1. Choose the appropriate time and location for the roadshow
What constitutes an appropriate time and location depends on the target audience of the corporate roadshow. It is not necessarily that weekends or holidays are the only appropriate times, nor is it that prime downtown locations are the only appropriate places. Consider the activity habits and locations of the target audience. For example, China Mobile planned many roadshow events in 2004 to promote M-Zone, and the locations were more often chosen on university campuses.
2. Make the on-site atmosphere attractive
The more people attracted to the roadshow site, the better the effect. How can you attract more people to watch or even participate?
First, the on-site setup must be attractive. Use balloons, ribbons, and sound systems to enhance the atmosphere as much as possible. If the product's outer packaging is eye-catching, you can also assemble the packaging to beautify the site or directly create a large-scale packaging model.
Before the event starts, present an engaging performance (e.g., if the event targets the elderly, start with a Peking opera segment; if targeting young people, start with an energetic street dance) to gather a crowd. The host can then take the opportunity to introduce the company, the product, and the purpose of the event.
During the event, you can send people to distribute attractive flyers around the site to attract consumers; an even better method is to create large product inflatables and have people wear them to move around the site, attracting crowds. In one roadshow event in Chongqing, Mengniu Group hired two "cows" to significantly boost the on-site atmosphere.
The content of the event should be innovative, not just singing, dancing, or imitating TV game shows.
3. Effectively integrate the product with the event
Many companies focus solely on singing, dancing, and games to gather crowds, but neglect product promotion. To attract people to stop and watch, appropriate entertainment performances are necessary, but they must be effectively combined with the product, not turned into a purely artistic performance.
First, integrate the on-site setup with the product. For example, if the product is from the grasslands, design the event backdrop as grassland scenery, and have staff wear clothing with grassland characteristics.
Second, the event content must be closely integrated with the product. Even entertainment programs or audience games should strengthen the product's selling points. For example, performing a Mongolian dance to emphasize that Mengniu milk is from the grasslands, or holding a peanut shelling contest to highlight Luhua's focus on peanuts.
Longfor Group, a well-known real estate company in Chongqing, once held a roadshow event in Jiefangbei, the city center, to promote Longfor North City Sky. One of the skits (depicting a Longfor homeowner suffering from a terminal illness, with neighbors coming to care for and encourage him) broke through the limitations of typical artistic performances that focus on singing and games, and successfully conveyed the concept that Longfor homeowners care for each other, "The Longfor family treats you well for life."
Finally, the choice of giveaways should also be related to the product or be the product itself. Recently, I saw a roadshow event by Uni-President to promote its pickled pepper beef noodles. After participating in games, the audience received giveaways such as ballpoint pens and tissues. If the giveaways were replaced with a pack of Uni-President pickled pepper beef noodles, it would save the trouble of buying giveaways and serve as a free sample distribution, allowing the audience to taste the product while participating in the event—killing two birds with one stone and achieving a better effect. If the product cannot be used as a giveaway, at least choose something related to the product (e.g., beauty manuals for cosmetics, floppy disks for computers) or print the company name on the giveaway as a mobile advertisement to constantly remind consumers.
4. Consider event details thoroughly
Regardless of the event, careful consideration of details is crucial.
When planning, consider the weather on the day of the event, how to ensure safety, how to handle unexpected incidents (such as sudden power outages or crowd congestion), and whether the event duration is reasonable (typically 2-3 hours).
Before the event starts, staff should arrive early to check: whether the stage height is appropriate, whether the decorations hanging on the stage are secure, whether the stage is sturdy, whether the sound system is ready, whether giveaways are prepared, whether promotional materials are ready, and whether performers and hosts are in place.
Generally, for outdoor roadshow events, it is necessary to obtain permits from the local urban management department and conduct necessary communication in advance. In a roadshow I previously planned and executed, the company failed to coordinate with the local urban management in advance, resulting in the event being forced to stop after a period, greatly damaging the company's image.
Finally, execution is crucial. No matter how well-planned a roadshow is, if it is not effectively executed, all the work is in vain. Therefore, effective communication with the staff executing the event is essential. Moreover, the planner should ideally participate in the on-site implementation, guide the execution, and make adjustments as necessary.