Intel's 'LANDesk'

Attracting senior IT decision makers to Intel's stand at the Networks Telecom 2001 trade show

Quote: "It is difficult to get the attention of busy people at busy shows. ECM's pre-show campaign put a visit to the Intel stand high on many agendas, while the on-stage antics drew plenty of passing trade."

ECM had already been involved in launching the Intel LANDesk Management Suite range of products throughout Europe in the winter of 2000, with an integrated marketing communication campaign (on a new 'Maestro' theme) which generated high quality leads for the local DVAR channel network in each country.

Big shows attract big prospects, so ECM was asked to put together a new campaign to attract the attention of UK-based Senior IT Executives in selected markets to Intel's presence at the Networks Telecom Show 2001 in the Birmingham NEC.

Getting the attention of this difficult-to-reach audience, and holding that attention long enough to get them to the stand, was a big challenge. For the American market, Intel had used a campaign theme based on 'Migration to Windows 2000 Migraine', and it was felt that a similar theme would be appropriate for Europe.

Pictured: The direct mail invitation to the Intel trade stand at Network Telecom 2001. Three times as many people visited the stand as last year, nearly 500 people registered to receive further information and website use doubled overnight and has remained high.

The ECM creative team therefore produced a Pan-European solution in which a direct mail invitation to the stand was contained in a giant Pill Tub. The 'pharmacy label' on the tub was personalised to each prospect, and the tub itself contained an invitation to a VIP (Very Important Patient) Clinic on the Intel stand, along with free tickets to the show itself.

Prospects were directed to a specially-created landing page on the 'Maestro' website where they could register for a personal 'treatment' demonstration during the show. An e-mail follow up from the 'Senior Consultant' at the Clinic served as a reminder that the solutions to many IT management problems could be found on the Intel stand.

On the stand itself, the Intel stand demonstrators took on the personas of our imaginary clinic team. Helga, a Teutonic 'Doctor', advised IT directors on the many uses of the 'special cure', while all visitors were given the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a Remote Control Car.

The results were way above target. The numbers of visitors to the Maestro website doubled almost overnight, and have remained high. While the Networks show itself had a mediocre year, attendees to the Intel stand were treble those of the year before, and nearly 500 visitors actually registered for further information on the stand.