access experiences spring 09

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V o l. 5 N o. 1 S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 Eastman Chemical: Promoting an Umbrella Brand Among Its Well-Known Products mimio Translates Technology Breakthroughs to the Show Floor Enabling Progress: Technological Advances That Create Competitive Advantages

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Launch of Mimio tradeshow property (pages 6-7)

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Page 1: Access Experiences Spring 09

V o l . 5 N o . 1 S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Eastman Chemical:Promoting an Umbrella Brand Among Its Well-Known Products

mimio Translates Technology Breakthroughs to the Show Floor

Enabling Progress:Technological Advances That

Create Competitive Advantages

Page 2: Access Experiences Spring 09

If you have comments about the contents of this publication, please contact Kerry Pascetta,our director of marketing, at 508-266-2642 or [email protected].

For more information about Access TCA, visit www.accesstca.com.

© 2009 Access TCA, Inc. Access experiences is published three times a year.If you wish to use our material in your own publication, please contact Access TCA, Inc.

Dear Valued Clients,

At Access TCA, we are committed to driving business success for you. What we dobest is develop solutions that support effective selling. That includes providing a robustservice offering within a well-defined process. It includes adopting technology that willhelp advance your goals. Sometimes it means having to develop an entire system thatoffers you greater control over your programs.

In this issue, you’ll discover SNAP!TM, our fully integrated, Web-based asset and projectmanagement tool, offered exclusively to Access clients. Designed to give you fingertipcontrol over your exhibit assets and programs, this brand-new, user-friendly applicationhas been customized for the face-to-face marketing industry. Think of it as an extra staffmember, available 24/7.

You’ll also read about the use of technology as an enabler of creative content options,increased integration and easier program management. You’ll learn about how Accessassisted Eastman Chemical with its family of products by leveraging a hybrid exhibit solution. Finally, you’ll read about how Access helped mimio promote a new product that makes participating in interactive learning more affordable for schools.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Very truly yours,

Richard G. SiltonPresident

Printed on recycled paper: Chorus Art Gloss—50% postconsumer waste.

A T L A N T A

B O S T O N

L A S V E G A S

E U R O P E

On the cover:The user experience is enhanced by technology,

creating memorable interaction on the exhibit floor.

Page 3: Access Experiences Spring 09

We had a traditional customexhibit in the past, alongwith some portables. Wewanted something thatwas lightweight, whichwould net a savings ontransportation and I&Dexpenses. Access gave usexactly what we wanted.”

Anna Laws Eastman’s trade shows and events specialist

A c c e s s e x p e r i e n c e s S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 | 3

Promoting a Corporate Brand Within Vertical Markets

CASE

STU

DY

For more than 80 years, Eastman Chemicalhas been a leader in developing chemicals thatenhance life as we know it. Eastman’s productsinclude acetate yarn for apparel and home fur-nishings, plastics for the packaging industry,PET plastics for carbonated-soft-drink packaging,and a new-generation copolyester that offersdesign capabilities for applications such as theKor One hydration vessel.

Eastman was the first U.S. manufacturer todevelop and commercialize technology thatderives chemicals from coal rather than frompetroleum—a technology that was 25 yearsahead of the demand for non-petroleum-basedproducts.

ChallengeDespite possessing an array of products used tomanufacture several widely recognized brands,the Eastman Chemical brand was not as promi-nent in some vertical markets. One of Eastman'scurrent marketing initiatives was to put astronger focus on leveraging the corporatebrand to en- hance the customer experience.Because neither its trade show program—which provided the best environment for directencounters with the various markets thatEastman serves—nor its current exhibit ade-quately supported its rebranding goal, Eastmandecided to invest in an all-new environment.

SolutionThe exhibit needed to be flexible, reconfig-urable and lightweight, to demonstrate sustain-

ability and to communicate the company's corebrand promise. The design needed to weave theprimary brand colors with a secondary paletteand allow Eastman products to be incorporatedinto the exhibit's architecture. Eastman andAccess determined that a hybrid exhibit wouldbe the best option; mixing construction materi-als allowed Eastman to boost its custom brandpresence while traveling with a lighter, moreefficient exhibit.

ResultKathi Watkins, who heads up Eastman's in-house creative agency, remarked, “We wanted ahybrid, and we certainly have one. This exhibitis inherently flexible—just what we asked for. It goes from eight feet to 12 feet in height, andthe configuration adapts from smaller displayunits at events to a 10'-x-30'. We can change oradd elements in the original design with Eastmanproducts, but we don't have to. Even the lightingis flexible.”

