It’s all in the Display
They say no man is an island – life requires interaction but the question stands if businesses can be islands as well? Surely Richard Branson’s private island counts as an exception to the rule but what does a reclusive business suffer the same harms as a hermit? Does a highly engaged business revel in the same rewards as a social butterfly? To answer these questions, we must first ask how engagement starts.
A business can’t be an island. Sorry Necker…
Given an hour, a savvy reader could find enough blog content to choke a unicorn about the importance and value of branding. But the display of said branding is the only useful mechanism to yield value. It doesn’t matter how many custom visors, billboards, frisbees, and fish tanks a business can design if that branding never reaches a desired audience. Getting the right branding to the right audience is arguably more important than perfect branding. Ever hear the phrase ‘shipped is better than perfect’? That means it’s better to be AT the trade show talking about your business even if you haven’t settled on the perfect 3 syllable slogan than it is to be missing the potential business in another ‘creative strategy’ meeting. Obviously, crafting a beautiful business image is important but when the event finally rolls around, ready or not, a business name is either present and impactful or invisible.
Put up your sign and make the next step
The time is come and the trade show is here. There’s no moving the event so you have two choices, take massive action with the absolute best display at the event or duck out and try again next year when you are more ‘ready.’ The successful business chooses the former. So you’ve leaned into the new logo, slogan and imagery, how does that branding gain traction? Visibility is king. Trade shows are all about the impact. Are you well-lit, broad reaching, and approachable? Sitting behind a table with a stack of flyers isn’t going to cut it when your competition has a custom backdrop, custom branded table covering, LED lighting, giveaway games, beautiful booth girls and an epic display.
Good luck outshining that event booth…
Operating from an invisible corner booth without a bit of signage is just about as good as invisible. We at the Clute Institute like to reward small businesses that aim for the stars and chew up satellites on their way through the atmosphere. This is why we stopped by Los Angeles’ Largest Mixer and had to stop and admire this booth. Everything from the swag to the backdrops (which covertly doubled as pricing catalogs #clever) to the floormat, we couldn’t stop thinking about that question of a business being an island. In that analogy, we met the company passing out lifeboats – they literally have a free branded banner promotion running at the moment.
So it rings true for businesses as it does for men – no one is an island. Outreach and personal connection is key and the first step to that interaction is attention. Making a statement and displaying all that you have to offer is the first step in making a lasting impression.
By the way, here’s the business we were mentioning from the LA Mixer
Sign Pipers
Address: 7611 Slater Ave Unit D, Huntington Beach, CA 92647