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: 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!

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.

Product Spotlight: Dye Sublimated Embroidery

New dye sublimated embroidery techniques allow for amazing eye catching detail. Using dye sublimated ink jet printing technology, we can create unique and highly detailed designs that traditional embroidery can't replicate. With this technique, you still maintain the high-end look that embroidery provides while allowing high resolution details to stand out. Take a look at our video below to see an example of this new and innovative embroidery style.

Welcome to the Brainstorm forum!

Hi, this is Bob Kenehan, president of dbpchicago. Welcome to the Brainstorm forum. This form was created to share great marketing ideas, answer posted questions and share our successes in promoting our clients' marketing efforts. We hope you find the posted information useful, and please feel free to contact us through the blog or by emailing me at bobk@dbpchicago.com or direct at 312.377.6007 Cheers, Bob