CEO of MartiniWorks & Founder of MetaMartini. Oh, and I go by AlexMartini on the internet. Known as AlexMartini. Brand & Sales Growth leader that helps people understand how to sell things without selling your soul.
Still deciding on if your company should go to car show activations in 2024? Let me share my thoughts & you can let me know if you agree in the comments! #1 - It's not the cheapest. Vendor booths continue to exceed sq. ft. cost of SEMA which is often seen as the benchmark of event costs ($24-$39 per sq. ft). Flipside of this is acquisition costs for new product awareness or lead generation have their highest conversion & lowest costs at places like shows and events. - Example: Our Riverside 9 CPL was only $.11 and ROI on full expenditure was $2.20 including staff. #2 - Seriously, it's a hot audience. Car events see some of the best conversions for data gathering & general awareness because people WANT to be there. That excitement translates to a much lower barrier of entry to learn about a brand, product, or sharing an email. Most people who disagree here typically have a pretty uh...boring activation plan. #3 - Not for out-of-industry brands. Problem is most brands aren't running an event activation team anymore. Because of rising costs, seeing ROI has gotten tough and the justification is "we don't see sales." But we do, and seeing that value comes down to tracking the numbers and keeping costs down. It's hard to find a better place to get people to care about your brand especially in the automotive field. While some people have cut the strategy entirely, our humble Midwestern opinion is that there's value in partnering with a team that can represent you at these shows and that's exactly what we've started to do. Tracing ROI back through sign ups, activations, or simply sales has become a bit of second nature to us, and as people who LOVE this industry, we carry these brands as our own throughout the weekend. But what're your thoughts? Overpriced or just right?
Ryan Rutledge
3mo
Personal opinion, I think the direct customer engagement can be a double edged sword. On the positive side, it's the ultimate focus group and an opportunity to build meaningful connection with the user base on shared excitement, values and recognition of being part of the culture. On the other hand, if you don't practice your values, don't support and stay active in the culture, and act disingenuously it is exposed very, very quickly.
Kyle Martin
3mo
Events and activations are incredibly hit or miss — SEMA has became a very red tape-esque show that does not appeal to vendors as much anymore as it does to people just wanting to peruse the event. More niche and smaller scale car events are proudly priced and the layouts usually aren’t conducive to any unique layouts outside of a 10x10 canopy. Brands who are willing to spend the money for events and activations are going to spend it on private activations and control the guest list. If you’re in, you’re in— if you’re out, we’ll see you next year.
Edward Koczan
3mo
Given your comments, what "car events" stand out as being in that highest ROI vertical? We pulled and dropped Overland Expo due to 3X YOY exhibitor event fees (along with others).. limited team resources mean limited capabilities, and many of the 928 other regional car events are very dubious. You have to pick six activations per year (example) what are you suggesting for brands that should be looking at with a modest plan?
Edwin Musyoka
3mo
It totally makes sense getting your brand, products & everything else you do/stand for at events related to your industry. The intangible benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. I'm based in a market that needs to put a face to whatever product or service you offer hence making yourself a little more accessible to your fans/clients/fellow enthusiasts goes a long way. Your cold clients graduate to warm clients , your warm clients graduates to hot clients (buying your products/services) & your existing customers get to chat you up while giving their feedback directly to you.
Ryan Kiernan
3mo
Activations at car-shows and automotive Motorsports events is the whole premise behind my non-profit. It’s has been working well. And it is a really great audience.
I wear many hats and one of them is a racing helmet. 2019 TC America TCR Champion.
3moYes, your company should go and should go often. In an increasingly digital world, participating at in-person events gives organizations a chance to humanize their brand and connect with customers/fans in a way that digital engagement cannot. - Go online and tell people you exist in person. Show up in person and tell people you exist online. - Guilty by association. People associate your brand with where and how you show up. Stretch yourself to be associated with greatness. - Building a brand is like working out. You can't go to the gym 4 times per year and expect to be in shape. It's also difficult to track which sit-up gave you your toned abs. The results come with discipline, sacrifice, and routine.