Staples' New Easy Button makes everything easy, and their new TV commercial, “The Wall” illustrates this in an epic (and humorous) manner. Staples wanted to use this new TV spot as the cornerstone of an online minisite that is epic in its own right.

Together with EyeWonder, they created a media-rich destination that extends the message and buzz of the TV commercial and truly showcases the comprehensive power of online advertising. I am sure you have probably seen the commercial, but here is a link to the site.

According to Jason Scheidt, Director of Marketing at EyeWonder, Inc. the site was designed from the start to accomplish many objectives:

• Brand Awareness (use offline and online ads to drive traffic to site)
• Brand Interaction (multiple videos and interactive game and clever fortunes)
• Brand Response ($5 coupons built into interactive game)
• Brand Endorsement/Viral (send fortunes to a friend and challenge them to game)

Staples drives traffic to the site with a combination of offline and online ads, including a series of EyeWonder video ads with built-in direct links.

The minisite does a great job of bringing the TV commercial to the forefront of the experience, as well as highlighting the “Easy” button concept.

The interactive game is fun and easy, and I loved the fortune cookies (My favorite had to be “He who climbs corporate ladder should not wear kilt.”) Like their new button, Staples and EyeWonder's minisite makes online branding and marketing success "Easy”.

Do’s and Don’ts in Picking Locations

Location is everything! Location is probably the most critical aspect to consider in a trade show. It is really a no-brainer when you recall all the trade shows you have been to as a visitor. If you are like most people, you have skipped most of the booths placed at the end of aisle.

Some of the don'ts while choosing the location are:

~ Don't choose the booth next to food outlets or conference hall entrances as none of the people heading in these two directions are usually interested in the booths. Many times people will stand in front of your booth while in line and prevent those interested from approaching.

~ Don't pick the booth near equipment areas or loading bays even if you are getting a two-sided open booth. Audio equipment put near your booth is likely to drown your voice most of the time and nearness to loading bays will result in mostly seeing men in overalls rather than 'real' tradeshow visitors.

~ Consider thy neighbor. This logic can work both ways. If you are next to a large multi-tier display, then you can attract considerable footfall during the trade show. On the other hand, if you have a reasonably small booth next to a large display space, then you might get completely dwarfed.

~ Don't choose the booth next to your competitor. The result is going to be a waste of time spent trying to check out what is happening in their booth and agonizing about each and every visitor who stops by.

~ Don't choose an unrelated industry segment display. If you are dealing in networking, it might not be a great idea to choose a stand in an e-commerce space.

One of the best sources to use in choosing the tradeshow booth location and not listed above is previous experience. A number of trade shows have their peculiarities which might only be realized by previous participants so we suggest that you speak to colleagues who have attended the show before you. I hope that the above suggestions help you choose the perfect booth and location at your next trade show!