Anna Laws, Eastman's trade shows and eventsspecialist, compares the new hybrid exhibitfrom Eastman’s former exhibit. “We had a tra-ditional custom exhibit in the past, along withsome portables. Then we had a heavy customstructure, a 20'-x-20', in which we continuallychanged out graphics. This property was labor-intensive and expensive to maintain and modify.We wanted something that was lightweight,which would net a savings on transportationand I&D expenses. Access gave us exactly whatwe wanted.”

Page 4: Access Experiences Spring 09

Enabling Progress Thoughts from Industry Experts on the Impact of Technology in Experiential Marketing

If scientists and engineers have been theprimary catalysts of progress throughoutworld history, then technology has beenits messenger. As with most marketingdisciplines, conventions and trade showsare chief benefactors of the develop-ments that technology has helped tointroduce. Show floor communication,interactivity, system integration andmeasurement have all significantlyimproved as a result. In this article, threeindustry leaders share their views abouttechnology as the enabler of experientialmarketing progress.

Mike Yag, Access TCA’s CEO and founder,explains the importance of technology in creatingefficiencies, impacting the environment anddelivering control to clients.

System integration that translates to client control “In the beginning, our objective was to elimi-nate redundancy through the myriad of businessand accounting applications. We knew that ifwe could enter data once and have it populateall of our software systems, we could createtime efficiencies that could be passed on toour clients. Technology has made it easier forus to expand externally. Today, we integrateeverything we do with everything we deliver.Our processes, our internal accounting and

our management software are all integratedwith SNAP, our client-facing asset and programmanagement system platform. As a result,Access has realized efficiencies in communicationsand operations. Our clients have benefited evenbeyond that. Through SNAP, our clients canaccess all of their information with 24/7availability. That translates to increased program control to the desktop—a critical element, especially in this economy.”

Graphic advances in the eco-conomy“Rental, modular and hybrid options—oncestrictly alternative products have become primary solutions. The demand for systemexhibits has put more emphasis on exhibitgraphics to be the differentiator. Technologyhas increased the speed of development andproduction. It has also introduced interactivesoftware that can work in tandem with tradi-tional graphics to communicate brand andproduct messaging.”

“As we continue to evaluate our environmen-tal impact, we rely on technology to help uscreate more earth-friendly alternatives. Access’in-house UV printing is a good example ofgreen technology. Graphics are producedfaster and in a more environmentally friendlyway. Technology has made the informationreadily available and the process achievable.”

Measuring return“In the past few years, show floor data-collectionmethods have evolved from paper to card

Simplified Net-based Asset &Project Management Tool

“SNAP!TM brings controlof trade shows and

events to the desktop.SNAP is a 24/7 digital portal to

access and manage full exhibit programs,

created specifically forthe experiential

marketing industry.”

Mike YagCEO, AccessTCA

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Page 5: Access Experiences Spring 09

A c c e s s e x p e r i e n c e s S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 | 5

swipes. Even more compelling is the way wecan now analyze data. We know from ourclients that the demand for return on theirinvestment is increasing. Technology helps usto be more precise and comprehensive in ourreporting. With a little upfront planning inconjunction with new technologies, theexperts on our account team can providecompelling data to validate specific tradeshow spend and help our clients plan for the year ahead.”

Kaon Interactive delivers sales and mar-keting solutions that function both offline andonline, and it builds product demonstrationsthat provide a virtual experience. Gavin Finn,Kaon’s president and CEO, explains howtechnology enables the creation of interactiveproduct showcases.

Selling virtually“Exhibitors can showcase products virtuallyso that attendees truly experience them.Originally we produced everything online, butso much business-to-business selling is doneface-to-face. Our product has applications onthe trade show floor and in the field, enablingmarketers to repurpose their investment insolutions. Salespeople have noticed that cus-tomers enjoy the interactive experience.Additionally, by spending time on specificaspects of the product, customers actuallylead salespeople to a more targeted and effec-tive sales presentation.”

Charles Slatkin, creative director ofWOW Inc., creates unique immersive experi-ences for exhibits, events and permanent instal-lations. Slatkin believes that exhibitors todayneed to commit to a new mission of digital story-telling enhanced with advanced and emergingtechnologies to attract and maintain viewerattention.

Technology supercharges “King Content”“We live in a world of all content, all the time.HDTV Plasma and LCD screens have becomecommodities—perfect tools for the home or ata museum, but everyone now has one. In thesix minutes or so that you have people at yourexhibit, you need to create a more meaningfuland emotional experience. You need to showpeople something unique, clever, and somethingthey haven’t seen before. If you want theirattention, you need to create wonder!”

Technology continues to be the ever-pres-ent workhorse that makes the ideal real.As external forces like government regula-tions and the volatile economy challengeexhibitors to do even more with less, ourexperts agree: taking the time to considerthe best technology for each situation iscritical to experiential marketing success.Access is committed to continuing toinvest in technology in ways that advanceits clients’ marketing and sales goals.

