From the newsletter ~ Client Chat with Diversified Communications

Managing a vast range of industry-leading events, including Integrate and Total Facilities, Steph tells us why good Content is not only vital for their pre-show marketing but also on the showfloor.

What does good Content mean to you?
People get really hung up on messages in content, and as a Marketing Manager, I completely understand the important of messages, but I genuinely think we’re all getting a bit tired of being pitched to, whether we’re shopping online, reading emails or in venues. For me I think good content is something that adds value, helps you see something you didn’t know, or maybe just makes you stop and entertains you.

How does Integrate utilise Content?
As an AV event, we feel a great responsibility to show off just what content can do. Our clients, visitors and exhibitors are used to pushing boundaries and through them we have access to some pretty impressive tech to show our content on, so the pressure is on to make sure our own content meets their standards. And with Integrate, I’m fortunate that we can have a bit of fun along the way.

We start planning our digital roll-out even before we finalise each year’s creative, because if it doesn’t work on a digital platform it’s just not for us. Then we work with partners, like Prendi, to bring it to life across our communications, social channels, partner networks and ultimately onsite at the event itself. The great advantage that digital content has over more traditional channels is that it can create an interactive environment, so I like to play with new ways of using this, experimenting with different versions of the content to really resonate with each audience. And then teasing it throughout the campaign through our networks so that the excitement builds up for the main event – Integrate!

I’m always nervous when launching campaigns to a market that really love what they do, but we’ve had some really positive feedback from the industry so far. This has given us the freedom to really do things that we find inspiring and creative because that’s what our industry does for their clients, so there’s a nice synergy in that.

What do you think is one of the biggest misconceptions about Content?
That digital content is just another poster – it’s such a waste. Our lives aren’t static so why should the content be? Nothing frustrates me more when you walk into a retailer and they have a static digital image. Yes it’s brighter and bolder but even simple movements can engage viewers and bring the products to life.

That being said, just because you have it – doesn’t mean you need to fill it! Sometimes I feel that there is a pressure to fit too much into one piece of content, when actually the simpler it is the better communication tool it is. It’s a constant battle in our industry, when you have so much to say, but I think we’re all naturally curious so just give people the basics, make it cool, and they’ll find the rest for themselves. And on that journey they’ll find out more about your brand/product/messages.

Seen any cool Content examples lately that you can share with us?
I’m obviously going to be biased and say that I thoroughly enjoyed rolling out the Integrate 2018 content, and in fact I think we challenged our venues and suppliers to really think about how the whole venue worked together. No two screens were the same, and each worked together to create something that really celebrated the event. It was so great to work with a partner like Prendi that really value the impact this type of content can have on our customers. There was a real strategy to what content went where and that is really satisfying.

I have also recently seen some impressive LED displays overseas, where panels are getting more bespoke, thinner, transparent, and interactive and that’s a real opportunity for some interesting content – imagine overlaying a transparent screen with what’s happening behind it? I’m also really excited about how we can incorporate other technologies like projection mapping into our content plans. We’ve all been wowed by events like Vivid and White Night and projections on a big scale, but this technology is getting smaller and more accessible. I’m really excited to see how we can adapt it in the commercial sense to augment customer interactions. I recently saw how stores can use joint RFID chips and projectors to display targeted information about their products when you picked them off the shelf – imagine how interactive your next supermarket run could be? That’s what’s so exciting about good content; it can be applied to anything we do.