Digital marketing for events
Since the pandemic, real-life events have returned to the top of the list for outreach, lead generation and a way to engage with customers beyond the digital realm. Meeting your customers in person and sharing the latest products and collections is not only beneficial for your sales but also to build a relationship, giving you a better understanding of their motivations and pain points that your brand can address.
We look back at Salone del Mobile as an example of a large-scale event. However, these tactics can be rolled out for any such event.
Looking back to Salone del Mobile 2023
Salone del Mobile and the bi-annual Euroluce ran this year from 18 - 23 April. Milan is the event where the design community comes together to celebrate the latest in international design and creativity. Needless to say, every brand knows that the scale and importance of this international event is an excellent opportunity to raise their brand awareness and reach their target audience through a curated programme of events and new product launches.
However, the recurrent challenge for many remains how to cut through the noise and make sure their customers are aware of their presence in Milan. Returning to Fiera Milano Rho for the 2023 edition, this year saw an impressive number of 1,962 exhibitors.
So how can interior design brands ensure they are seen and heard in this immense pool of 1,962 other brands that are competing for the visitors’ attention? The answer is simple - stay ahead of your competitors and strategically use digital marketing to support your event's success each year.
Online supporting offline
With Euroluce taking place in 2023, lighting brands had the opportunity to shine, but which ones shone the brightest? Many brands exhibiting in Milan launched a product and had an event to celebrate its launch. However, not every brand will receive the attention of its audience. Which strategies can interior design brands adopt to guarantee their event success in Milan each year?
At Sandford, we believe in a holistic approach when it comes to your PR and digital marketing strategies.
In an ideal world, there needs to be a synergy between your digital marketing and PR strategy, which is why we have also shared a brand launch PR strategy article that you can access through this link.
Event marketing has become an essential part of any brand, especially in the context of the highly-anticipated annual Salone del Mobile. Since its creation in 1961, the fair spreads across the entire week and has always brought together the international design community. From a marketing perspective, the concentration of qualified leads for interior design brands is practically endless. So which tactics should you deploy to ensure all the eyes are on your brand during Milan or other similar events? It all comes back to the objectives! In the context of Salone with 1,962 exhibitors, brand awareness is vital. If your target audience is acquainted with your brand, ethos, and unique selling proposition (USP), your digital efforts will successfully support the event's success.
Your digital marketing strategy for events: Salone del Mobile as an example
Event planners always prepare the (battle)ground well ahead of time, and digital marketing is the tool to unlock your success. If your target audience is aware of your participation in Milan weeks in advance, they can start planning the itinerary and include a visit to your brand.
We suggest creating a curated list of audiences to share your email communication with and sharing a follow-up email just a few days before Salone opens its doors to keep you front of mind.
Make sure the content you share is engaging and of high quality. Is there a keynote speaker that will lead the conversation on your new product launch? Add that information to build momentum! Is your brand preparing for a product reveal?
Storytelling will be vital to entice your target audience. Always include clear calls to action in your emails to guide your audience through the desired action.
Another way to promote your brand and events in Milan is through your website. Your landing page and SEO (search engine optimisation) are your best platforms to spread the word. Create an impactful landing page and start the creation process by seeing things from your customer's perspective. What tone of voice and content, page design, and imagery will catch their attention? Remember, your brand isn't the only one whose website they are browsing. Your competitors might be on their radar too!
For instance, if you are a workplace furniture brand, what are the unique qualities of your products and ethos that set you apart from your competitors? Many furniture brands have sustainability in their core DNA, and a great number of them are modular or/and can be personalised. Your unique qualities have the power to set you apart in the online and offline world.
For your SEO strategy, it is hugely beneficial to have your website ranking on the first page of Google's search results page whenever a search is made on Salone and the different programming. Our top tip is to dedicate a section of your website to your presence in Milan, where you can share the table of contents, which your customers can look forward to exploring.
And last but not least, weave your social media into the mix. Share Milan-related content on your social media channels to raise your brand awareness. We recommend creating content dedicated to your presence at Salone and using social advertising to spread the word about your events programme.
The advantage of social advertising is the possibility of targeting a specific demographic and of course, location. Engage with your audience in advance. For instance, Instagram is a great platform to share teasers, countdowns, and event programmes in advance to increase your visibility. If you have a talks programme specifically created for this occasion, take advantage of Instagram Live and make it easy for your audience to be part of your events.
Our top tip is to save the video on your feed to make it viewable for those who couldn't attend the event. Another trick we always recommend is using the calendar reminder function on Instagram to promote events. The same applies to LinkedIn (if your audience is active on this platform).
With most people arriving the Monday or Tuesday to visit the event, consider hyper-local ads for the duration of the fair, targeting those in the Milan area with an interest in design too to drive footfall to your location.
What happens next?
We have outlined the importance of communicating your events programme and more broadly, brand updates at Salone before (and, of course, during) the fair. From our 25 years of experience in the design industry, attending Salone del Mobile is a thrilling experience but also a tiring one! The fair fatigue for many international attendees and the brand themselves is an inevitable stage, and the scale of the event means that your target audience has also attended and engaged with many other brands.
Building post-event marketing communication is crucial to stay in your customer’s mind. A personalised email marketing strategy to thank your audience for attending and reflecting on the conversations you had with them is a great way to create a good rapport.
And remember when we mentioned Instagram Live and all the high-quality content you shared across your other digital marketing channels? They can be repurposed and brought back to life through your post-event marketing.
For example, if you organised a walk-through presentation of the new collection your bathroom brand created for this event, the week after Milan is the moment to mention it again and invite your audience to explore your products further on your website.
Like every year, the Sandford team zig-zagged the city to explore all the sections this year had to offer, including the Salone del Mobile, the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, Workplace3.0, Euroluce, SaloneSatellite, and S.Project.
If you need help bringing your digital marketing and PR strategy to the next level for Milan and beyond, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
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