Kaon Interactive’s technology brings virtual products tothe face-to-face selling environment—illustrating

innovation with ecoconscious benefits.

New learning vehicles are continuously evolving.When these are intelli-gently incorporated withinpowerful exhibit design,the content can better connect with the viewer—opening channels of per-ception that make graspinginformation easier andmore enjoyable.”

Charles Slatkincreative director, WOW, Inc.

Access’ UV printer uses no tertiarymaterials, increasing efficiency and ecoconscious benefits.

Page 6: Access Experiences Spring 09

TranslatingTechnology Breakthroughs

to the Show Floor

6 | A c c e s s e x p e r i e n c e s S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

mimio is a leading provider of interactiveand digital whiteboard technology for K-12teachers. mimio's interactive teaching technolo-gies enable educators, students and collabora-tive teams to capture, manage, share and inter-actively create and present information andideas. With a heritage that includes personnelfrom M.I.T., Bose, Resonate and CardScan,mimio is now one of Newell Rubbermaid'sfastest growing brands.

mimio's product line includes: • mimio® Interactive—a compact whiteboard-mounted device that converts any whiteboardinto an interactive educational tool • mimio® Ink Capture kit—a system that candigitally capture common dry-erase markerwork from any whiteboard. Teachers can printhandwritten whiteboard work, email recordedfiles, export to other applications or use foronline classroom content• mimio® Pad—a lightweight wireless tablet thatenables users to operate their mimio interactivewhiteboards from up to 30 feet away

Challengemimio views trade shows as a critical compo-nent of its marketing strategy. However,mimio's existing exhibit was not delivering theimpact it needed, particularly during its expan-sion into international markets. In addition,mimio was embarking on a rebranding initia-tive that would require an impressive presenceat two concurrent major trade shows.

SolutionAfter three months of collaboration, Accessproduced two new exhibits on both sides ofthe Atlantic Ocean. In January, mimio debutedits 16'-x-36' European exhibit in London atthe British Education Teaching Technologies(BETT) show, the largest educational technolo-gy show in the world. One week later, mimio'snew 20'-x-30' U.S. exhibit debuted at theFlorida Educational Technology Conference(FETC) in Orlando. “This was the first timewe were able to achieve a simultaneous designand build both here in the U.S. and in Europe,”

”Trade shows are a criticalelement in our marketingmix, providing one of the

main ways for us to meetwith potential customers

and users of our products.We view our partnership

with Access as highly collaborative; there is a lotof trust on both sides. This

design and build representeda team effort in the best

sense of the term.”

Bob Gierschick,

mimio’s senior marketing manager

CASE

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said Bob Gierschick, mimio's senior marketingmanager-global marcom. “Our new trade showproperties were critical in delivering a consis-tent, polished brand image on a global basis.We were very pleased that we could accom-plish our re-branding initiative with close to asimultaneous launch on two continents. TheAccess team was critical in ensuring that thiseffort happened without fail.”

With creative use of space, including a theaterin which teachers presented the technology,both the BETT and the FETC shows were hugesuccesses for mimio. Thanks in part to the uni-fied branding across its new exhibits, mimionow presents a consistent image worldwide.

mimio sent preshow direct mailers and e-blastscontaining giveaways and other premium offersfor attendees. The colorful new graphic cam-paign also drew visitors into the exhibit, as did

the live streaming video from the FETC showfloor, in which attendees could be seen in realtime on mimio's Web site interacting with theexhibit.

ResultExhibit traffic was at an all-time high at bothshows. mimio collected more than 800 leads atBETT, up from 300 the year before. At FETC,Mimio gathered over 1,300 leads, more thandoubling its 2008 total.

“Trade shows are a critical element in our mar-keting mix, providing one of the main ways forus to meet with potential customers and usersof our products,” said Gierschick. “Having theright look and feel to our exhibit properties isimportant. We view our partnership with Accessas highly collaborative; there is a lot of trust onboth sides. This design and build represented ateam effort in the best sense of the term.”

“Our new trade show proper-ties were critical in deliveringa consistent, polished brandimage on a global basis. We were very pleased thatwe could accomplish ourrebranding initiative withclose to a simultaneouslaunch on two continents.The Access team was criticalin ensuring that this efforthappened without fail.”

Bob Gierschick,

mimio’s senior marketing manager

Facing page: mimio’s new U.S. exhibit made itsdebut in January at the Florida EducationalTechnology Conference (FETC) in Orlando.

This page: The company’s latest internationalexhibit made its debut one week earlier inLondon at BETT.

Page 8: Access Experiences Spring 09

Next Issue: Summer 2009• Achieving Large-Scale Promotion

in the Government Sector• Making a Centurial Brand New Again