include climate change and sustainability issues that Africa will face in the next 20 years. Business strategies are analysed and questions are asked on how it can be aligned to contribute to growth and development, while minimising the environmental impacts that are negative. Conservation and mining are also addressed and the biggest constraints are looked at and discussed.
- Gala Dinner – There is an annual Gala dinner which is highly anticipated. This limited attendance event is a way for delegates and attendees to mix in an informal environment. It is hosted each year at the lush and breath taking gardens of the Vergelegen Estate.
The Investing in African Mining Indaba is an event that is at the forefront of African mining. With the thousands of representatives and attendees, it is the pace to be if your business has any dealings with mining and investment in mining.
by Ceri | Mar 9, 2012 | Markex
Promoting at big exhibitions and conferences is a great way to get your product or brand out there – and Markex is an event not to be missed.
Exhibitors have the opportunity to man a stand and market their brand making use of the latest marketing material, like banners, podiums and stands. With the thousands that attend every year, it is a great way to grow your brand recognition, and get valuable product and competitor information.
What Is Markex?
For 26 years Markex has been a premier exhibition event in South Africa. Located at the Sandton Convention Centre, it specialises in sellers (as well as buyers) of corporate clothing, conference and exhibition venues and solutions, promotional gifts, design and décor as well as event planners and management.
2011 saw over 10,000 visitors attend the event. This is the ideal playground for business owners and entrepreneurs to take advantage of a captive audience. Exhibitions have a strong influence on buying decisions and result in many successful business deals and transactions.
Some of the main attractions of the exhibition include: The annual Road show of the Loerie Awards; USB Speakers Pavilion presenting top business speakers; Pendoring Awards promoting the best in Afrikaans advertising; and the Trade Section where wholesalers and resellers get a personalised setting to conduct business.
Get the Most Out Of Your Marketing
When at a trade show of exhibition you’ll be exposed to a lot of traffic. It’s key to attract them and convert that traffic into sales. Here are some pointers:
- Have Giveaways – Nothing pulls in a crowd like free stuff. Have giveaways or samples of your product. Once you attract the crowd, get them interested and make the sale. Be prepared to handle volume and don’t let any big fish get away.
- Competitions – Having a competition or lucky draw is always a good incentive for people to be interested in your booth. With every purchase give them an entry to a big draw prize. It keeps people interested and incentivises sales.
- Stand Out – Make sure your booth stands out from the rest. Have eye-catching banners and backdrops to attract the consumer. A well situated podium will let them know you’re available to answer questions.
When attending a trade exhibition like Markex, do the research and put in the effort to maximise your returns. It’s a golden opportunity to get your brand or product out there.
by Ceri | Feb 25, 2012 | Banner displays
Make a Splash with PVC Banners for Outdoor Sports Events
Nothing brings people together like a good sports event. As a business owner you could do great marketing with PVC banners for outdoor sports events.
South Africa has many mass participation sports events that draw in crowds totalling in the tens of thousands. If you have a brand (particularly associated with sports) using PVC banners for outdoor sports events is a great way to establish your brand.
Why PVC?
You might ask why PVC banners for outdoor sports events? When it comes to outdoor banners the most commonly used material is heavy weight vinyl which is technically known as PVC. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride and is a plastic which is the third most widely produced in the world. It’s a very popular material since it is cost effective, durable and easy to work with.
PVC banners for outdoor sports events are especially eye catching and used to advertise a product or simply as brand building, emblazoned with a company or product logo. There are several types of PVC banners which make use of separate design techniques in their production:
- Digitally Printed Banners – The design on a digitally printed banner is applied with a water based ink. They contain durable pigments and materials making them UV and fade resistant when used outdoors. This is the most popular choice for PVC banners for outdoor sports events.
- Banner With Vinyl Letters – This design technique makes use of individual vinyl elements cut out by a vinyl cutter (which is computer operated). It’s then applied with an adhesive to the banner to form the design.
- Screen Printed Banners – This makes use of screen printing to put the design on the banner. Screens making up a stencil are used to lay down multiple colours. High performance presses can print large volumes in an hour and makes it a suitable choice for large volume PVC banners for outdoor sports events.
PVC Banners for Outdoor Sports Events: Where to Use Them
South Africa is a country that loves its sports, not only to watch, but to participate in. If your brand is sports related it’s a no brainer that it should make a presence and capitalise on the frenzy. If you’re looking for events with massive crowds to expose your brand to there are a few that are a must:
- The Comrades Marathon – This 90 kilometre road race is an annual event that takes place from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. It is the world’s oldest (started in 1921) and largest ultra marathon race with participation exceeding 23,000.
- Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Race – Know as ‘The Argus’, this cycle race is 109 kilometres long and is an annual competition taking place in Cape Town. As many as 31,000 cyclists take part as it stretches from Cape Town, down the Cape Peninsula and then back. One of the highlights is the climb up Chapman’s Peak.
- Dusi Canoe Marathon – The Dusi is known as the world’s most prestigious canoe/kayak race. It’s run along the Msunduzi River between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and draws in a crowd of spectators and paddlers totalling up to 5000. It’s held over three days and competitors have to complete 125 kilometres.
- Midmar Mile – The Midmar Mile is an annual swimming race held at the Midmar Dam near Pietermaritzburg. The distance is roughly a mile and is competed by amateur swimmers of all ages and professional swimmers. It attracts over 13,000 competitors and is the world’s largest open water swimming event (as per the Guinness Book of World Records).
- Super Rugby – This is the largest professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere. It started in 1996 and is a competition between domestic teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The teams compete for a silver trophy and the competition consisted of 91 games in the 2011 competition. It is followed annually by millions of viewers globally and attendance fills the local stadiums in South Africa, including Newlands, Loftus Versfeld, Coca Cola Park and Kings Park.
Brand exposure with PVC banners for outdoor sports events is a fundamental element to good marketing. Get your brand out there and reap the results.
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