Even in today’s digital age, face-to-face marketing remains a key brand and sales driver within B2B companies nationwide—in fact, 40 percent of brand marketers are participating in more exhibitions today than in previous years, according to new research from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and experience creation shop Group Delphi.
“Group Delphi has a nearly 30-year heritage of creating and building compelling exhibits that drive business goals for clients across industries,” said Justin Hersh, Group Delphi chief executive officer, in a news release. “It’s no surprise to us that even as digital continues to take hold, brands place an even greater emphasis on the distinct value that the face-to-face experience brings in driving brand awareness, affinity and consideration.”
According to the research:
Companies Plan to Invest in More Shows—24 percent of surveyed companies plan to expand their exhibition schedules in the next several years, indicating further growth in the industry even as marketers look to other tactics such as digital.
Exhibits Build Brand Mindshare—More than 80 percent of surveyed executives believe exhibits build or expand brand awareness. Other indicated areas of value include reinforcement of brand awareness, business sector promotions and new product launches and promotion.
Exhibitions Support Relationship Management—76 percent of surveyed executives say exhibitions support relationship management and engagement of existing customers. 63 percent say exhibitions help cultivate relationships and feed the sales lead funnel with new potential customers.
This year’s Changing Environment of Exhibitions Study is a follow-up to the 2011 survey of executives across industry sectors who are involved in marketing, advertising and promotional decisions, including whether to exhibit at business shows. It documents company use of business-to-business exhibitions, level of participation over time and executives’ plans to exhibit in the future.
“This important study…provides objective analysis of the value companies place on business-to-business exhibitions,” said CEIR president and CEO Brian Casey, in the release. “[The research finds] strong trends indicating commitment to exhibiting—and that, as the industry evolves, exhibitions continue to support companies’ most urgent marketing and sales objectives.”
“Group Delphi is both pleased and proud to be able to support CEIR in this important research endeavor, particularly given the ever-evolving business landscape of today. We thank CEIR for their leadership in this effort,” added Hersh.
Get more info on the research here.
Source: PR Newswire; edited by Richard Carufel