One thing I write about in The Amtower Report is events in the business to government market. I judge booths by several criteria, but the first has always been eye contact. If the booth personnel cannot or do not make eye contact, an opportunity is missed. Do the booth personnel engage me?
If the prospects’ eyes (and blood supply) are drawn other places than the eyes, or if the engagement is aligned with fantasy, you may have attention of a sort, but not the sort that will lead to sales.
Do booth babes clarify or enhance the brand? Do they position the company as a leader?
That depends on what you mean by “positioning” the company.
Not that I have an opinion.
Mark Amtower
Amtower & Company
Highland MD
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Your column caused me deep concern. Deep depression is more exact.
Is there no area of marketing where sanity, intelligence, relevancy and knowledge of the basics of marketing exist. Have all of the creative directors who came up from the copywriting side of the field died off?
It seems that “creativity” for the sake of creativity has led to a cult of design snobs. This is now a time when the creative idea no matter how irrelevant to the company, product or brand is the goal of all advertising. If those poor commoners don’t get it . . . too bad. How has everything gone so bad so fast?
Trade show geniuses are now going for shock, entertainment and the goal of getting attention at any cost to the detriment of message. Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! When shouted from every booth ends up with no result. ROI will be that last thing that could be expected.
I’m sure that if you walked through the show without the need to report on what you were looking at, you would have been bludgeoned senseless by the time you went through the show floor. You would have walked away wondering what you saw.
When you get home and your spouse or partner asked, “How was your day?” the best you’d be able to answer would be, “I don’t know.” “Oh dear,” he or she would answer, “well, what did you see at the show?” You’re mind would be immediately flooded with an overload of babes, clowns, circus acts, flashing lights and noise that you’d have to say, “I don’t know.”
I thought a barrage of wasteful prime time television shows was mind numbing enough to sit through, it sounds as though traveling through the show floor must have been sheer torture. You have my sympathy.
I ask only one thing . . . that you deep six the red Speedo idea! That imagery was too frightening to contemplate.
Albert Saxon
Saxon Marketing
Indian Orchard, MA
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Interesting typo you made in paragraph five. Coincidence? I think not.
“Likewise, at MindFire Inc.’s setup, an exotic-looking booth worker in tropical grab was handing out elaborate Mardi Gras-style beads.”
Paula Gewertz
Membership Promotions & Marketing Manager
NHRA/National DRAGSTER
Glendora, CA
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Never in my wildest dreams did I envision being mentioned in an article entitled, “Babes in R.O.I. Land.” Finally, an accolade that I can share with my children and grandchildren. Right up there with being named “Most Likely To Lose His Hair at An Early Age” at Dorothy Moody Elementary School.
Keep up the good, muckraking work. It’s nice to have a laugh once in a while – even if it is at my own expense.
Stay groovy, baby.
Craig Wood
Group President
Yankelovich, Inc.
Chapel Hill, NC
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