Imagine if 77% of brands vanished tomorrow. That’s almost 8 brands out of every 10—gone. Would that significantly impact your life? In a Meaningful Brand study, they found that answer to be no. 77% of the world’s brands could disappear and most people wouldn’t care. That means only about 2 out of every 10 companies worldwide are branding successfully. Since branding plays such a huge role in the buyer’s journey and product interest, ineffective branding hurts revenue. Even with awesome products or services, without establishing your brand, buyers will look elsewhere. So what separates the 23% from the 77%? How does your company create lasting connections with your target audience in a fast-paced, digital world?
The Importance of Face-to-Face Marketing 
Many companies today prioritize digital marketing. But face-to-face marketing matters more than ever in our evolving world. Reflect on your personal life for an example. When was the last time a friendship or romantic relationship lasted the test of distance? For most people, those kind of connections fizzle out. Why? It’s in our DNA. Science has shown that our brains react differently to face-to-face interaction versus digital contact.
On a business level, this science makes a difference for effective branding techniques. Even with social media and video conferencing, people still value face-to-face interactions. And that’s where in-person and live events play a key role. Here are four major ways events support branding and marketing efforts:
#1 Overall Branding at Events
In today’s marketing world, around 88% of companies attend trade shows with branding as a primary reason. Why? Because trade shows offer a unique opportunity to tap into our innate need for connection. At events, your brand can push past screen barriers and interact directly to your target audience base. Plus, at larger shows, consider the number of eyes on your booth, banner, logo, etc. For building your company’s influence and reach on your target audience, events are powerful tools at your disposal.
#2 Launches at Events
With the sheer volume of foot traffic at your booth, big shows are a great opportunity to market to hundreds of people. And at the right shows, the majority of attendees are decision makers in your specific industry and field. For introducing a new company, business unit, or product, events bring your team to the forefront. You can market directly to industry leaders and increase awareness. This is especially true in the tech world. Tech companies attend huge shows like CES to compete with competitors and showcase their latest tech.
#3 Audience Research at Events
For both B2B and B2C companies, interacting face-to-face gives you a glimpse into your audience’s needs. This is a great opportunity to conduct audience research and pinpoint key pain points. For example, with the use of a questionnaire on a lead capture solution, your team can capture qualifying information like product interest, job title, pain point, budget, etc.
#4 Building & Strengthening Relationships at Events
While events help you meet new clients/consumers, they also help fortify connections with current ones. Since it costs five times more to find new business than to retain it, this is a big proponent for investing in events. Face-to-face interactions will help build existing relationships and strengthen connections to your brand. This also gives you a stage for upselling or cross-selling efforts.
Branding at trade shows plays a major role in helping your company stand out, interact with your audience, and increase revenue. Face-to-face branding—and events—will only continue to grow in importance as the world shifts more and more towards digital communications. The companies that remember the value of human connection will rise above the pack and generate more business as a result. After all, no tech can replace the real deal in-person interactions and events. It’s science—and smart marketing at its finest.
Written by Tami Humpherys - https://blog.icapture.com/why-branding-at-trade-shows-matters-more-than-ever
