Increasing Brand Engagement at Live Pharma Events
This post will explore various options as to how brands can increase brand engagement at pharma events.
Exhibiting at shows and events in the pharma industry comes with a price tag. They are often expensive and time-consuming. This said they are extremely beneficial in developing new relationships and maintaining existing ones.
Sales and new business are often reliant on such events.
From a marketing perspective, as well as generating such business, it also makes sense to maximise the event investment by realising maximum brand engagement with the delegates.
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HOW TO INCREASE BRAND ENGAGEMENT AT LIVE PHARMA EVENTS IN 13 WAYS
The following methods of driving brand engagement on exhibition stands and booths have all played their roles in the event marketing projects we have worked on in the past. Explore each to determine which are likely to have the most effect for your organisation at the particular event.
1. ALWAYS PREPARE A DELEGATE PACK
Despite common beliefs, welcome packs and free delegate resources upon entry are extremely useful and can be used to drive brand engagement providing that the ideas are of value to the delegate. Pharma events are often large and located around the world, so yes, it is often the case that welcome packs are left at the door. But look inside these packs and you will see why - coffee mugs, earphones, key chains… I think you know what I mean. But if you include battery packs, hand sanitisers and loaded USB drives with event-specific content, value will be assigned to those bags and they are far more likely to be kept with the branded items kept and used. See this CPhI Survival Pack post for more ideas of items likely needed at pharma events.
2. CONSIDER A SIMILAR PACK IN DIGITAL FORMAT
USBs with event-specific content are along the right lines here, but you could do more digitally (for a fraction of the cost of a physical pack). Digital packs are flexible as they can be delivered to delegates before or after (or even during if you feel it is necessary to do so) the events. As previously mentioned, pharma events tend to get hectic because of the size of the industry, and therefore, the number of delegates attending each. So some of the content, such as any collateral which you had considered printing, can be packaged up into a digital pack and accessed on a landing page or via email. QR codes are on the right track here… even though I find that QR codes have ad their day. Explore event-specific content options to deliver in addition to the pharma event.
3. BRAND THE ESSENTIALS: WATER BOTTLES, CUPS AND DISPENSERS
How better way to get your brand noticed at events than branding items that are 100% certain of being used? This is why I feel that branding water (and other fluids where available) is essential. Sure, the engagement consists of consuming liquids via your brand’s logo which might not seem suitable in the pharma industry - but that logo is going to get noticed every time. If you’ve been to a pharma event, like any other event, you know that it is often warm and stuffy, and a drink of water never gets turned down. Use this as an opportunity.
4. SPONSOR THE REFRESHMENTS AREAS
As above, I’d also consider other refreshment areas that are likely to be dotted around the event. Can they be sponsored or branded in any way to expose your brand and generate some kind of engagement? You could sponsor the cups or napkins or anything also included within that specific area. And these sorts of designated areas do not have to form around food and drink. Charging areas for mobiles and laptops are always used at events and can also be branded in the same manner.
5. MORE ESSENTIALS TO BRAND: WIFI
There is something else used just as often as water is consumed: WiFi. WiFi networks are commonplace in every event as delegates look to save their mobile data as well as avoiding exhibitors take out private WiFi solutions for their stands and booths. Public WiFi networks will require that the user, in the case of a pharma event, a delegate, sign into the network by providing a username and password to access the WiFi network and enable their devices to connect to the internet. This might need to happen on a daily basis, or even on a 30-minute basis. This login screen is perfect to brand and have your logo appear for each login process. You also may even be able to access the list of those who have used the WiFi network for marketing purposes should your sponsorship contract/GDPR laws allow it. You may also need to consider digital security measures here.
6. MAKE USE OF TV SCREENS
Digital billboards and TV screens are always dotted around pharma events, with content potentially exposed to tens of thousands of people throughout the course of the event. If you have the budget to generate some brand awareness, then do so. Should you be looking to track such an investment a little closer, brand the screen with your logo and include a CTA, social media action or hashtag. Of course, it is likely that most people won’t take the action your require, but it is certain that - providing your graphic/video on-screen draws attention - the message or logo will be seen.
