Innovative Results

3M Promotional Markets receive the Trade Show Exhibitor Association's Exhibit Focus^® Award for their successful trade show marketing campaign!



This self-promotion by 3M Promotional Markets was to create awareness among trade show professionals of custom-printed Post-it^® Products as unique promotional items. And, most importantly, to demonstrate how these products fulfill the three main marketing communication opportunities of the trade show planning process - pre-show, during-show, and after-show.



"Exhibitor Show '98" attendees - 4,500 trade show professionals.



Under the theme "Give your trade show marketing more pull... before, during and after every show," 3M Promotional Markets applied the three-tiered marketing approach to their self promotion:

1. Pre-show: 3M ran pre-show ads in Exhibitor magazine and on the ExhibitorNet conference web site to introduce their theme and encourage attendees to visit the 3M booth.
2. During-show: 3M reached 100% of their audience by including a Personal Pocket Organizer in every Exhibitor Show tote bag. The "before, during, and after" theme continued on all booth graphics.
3. After-show: The "before, during, and after" message appeared on all post-show materials including: mailings to leads, a distributor sales kit, an educational brochure, press releases, and an awareness survey.

By effectively reaching 100% of the target audience with their theme Personal Pocket Organizer (in the show tote bag), 3M generated the following results:

• More than double the qualified leads when compared to the previous year (297 leads vs. 134).
• 3M successfully targeted the right audience - 94% were key decision makers/ purchasers; with 81% planning to use Post-it^® Products at future shows as a result of 3M's exhibit.
• 3M Promotional Markets won the Exhibit Focus^® Award for their creative use of an integrated marketing program to achieve specific goals!

    More Examples:

• Example 1
• Example 2
• Example 3
• Example 4
• Example 5