Lessons from Barney on Meeting Brand Basics
By Caroline Fuchs
Originally Published in ASAE Marketing Fast Facts, December 2000
My son loves Barney. He sees Barney everywhere we go--on a lunch box, in the toy aisle, and on videotape. What's made Barney a household name is more than visibility; it's successful branding. No matter where Barney is seen, his image is consistent and he stays on-message.
Have you developed a brand for your meeting? Just like my son does, we can learn from Barney's example.
Be constant: words and image
Barney is the same caring, purple dinosaur in books, on television, on the stage--anywhere he appears. Make sure that your brand is consistent in all its incarnations.
Many associations are so large that individual departments are not synchronized, notes Jean Whiddon, president of Kircher, a Washington, D.C.-based full-service marketing firm. "The meeting, show, or convention is often the big event, so it is important to maximize it across the association," she says. This event should carry the same name every year, as multiple names dilute the brand, Whiddon advises. Likewise, the event's logo should remain consistent until it becomes outdated, although the graphics surrounding the meeting may change from year to year.
A name change for the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society several years ago distinguished the event from other medical gatherings by placing emphasis on its specialty area, according to Cheryl Hagan, director of marketing and communications for the Bethesda, Maryland-based organization. Switching from The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting to ENDO also broadened the appeal beyond members, she adds.
The word society in the name of the meeting had been perceived to indicate a members-only event, limiting its reach. The meeting actually has a broad educational content and structure that can appeal to a wider range of participants. Hagan notes that the first payoff to the name change came in the form of increased revenues from advertisers and sponsors.
Create an environment
Barney delivers the safe, sweet, fantasy world of childhood while delivering messages of courtesy and caring. Consider what goes into creating and selling an experience.
"Familiarity is a positive and a major component of branding," Whiddon says. Create familiarity by keeping the meeting on the same days of the week (the days your research indicates are most convenient for your attendees) and keeping events within the event consistent (e.g., the retailers breakfast is always held on Saturday morning). Selling the brand and the experience year-round also is a major component in creating familiarity. Keep the experience alive with virtual trade shows and online seminars, and maintain visibility through tie-ins with other products and promotions.
The annual meeting of the Independent Insurance Agents of America, Alexandria, Virginia, promises quality and delivers it with a classy environment, top-of-the-line speakers, and high-end production and staging, says Maureen Wall, vice president of communications for the organization. IIAA challenges attendees by offering cutting-edge activities, such as the Virtual Village, which highlights Internet-based tools.
Above all, research
The creators of Barney did their homework and knew what would relate to children. Translate that into market research.
"Be prepared to find out what your audience really thinks of you," cautions Wall. Member and nonmember candor is a gift that provides vital information about the association image as well as its products and services. On-site meeting research continues to be an invaluable tool, but the use of online surveys has catapulted research to a new level with its ease, timeliness, and responsiveness.
If your meeting currently has few competitors, don't become complacent. "Associations must make sure that their constituents don't move ahead without their knowledge," Whiddon says. If you don't monitor your attendees' current and future needs and make plans to meet those needs, a competitor will.
With research, the promised environment, and meaningful words and images, your meeting can be a proud bearer of the association brand or a brand unto itself. And you don't have to be a purple dinosaur to do it.