Blog - Grano — 26.10.2015 — min read time
The picture is of the Grano stand at the 2015 Store Exhibition.
The slow death of the print media has been talked about for several years now, often in connection with digitalisation. Digitalisation has had a significant - and increasing - role in the organisation of events, as it has in other forms of marketing. However, I dare say that a high-quality printout is still a significant, and often vital, part of a successful event today, as it will be in the future.
You may not even notice the existence of printed products at an event, if they are produced appropriately and in high quality. With the word ‘quality’ I mean a solution that is right for the event; sometimes it may even be the least expensive one. It will leave a feeling of a well-organised event, where everything works.
Let’s take a look at an example event.
A personal invitation has appeared in your little mailbox. Even the envelope proves that it was produced thoughtfully and in high quality. When you read the targeted message inside the invitation, you feel as if you belong to a carefully selected target group, which makes you interested in the event. You have originally agreed to be somewhere else that day, and have to put off the decision.
The following week you get an email message to remind you of the event, with just the right amount of humour, and decide to participate. A well-produced printed product, supplemented by an electronic media, creates a strong feeling right from the beginning. Many people may decide to participate in an event based only on the right combination of print and digital media.
You have now committed to going, and so you do. You are not familiar with the venue, and most of the people there are strangers, so you feel slightly unsure about going. However, the clear signs outside and the decorations around the entrance that portray the look of the organiser and event guide you and welcome you warmly. You forget about your dubious feelings, and you can also be sure who has organised the event.
You pay attention to the clearly branded entrance, which notifies passers-by of the event and its organiser, or at least makes people curious, which is by no means a bad thing. You step in to be welcomed by a smiling receptionist of a sort, who gives you a name tag and guides you on. You feel like you belong here.
You might not pay particular attention to the decorations, but realise later on that they were discreet and cosy. Printed media has created the framework to be complemented by digital contents and targeted messages in the form of video and photos. There’s no shortage of juice being served, so you soon come to appreciate that there’s plenty of toilet facilities and the signs leading the way are clear.
As you leave, you are once again thanked for being there and reminded of the organiser. All in all, a success for everyone. A few weeks after the event, you receive a thank-you card from the organisers: “Thanks for making the 5B Christmas party perfect! Have an amazing Christmas!”
Next year you wouldn’t miss it for the world!
Read more about how Grano’s event marketing experience was utilised at the extremely successful ‘Kalevan kisat,’ the Finnish Championships in Athletics.
