The effectiveness of marketing at exhibitions, through push and pull

Exhibitions and event marketing continue to be effective tools in modern marketing strategies, especially in the context of push and pull marketing. At exhibitions, companies have the opportunity to effectively combine these two approaches to reach target audiences, influence purchasing decisions, and build long-term relationships with consumers.

Push marketing strategy is about pushing products directly in front of consumers. In the context of exhibitions, this means maximising product and brand presence through attractive displays, product demonstrations, and direct interaction with visitors.

Exhibitions provide the perfect space for companies to aggressively promote their products to an already interested audience. Activities such as live presentations, brochure distribution, and special offers are only valid during the event. Exhibitions function as an effective push marketing channel.

Companies can also use exhibitions to introduce new products and provide free samples or exclusive demos, directly encouraging consumers to make purchases on the spot or immediately after the event. This is where the push strategy plays an important role. Through face-to-face interaction and direct product experience, companies can instil a positive impression in consumers' minds and encourage faster purchasing decisions.

However, exhibitions are also an important platform in a pull marketing strategy. Here, the company not only pushes the product directly but also builds a strong brand appeal to attract consumers. Exhibitions provide an opportunity to introduce brand identity, company values ​​and product philosophy through attractive branding elements. By using visual elements such as creative booths, interactive videos, and storytelling, companies can attract visitor interest without having to do aggressive sales.

In addition, exhibitions also provide an opportunity to interact with media, influencers and potential customers, which can generate word-of-mouth or exposure on various social platforms. In this case, exhibitions are the right means to trigger natural interest from consumers in the products or services offered.

Pull marketing at exhibitions also occurs through digital content combined with physical events. Before the exhibition takes place, companies can launch an online campaign via social media, email marketing, or digital advertising to increase consumer interest in the event. When visitors attend the exhibition because they are attracted by online promotions, they are indirectly attracted by the pull marketing strategy. Once they are on-site, the exhibition then shifts into a push marketing medium, where direct interaction with the product or service leads them to purchase.

Companies can also take advantage of exhibition moments to attract visitor data through contests, newsletter registration, or short surveys. This data can then be used for future pull marketing strategies, where companies can continue communicating with prospects who have shown interest.

The combination of push and pull marketing at exhibitions offers optimal results. Companies not only succeed in reaching target audiences directly but also build deeper and more sustainable relationships. Exhibitions are a place where companies can carry out hard selling with direct promotions and soft selling through subtler branding and marketing strategies.

When the Covid pandemic hit, exhibitions and conventions had to be abandoned. During the pandemic, the concept of online exhibitions began to be widely used, even after the pandemic, because they were considered to appeal and cost less. However, interactions between people in physical exhibitions still seem to have a high level of attraction.

Despite various marketing strategies, exhibitions or in-person events are still a favourite for marketers (Graph 1). A survey conducted by LinkedIn and Ipsos in 2023 suggests that 60% of marketers admit that they will implement this strategy more often in the future.

Apart from exhibitions, video content is a strategy that 59% of marketers surveyed will frequently use. Content around leadership inspiration, advertising, and digital events are still the top five strategies that marketers will implement in the future.

It's understandable why many marketers want to use exhibitions as the ultimate strategy in the future. Exhibitions are considered to provide many benefits, especially encouraging sales. 

Source: Zippia (2023)

Data summarized by Zippia shows 83% of brands claim that exhibitions increase their sales. (Graph 2). Additionally, 79% of marketers generate sales during exhibitions. In addition, 85% of these marketers agree that exhibition events increase leads and sales.

The Zippia report said that not only did brand sales increase during exhibitions, but up to 74% of event attendees agreed that their opinion of the company/brand improved after attending the event. Additionally, 36% of marketers see increasing ROI as the main reason for holding exhibitions.

How brands push & pull via exhibitions

In the automotive industry, exhibitions are well-known as places for brands to meet buyers en masse. This provides momentum for brands to offer attractive promotions during the event and showcase new products.

Exhibitions are also one of the superior strategies carried out by the Chinese automotive brand Wuling. This brand, with its five-diamond logo, revealed that exhibitions drive quite high sales, increasing by as much as 20% to 30% at regional exhibitions.

Apart from displaying new products, distributing promos at exhibitions is part of Wuling's integrated marketing strategy. Brian Gomgom, public relations manager of PT SGMW Motor Indonesia, said that the exhibition did not necessarily make people immediately want to buy a car, but pull marketing strategies starting from content on social media help maintain consumer hype.

Take, for example, Wuling's Binguo EV product. According to Gomgom, consumers usually weigh their decisions for approximately six months. When it was launched in December 2023, Wuling was successful in maintaining the hype of the Binguo EV for the next six months until July 2024, with sales strengthened by the GIIAS 2024 exhibition.

“The exhibition is not just [executed as] an exhibition but requires special strategies and consumer insights that are important for the brand," Gomgom said.

In the electronics industry, exhibitions are also a fairly effective driver of product sales. Polytron, a major electronics brand from Indonesia, held an exhibition to celebrate its 49th anniversary and discovered that several new units on display at the event had already sold out on the first day.

Tekno Wibowo, commercial director at Polytron, admitted that exhibitions tend to be a less implemented strategy but can be effective in encouraging sales at key moments.

“This approach not only increases brand awareness but also helps brands strengthen positioning," Wibowo said. "With this, consumers have a better understanding of the values ​​and advantages of Polytron products."

These two brands are building an integrated omnichannel marketing strategy, both online through social media and offline through exhibitions, using on-site salespeople to drive promotions.

Wuling sees salespeople as neutral parties in exhibitions. According to Gomgom, consumers tend to be awkward when dealing with sales agents directly. The role of the salesperson is more to provide information, such as test drive schedules and information about products.

Wibowo says sales people must not only be approachable, but must also master the product. To close their deals, Polytron also equips them with certain communication techniques.

"We direct salespeople to explain the unique selling point of each product we offer in accordance with consumer needs to close the deal," he said.

In exhibitions, it is important for companies to develop the right strategy to maximise the benefits of these two approaches. Push marketing allows them to demonstrate products live, offer special promotions, and build fast sales. Meanwhile, pull marketing focuses on building brand interest and loyalty that will bring long-term results. This strategy makes exhibitions a powerful marketing tool in the modern marketing ecosystem.

We train sales people to be flexible in explaining the unique selling point of the product according to consumer needs to close the deal.

-Tekno Wibowo, commercial director, Polytron

This article was first published in Bahasa Indonesia in Marketeers magazine.