7. MENTAL HEALTH/WELLNESS BREAKS/AREA
I like the idea of having an area within a busy show environment to take some time out and relax for a little while. As we become more and more educated and aware of our mental health and wellbeing, such areas are seeing more demand and used as event delegates will look to slow down the pace of the show. Sponsoring or setting up an area to provide comfortable seating, mini massages or even oxygen will be very much appreciated by delegates and will seriously build some engagement around your brand. COVID-19 is spreading around the world, and many pharma events are already being affected, with those events either cancelled or postponed to later on in the year. Booths offering hand wash, sanitisers and other measures to stop the spread will be taken note of and could be a good way to engage with delegates.
8. THE PHOTO/VIDEO BOOTH
Photo and video booths provide an opportunity for delegates to take a few minutes out and do something fun. The booth could entice delegates to take a photo of themselves with an unconventional piece of machinery or art or could prompt the delegates to video themselves discussing particular topics. All great opportunities to brand and suggest that delegates share on their social media channels etc. The booth could literally include anything you feel is relevant to your brand and offering - it just needs to be fun and unconventional so that delegates can briefly take some time away from the event and engage with what you have on offer.
9. RUN A COMPETITION
Who doesn’t like a competition? Pharma events are great environments to run contests and competitions, as with the above, they provide something a little different from canvassing the long hallways of the show halls. Your brand will generate a great deal of exposure, as well as some added exposure on your digital channels should your competition adopt a multi-channel distribution strategy. Providing the winner’s prize is of perceived high value, the competition will drive conversations on the stand as well as help drive engagement on digital channels.
10. WORKSHOPS
When we run and manage events, we always look to create another event within the event itself. Breakfast briefings, show and tells, contests, VIP parties and drinks receptions happen all the time in locations on and off-site and are often where relationships are strengthened. This is great for both exhibitors and delegates as it provides an intimate setting for invaluable one-to-one conversations and should always be considered. So, if you’re a CDMO, a small molecule workshop or service-specific class that is aligned with your offering, delivered in a light-hearted manner, can really bring delegates closer to your brand and drive engagement that can be measured.
11. VIRTUAL REALITY - A PERSPECTIVE INTO LIFE AT YOUR ORGANISATION
For something a little different… In the B2B supply chain and manufacturing environments we operate within, what we really want to do is showcase our service offering, machinery and manufacturing capabilities. Of course, at pharma events, this isn’t always easy to do (without maxing out your entire budget). But by using VR - and creating virtual environments like your manufacturing premises and labs - you can take delegates right into the heart of your offering for a few minutes just by putting on a headset. Explore the elements that make your organisation unique - its USP - and look to take that into the exhibition hall at pharma events. Can you think of a better way of showcasing your service/product offering right there in the event itself? VR technology is now cheaper to adopt than ever.
12. SPONSOR HOTEL AND ACCOMMODATION ITEMS
Pharma conferences and events run for a number of days, therefore, the event organisers will always have deals in place with the hotels that they recommend for delegates. This off-site environment is a great way to subtly showcase your brand identity. Sponsoring the hotel key cards might be enough in this respect. But could you also provide items (potentially from the list of freebies above) for the delegate to access and use in the hotel room? Again, water and cups can be branded and left for the delegates at a bare minimum - especially if you are investing in such branded items for the event itself. Should this approach appeal, you can go one step further, again with event-related and useful items, such as chargers, power packs and mints.
13. SURVEYS
Often underrated and underused. Surveys provide more opportunities to engage with audiences that meets the eye, especially at live pharma events. Ask your customers and delegates what they think about our stand, brand, product offering and staff right there in the event. From this exercise, it is likely you will generate testimonials and reviews that can inform other event marketing and content tactics. You can even ask them about your marketing and how this can be improved to serve them better booths and marketing material in the future. You can use surveys as a market research tool to inform you of how you are doing, and then use the data collected to package as a lead generation piece of content.
GO FURTHER AT LIVE PHARMA EVENTS
For more ideas on improving your pharma event engagement, see our post on strategies and tactics for event marketing success. This post will help you build engagement as well as drive leads from your stand.
Also, for some additional pharmaceutical marketing tactics and ideas to help improve the success of your event, access our new e-book below.
