Make an Impact with Virtual Trade Shows

Engagement marketing, sometimes called "experiential marketing", "event marketing", "on-ground marketing", "live marketing", "participation marketing", or "special events" is a mainstay of corporate marketing.

Trade show exhibition represents a significant portion of B2B marketers’ budgets with an average cost of between $15,000 - $30,000 per event. Trade shows are a mainstay, however ROI is sometimes hard to quantify. Besides the obvious expense, other factors include:

• Lack of control on which client/prospect stops at your exhibit 
• Competing messages from rival companies 
• Loss of productivity from travel 
• Marketing effort is not retained or acted upon by client 

A promising alternative to trade show marketing is the emergent trend of utilizing custom branded video brochures to engage the consumer at their office, without the expense of a traditional live event.

A “virtual trade show” on video book engages the client in a similar one to one experience however with greater reach, less distraction and higher ROI. Virtual trade shows via video book can replace exhibiting at a trade show or can be used to reinforce messaging to attendees, prospects, or top clients.

A virtual trade show consists of a dimensional direct mail package using a video brochure loaded with relevant video content, sent to a list of top prospects and clients. The video brochure can be customized to create one to one messaging along with presenting your latest marketing messages in print with video and sound. Your virtual trade show recipient will have your call to action at hand and be in the position to act, because they are at their office engaged in business activity.

A virtual trade show is no more expensive than exhibiting at a trade show; however, it offers greater reach with your marketing message staying top of mind with your client for longer. No matter how much “wow-factor” a trade show exhibit creates, video brochures will leave a far greater lasting impression and provide positive ROI.

To learn more about video books, watch our video or contact us.

Product Spotlight: Swell Style Stainless Steel Bottle

Today's product spotlight features a high end, but affordable, stainless steel water bottle from a project for a hotel client. The bottle's capacity is 750 ml, or approximately 25 ounces, and can accommodate hot or cold beverages. Our field testing proved that the bottle keeps a drink hot or cold for almost a full day when the top is closed, thanks to the vacuum sealed dual wall insulation. The sleek design and modern construction are remarkably similar to Swell bottles, which retail for over $20 each for a lower capacity.

Our client's bottle, featured in our video below, was a bargain at under $10 each. The pricing included two multi-color imprints featuring the hotel branding on one side and their restaurant's branding on the opposite side. They chose the matte black option to make their colorful logos pop; however, there are several other colors and styles available to complement your branding.

Check out our video to learn more about the project.

Product Spotlight: 3 in 1 Lens Kit

Macro lens photo

In the age of social media, more and more people are considering themselves photographers, even if they're only armed with their smartphone camera. While most newer smartphones are able to take beautiful photos, especially with the help of filters and editing technology, there are some things a phone's camera just can't do, such as macro close ups. We found a great promo product that gives your phone's camera more capabilities. The 3 in 1 lens kit clamps over your phone's camera lens and turns it into either a macro lens, a wide angle lens, or a fisheye lens. The lenses easily screw into the clamp, so changing lenses is a breeze. The kit comes in a hard zipper case featuring your logo or brand message, but also includes a soft pouch that doubles as a lens cleaning cloth. The 3 in 1 lens kit is a fun and unique gift idea that we love.

Check out our video to see it in action!

Case Study: Business Builder Kit

Project: Business Builder Kit 
Client: Schawk! / Amway 

For this project, our client wanted to create an integrated kit mailing with a variety of components, including print collateral, product samples, and a video book. The challenge was to create a cohesive package that could be mailed without the contents becoming jumbled or damaged in transit. It was critical that the kit elevated brand perception while also providing important product details, samples, and collateral for the end receiver. After reviewing the client's needs, we were able to engineer a kit to their specifications. The end result was a beautiful custom tuck box and inner tray system with cutouts for product and material placement, sized to perfectly fit all the components contained within it.

DBP provided full service brand execution for this unique project from initial conception through final distribution, including:

• Custom package engineering of the outer box and inner tray system 
• Global sourcing and production of custom video book 
• Print production and fulfillment of supplemental collateral materials
• Kit packing and fulfillment
• Global mailing distribution to 4,500+ addresses

Check out our video to see all the features of the kit!

The Colors of Spring

Each fall, Pantone releases their top 10 colors for the coming spring based on the color trends at New York Fashion Week. Now that spring is in full swing, take a look at the top colors of the season!

Greenery (Pantone 15-0343) - Pantone's 2017 Color of the Year is a lush green taken straight from nature.


Niagara (Pantone 17-4123) - The name evokes thoughts of water, which is perfect for this blue shade.


Primrose Yellow (Pantone 13-0755) - A warm, bright hue reminiscent of a sunny day.


Lapis Blue (Pantone 19-4045) - While blue is always a popular color, this shade is a richer, darker color than the first blue in the list.


Flame (Pantone 17-1462) - A bright, fiery orange that is perfect for warmer seasons.


Island Paradise (Pantone 14-4620) - Another blue on the list, but this one is a lighter shade reminiscent of the sky on a sunny spring day.


Pale Dogwood (Pantone 13-1404) - This light pink shade reminds us of Rose Quartz, one of Pantone's 2016 Colors of the Year.


Pink Yarrow (Pantone 17-2034) - Named after a hue of the yarrow flower, this is a bright bold color.


Kale (Pantone 18-0107) - This green shade is named after the leafy green vegetable that the color resembles.


Hazelnut (Pantone 14-1315) - One of the few neutral shades on this list, Hazelnut is a toned down, light brown/tan shade.


Do any of Pantone's top spring colors go with your branding? Which is your favorite color for spring?

Product Spotlight: Pitchfix Deluxe

Despite the recent snow here in Chicago, we know spring is just around the corner and it's the perfect time to start planning your spring and summer promotions. Last spring, we gave you an overview of our favorite golf promotions, and one of the products we mentioned was the Pitchfix Deluxe. This is a fantastic high end client gift, and a tool that every golfer will love. The set comes complete with a pro shop quality quick release divot tool and a set of three magnetic ball markers that attach to the divot tool. With the Pitchfix Deluxe, the tools are housed inside a sturdy metal gift canister, which can be branded with your logo in a dome label. Other packaging options are also available depending on the price point you want. Take a closer look at the Pitchfix Deluxe in our video below.

Product Spotlight: Travel Chargers

Some of the biggest sellers in the promotional products industry are tech accessories, such as phone chargers and battery banks. Today we're taking a closer look at two new dual use chargers that we really love. Check out our videos and let us know what you think of these new products.

The C300 is one of our new favorite items, because it doubles as a battery bank. We're a fan of most 2-in-1 products, and this is no exception. The dual functions make it perfect for traveling when packing space is tight. You can plug it into the wall to charge your phone, or simply use it as a portable battery bank when it's fully charged. We think it's genius!


The RK1000 is another great dual use charger that is ideal for travel. Instead of carrying your wall charger and your car charger, you can get both functions with the RK1000. The large imprint area is also a nice touch for promoting your brand; this would be a great trade show giveaway.