5 Ways to Use a Roadshow Truck in your Sales and Marketing Strategy
Using a truck roadshow as part of your sales and marketing strategy offers significant benefits, especially after such a long time without the deep emotional connections of face-to-face experiences.
Firstly, they can be hugely sustainable compared to exhibition stands. From the number of events held (on average 57 events per year using the same truck fit-out) to the CO2 that can be saved due to the reduced travel as the roadshow goes directly to audiences. As the most innovative and forward-thinking roadshow supplier in the industry, we strive to be ahead of the game when it comes to sustainability. In 2021, EMS became the first roadshow truck agency to join isla, an event industry-wide and independent organisation dedicated to supporting the transition to more sustainable events.
Roadshows also integrate perfectly with the rising trend for hybrid events (many of our clients have already found they can engage more people through a combined digital and face-to-face approach). And, most importantly, roadshows get results.
Here are five ways a roadshow could turbocharge your sales and marketing strategy:
1. Product launches
When you’re trying to build a buzz, put your product at the centre of your experience. A roadshow gives you the perfect vehicle to reach existing customers and new targets. By strategically aligning site visits with launch dates in different countries, you can benefit from both local publicity and a steady stream of social media buzz activity. It also gives you an ideal setting to train and educate staff. Our expertise in product launches stretches across B2B, B2C and internal campaigns in sectors as diverse as med tech and consumer goods. You’ll also enjoy an enhanced ROI through multi-use showrooms.
2. Product demonstrations
Live product demonstrations have been proven to define up to 80% of purchasing decisions and 98% feel more inclined to purchase after attending an activation. If stats like that don’t convince you of the value of product demos, nothing will. For B2B sales, product demos can be the key to unlocking high-value orders. With a roadshow setting, you can control the environment and have the flexibility to engage difficult-to-reach audiences (such as medical professionals or those operating under travel restrictions). Having the reassurance of re-routing also provides extra security.
3. Experiential pop-ups
Surprise your audience and disrupt their everyday experience by arriving at unexpected locations and setting up quickly. You’ll provide a significantly more memorable experience for customers who are not used to the vibrancy of roadshow tours in major city centres. The more sites you visit, and the more visitors you welcome onto your roadshow truck, the higher your ROI. It’s the perfect reason for expanding your horizons and meeting customers where they are – not where you want them to be.
4. Sales training
Award-winning tours such as the dual-purpose NEFF Mobile Training Academy, where consumers were hosted at events before the same vehicles were used at retailers likes John Lewis and Currys PC World, have proven the value of sales training roadshows. Bosch is another brand to have used a similar approach across the UK – with spectacular results. If your training centre is being refurbished, or the pandemic has left you with a long waiting list of employees requiring face-to-face training, roadshows are an ideal solution. They can also minimise time away from the shop floor by setting up directly in the company car park.
5. Employee engagement
When your team is geographically spread, a well-planned roadshow gives all employees the same experience – without the huge costs (hotels, travel, time away from the office) of gathering everyone at a single location. That consistency of delivery means all your staff feel as important and valued as each other. Used well, employee engagement roadshows are a great opportunity to bring your team together and generate significant goodwill. Fidelity International, for example, increased engagement with 94% of its employees and shifted perceptions positively in 47% of its employees through a smart roadshow campaign.
Our fleet of roadshow trucks gives unprecedented speed and flexibility in terms of both deployment times and the ability to scale your campaign to suit your changing objectives. In fact, our recent work on Randox Covid-19 mobile testing units resulted in this recommendation:
“With its extensive operational and logistical knowledge, The EMS Group was able to deliver compliant and consistent facilities in record time.”
To find out more about how EMS provides the largest and most flexible fleet of roadshow trucks anywhere in the world, or how a pilot roadshow could help you take your first budget-friendly step into the world of roadshows, contact andy.morris@eventms.com today.