Only four in 10 (40%) corporate marketers and exhibition management professionals believe that digital marketing is vital to the execution of live events, while 17% of consider it to be a lead tactic, according to a study by the The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and marketing firm George P. Johnson (via MarketingVOX).
The? survey, which examined the use of digital marketing in the events industry, found that 10% of respondents’ exhibition production budgets go into digital marketing sponsorship tactics, and 81% of respondents rely on webinars – the most common virtual event strategy used.
The report points to the growing role that digital is playing in the exhibit industry and larger opportunities that lie ahead.? “The findings underscore the complementary nature of the exhibition and digital marketing channels, which are both rooted in communities of interest, dialog, relationships, interactivity and highly personalized experiences,” said Doug Ducate, president of CEIR.
Other findings from the study:
- Email marketing is the most-used digital marketing tactic for exhibition production (95%) and corporate brand managers (87%).
- 40% of corporate brand marketers and 31% of exhibition management execs report using virtual media.
- 71% of respondents use virtual media for geographically widespread workforces and customers.
“The report’s findings reinforce the need for the marketing industry to embrace best practices around digital in order to optimize exhibit marketing portfolios and program ROI,”? said Robert G. Valleee, Jr., CEO of George P. Johnson.
About the research: The report,? Digital + Exhibit Marketing Insights 2009, was funded in part by a grant from the Exhibition Industry Foundation. It is based on the responses of 287 senior marketers and exhibition management executives, who took an online survey in April and May 2009.
