Programs Details
How does a largely unknown Internet software
startup company become a recognized player — in the middle
of the Internet boom — without paying millions of dollars
for a SuperBowl ad?
One answer is to make a big splash at the
industry's leading trade show, Internet World. But with hundreds
of companies attending, many of them spending a prince's fortune
to stand out, creating a memorable presence is quite a challenge.
As the leaders of an integrated marketing
department at KOZ.com, Bruce Milligan and David Rhoades approached
the 1999 Internet World show as a program, not an event. The
goals were clear: create a "WOW" and also deliver
targeted leads to the sales force.
The wow-factor resulted from a unique booth
design that economically used the full footprint of a 20'x30'
space and also used the available height above the booth to
convey company messages and attract visitors. The centerpiece
was a round, revolving stage divided into thirds on which
a professional actor portrayed three average people using
KOZ.com's Community Publishing System. Show organizers said
that KOZ.com would have won "Best of Show," except
for some heavy lobbying by an industry heavyweight.
More than 3,000 workable leads were generated
during the 4-day show as the result of the presentation, combined
with effective collateral and a pre-show direct mail program
inviting targeted prospects to meet with a company salesperson
during the show. KOZ.com also invested significant energy
into getting the key trade and business press reporters to
interview company executives at the booth.
KOZ.com soon closed two high-profile and
high-value deals with online publishers that learned about
KOZ.com's products for the first time at Internet World. These
deals and increased industry visibility gained through the
memorable presence at Internet World contributed to the company
securing additional growth capital.
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