Sony is to exhibit at IBC2010 a year after pulling out of the trade show to concentrate its marketing efforts on a series of localised customer ‘engagement’ events, reports Adrian Pennington. However, expect a very different presence on the showfloor to the ‘product supermarket’ of yore.
“As part of launching a new Power of Images programme for the coming year of roadshows, flagship events and freelancer training we decided that this year IBC would be the cherry on the cake,” explained Sony Professional director of marketing, David Bush (pictured).
“It will be very different to what we’ve done previously at IBC with a definite move away from the product supermarket approach.”
The manufacturer is to take between 600-700sqm, about a quarter less than its historically mammoth footprint, in the Elycium Building, which marks a switch from its traditional base in Hall 9.
“With the Power of Images events we touched 10,000 customers in a far greater geographical spread and engaged those 10,000 with far richer, hands-on experience than anything we felt we could achieve on a large, crowded exhibition stand,” Bush said.
“We got a far more measureable return in terms of time with each customer and a deeper profiles of them. We could talk to them, give them attention and measure that return much more accurately. So those localised events will continue.
“IBC is a very important meeting point for the top management of a wide range of broadcast organisations. Over five days at IBC there’s the chance to network and interact with a huge cross-section of the industry and on a scale that is replicated by few other events and activities in Europe.
“The main value to Sony at IBC though is at a brand level. When there are hundreds if not thousands of products being pitched for the same mindspace, we feel that IBC works best for us if we can communicate a big statement about our brand.
“Getting coverage of product at a granular level is incredibly difficult. We did get far better PR coverage by scheduling announcements right across the calendar last year. That was a positive leaning point for us.”
Bush says the stand design is in its early stages but that it will be ‘experiential’. Sony reviews its decision to attend IBC annually.
