#BrandAroundTown. The Access Bank Beauty Souk and your Business.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to abandon the comfort of my couch for yet another comfort – the Access Bank Beauty Souk organized by Eventful. Calling up the sister, she cosigned the trip, so we bundled into my car and cruised our way to the venue of the beauty exhibition; Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos. The only sight missing I guess were scarves tied over our heads, knotted right underneath our chins, heavy Jackie Kennedy glasses and open roof convertibles with cigarettes hanging loosely from our ruby woo lips – what we had was close; mainland to island in 10 minutes! It was going to be a great time.

I am not a beauty-anything, and by “anything”, I mean those fancy hyphenated nouns that ostensibly put you one step ahead; beauty-junkie, beauty-expert, beauty-enthusiast, beauty-professional, beauti-cian, alright, the last one is contrived, but you get the idea, so it made sense for me to skip the masterclasses and make my foray into the exhibition lounge and oh, what a beauty it was!

The brands outdid themselves. The organizers even so. It was gratifying to see so many Nigerian brands, with beautiful displays, great packaging and attractive booths. There were lights, cameras, beauty studios, music, food, and just about everyone seemed – beautiful. How did this become Themyscira? Where to start from- we were not sure, but we did and after about an hour of mind-numbing ‘shea-ness’ plus my sister’s brows getting fixed, we decided to have some food.

Sinking teeth into the *soulfully spiced turkey, my mind could not help but jerk back to the many times I was on the other side; the exhibitor rather than the ‘exhibitee’ - or customer. Cue in wedding host vs guest situation. I could relate with the nerve-wracking excitement, anticipation and stress that characterize exhibitions and events. The great part though is when the last set of banners come down and you know you have milked every naira of opportunity you paid for.

But of course, brand exhibitions are tricky. They could be game changing opportunities for businesses, yet a total waste of time for some others and by that I mean, they leave good money on the exhibition stand - not literally of course. I know a few things that could ensure you do not fall into the latter category.

Let me share:

1.   Arrive early. Do not be the business lugging products and banners, trying to determine your allocated section when others have set up and are ready to roll. It is not a pretty sight. Not only do you look unprepared and unprofessional, you lose out on opportunities of customers who might have stopped by your stand early on- and no, they are not coming for day 2!

2.    Be innovative with your booth. Best exhibitor award anyone? So for the last 3 years, you have had mickey mouse doing the humpty-dumpty dance, can we get something different at this year’s exhibition? Maybe, a robot that moon-walks? What else can be done to get your booth noticed; digital enhancements, 3-D mockups, LED displays? Infact, what’s the objective of your set-up; experiential, informative or transactional? This would guide the look and feel of your booth.

3.    Hire Professionals. This one spills from the last point. I know your marketing magicians can do a bit of everything, but you see, to achieve something really outstanding, you might have to allocate “set-up costs” to your exhibitions. Get professionals who specialize in set designs, especially if it is a strategic industry outing.

4.    Get mic-time. It is very easy for a brand to get lost in the crowd at such outings. One of the ways to get heard is to get the microphone – and attention. How? Sponsor a session, brand a panel, pay for presentation slots and just about anything that focuses the event' activities on your brand.

5.    Hand out freebies. Anything. Chocolates, souvenirs, makeovers, product samples, etc. Works all the time. I will visit your stand to hear some gibberish on how my bathroom design can run on artificial intelligence. Just hand me the chocolates after – thanks.  

6.    Put your best staff forward. The staff that understands your products and services, the one that can handle customer pressure, the one that is a great representation of your brand, that one that has all the required information - or at least, is resourceful enough to ensure your customers do not leave disappointed – that’s the one who should (wo)man your stand, and hey, remember to wear branded outfits or have a dress code. Sartorial cohesion vs cacophony of attire?  You choose.

7.    Do not hound customers. Be nice. Be firm. Allow them take in your stand and products. Most reps. tend to be overwhelming in their eagerness to win you over.  I, for the love of God, cannot soak in ALL your product details; types, uses, accessories, prices, etc in 2 minutes! Hell, it took you 3 months of company induction and some more, to find your own feet. So give customers time, while gently prodding them towards what they actually need.

8.    Spy the competitor.  I mean, why are you there? Get everything; product samples, prices, flyers and promotion details.  Make friends too. Who knows, you might discover opportunities for collaboration.

9.    Document and communicate.  Make videos, livestream, live tweet, and take loads of strategic full-booth-customer-engagement pictures; how else will management know it was a successful event?

10. Data. Data. Data. Get names, phone numbers, social media handles, email addresses, etc. Come up with innovative ways to obtain data, and when you get back to the office, do not create a folder and dump them in. Ensure you reach out to these individuals within a week post-exhibition, thanking them for stopping by and all the formal niceties we reserve for customer appreciation. Actually, you should have a “post-exhibition customer conversion process”, because seriously, that is when the real work begins.

Did I hear you say, 'thank you' ?

You are welcome.

(* ‘Soulfully spiced’ was borrowed from a chicken republic ad. copy. Photo credits @thebeautysouk_ng)

Omole Imosemi is the creator of #BrandAroundTown series by BrandLee Marketing&Media. She writes from Lagos, Nigeria.