Competitive Analysis and Mystery Shopping – The Art of Spying (Without Getting Caught)

Ah, the trade show floor — a jungle of branding, booth designs, and overly enthusiastic sales pitches. In the wild world of exhibitions, how do you make sure your booth stands out like a flamingo among pigeons?

The answer: Mystery Shopping. We sat down with Joe Federbush, President and Chief Strategist of Evolio Marketing, to dig into the not-so-secret world of spying on your competitors…ethically, of course.

What You'll Learn:

• What is Mystery Shopping
• Why You Need to Be Doing This (Like, Yesterday)
• What to Keep an Eye On
• The Rules of the Game
• The Price Tag

What is Mystery Shopping?

Think of mystery shopping as your chance to become a trade show detective. You’re Sherlock, but instead of solving crimes, you’re solving the mystery of how your competitors are trying to woo your customers. With 25 criteria broken into three categories, you can dissect the trade show experience:

• Design & Branding: Does their booth scream “Look at me!” from a mile away, or is it more “Oops, you missed us”?
• Experience: Are staff actually talking to visitors like they’re humans? Or are they just running through a pre-programmed pitch on autopilot?
• Business Aspects: Are the products easy to find and even easier to understand? Do the demos actually make sense, or do they feel like a Rubik’s Cube puzzle?