B-to-B Events

Doing the right thing is not always easy. Just ask any marketer trying to build green marketing practices. Despite the fact that environmental awareness is at an all-time high the industry is still searching for a definitive system for qualifying sustainable events.

The biggest challenge Walmart faced in preparing for this year’s annual meeting wasn’t where to house the 16 000 store associates and shareholders descending on its headquarters in Bentonville AR for three days in June. And there was no shortage of headliners willing to come to town to entertain them. Indeed Walmart’s dilemma was how to celebrate its growing market share—it surpassed a hefty $400 billion in sales during the last fiscal year—at a time when most of the country is struggling through one of the worst recessions in history.

Managing a trade show exhibit with 70 percent less than last year’s budget is become a reality for some marketers. At a time when cfos are slashing marketing dollars like the tails off shrimp on a sizzling Hibachi grill one exhibitor—Chase—not only worked with the slashed budget; it achieved a two-to-one return on its trade show investment.

For many event marketers and their customers taking the leap into virtual events can feel like a trip to a foreign land. Whether they are using a virtual platform to complement or replace a live event marketers worry that their attendees won’t sign up won’t show up or won’t know how to participate once they get there. But what they may not know is that virtual events are strikingly similar to live events. Yep that’s right Dorothy. It may feel like you’re not in Kansas anymore but rest assured there’s no wizard behind the virtual curtain.

At a time when many brand marketers are struggling to keep their portfolios afloat Hispanic marketing programs are flourishing. Walmart this year unveiled a new concept store Supermercado de Walmart in Houston as part of a strategy to become more relevant to Hispanic customers. The Milk Mustache Mobile Tour is traveling to 10 cities to introduce Hispanic families to the benefits of drinking low-fat or fat-free milk. And Kellogg’s began adding a touch of honey to its Corn Flakes (and noting a “toque de miel” on the cereal boxes) to appeal to Hispanic taste buds.