Targeted Tabletop Displays Complete Marketing Mission
By Jennifer LeClaire
The National Guard deployed tabletop displays to attract recruits in
face of labor shortage. Find out how these versatile marketing tools
can work for you.
The United States should never go to war without its National Guard. So
says Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum during a CNN interview in which he
spelled out the critical role of these forces and the critical
shortages on the horizon.
Strained by ongoing military action, the National Guard has fallen
nearly 15,000 troops below authorized levels, leading recruiters to add
new tools to their recruitment arsenals. While the Army National Guard
has long been funding up to 100 percent of college tuition costs and
fees, new recruits now also receive enlistment bonuses of up to $10,000
for joining.
The Guard's new efforts go far beyond financial incentives. The
military is digging deep into its recruitment arsenal with online
initiatives, advertising campaigns and community events. But it's the
tabletop displays that get young folks' attention long enough for the
recruiter to give them an earful about the benefits of defending their
country's freedom.
Tabletop displays are a rapid deployment marketing weapon, says Mark
Johnson, president of the Exhibit Designers & Producers Association.
The National Guard could set up at tabletop display in a mall in the
morning, then pack up and go to a university with the display that same
afternoon.
Indeed, experts agree that tabletop displays offer a versatile,
low-cost solution that's easy for one person to set up and break down
quickly. Combined with a savvy marketing campaign, companies can
leverage these portable resources to complete a mission, whether that
means recruiting, selling or some other objective.
Rapid deployment, diverse messaging.
Dan Riley, president of Tradeshowjoe.com in Louisville, agrees that
tabletop displays are a convenient solution for any organization that
needs to either quickly move from place to place or participates in
frequent exhibitions.
The National Guard is demonstrating the beauty of modern tabletop
displays in its recent recruitment campaign, he says. These displays
are portable, so they fit in the trunk of a car, and they are more
affordable than other exhibition marketing tools.
Experts say the use of portable tabletop displays is on the rise
because they are easier and quicker to set up than larger exhibit
displays that are intended to sit on a trade show floor for several
days a time. Tabletop displays are designed specifically with rapid
deployment in mind and are popping up at schools, sales meetings and
corporate events because of the proven return on investment.
There are many brand names on the market all with various features and
benefits, Riley adds. These manufacturers offer assorted fabrics,
structures, shipping cases and various graphics capabilities. Table top
displays are lightweight, portable and easy to set up for a sales
person on the run.
Targeting your marketing message.
Of course, setting up a tabletop display alone is
not enough to ensure success. Experts say the number one
objective of any marketing tool is to consistently
communicate an effective message. That's why the
correspond tabletop display features text and graphics that
correspond with Web, TV and radio initiatives.
The tabletop display is only the vehicle. Recruiters still need to use
attractive graphics that will draw the intended audience to the table,
says Riley. Those graphics may need to change depending on the location
of the recruiting efforts. Tabletop displays allow you to reconfigure
the graphics quickly depending on the audience you are trying to reach.
Since tabletop displays are smaller than their larger exhibit
counterparts, Johnson recommends using more graphics than text to
maximize the benefit of the display. Images of Guard heroes in action
speak a thousand words. Combined with a snappy slogan, the tabletop
display serves its function: to draw people to the recruiter who can
sell them on the benefits of enlisting in the military.
Tabletop displays with well-executed graphics draw curious young men
and women to the desk and give recruiters an opportunity to educate
them about the benefits of joining the National Guard, Riley notes. I
liken it to an informational depot that offers neutral ground for the
potential enlistee and recruiter to discuss the possibilities of a
military career.
That information depot works just as well for widget manufacturers at
trade shows, corporate recruiters at college career days and presenters
at internal sales meetings. Experts say these versatile marketing
weapons are effective for mission-minded organizations of all types.
Tabletop displays are ideal because they can be easily adapted to
different spaces simply by adding or removing components, Riley says.
Some of these units actually fold up into a carrier the size of a brief
case and cost only a few hundred dollars.
This Article Copyright © 2005 by Inuvative News Network
Jennifer LeClaire is president of Revelation Media Networks, a multimedia agency that provides editorial
content to business and trade publications serving sign, exhibit, and graphic design industries.
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