RSA is in full swing (No, my introverted heart is not in attendance this year) but as I was trying to fall asleep last night, my nerdy brain replayed all the times I walked a show floor and exhibit hall looking at (aka judging) messaging, ad copy, logos, and booth design.
Large shows like RSA are chaotic and everyone is trying to do multiple jobs at these events, but I advise everyone to not overlook how valuable shows like RSA are for brand messaging / narrative reality checks and inspiration.
Branding and narrative development are often completed (or revised into a final version) in a vacuum. Despite research to interview customers, prospects, and SME, along with market research to inform brand messaging, the final product usually ends up being some sort of least objectionable common denominator that Marketing then tries to spice up.
Shows are a great place to see just how similarly forgettable or indistinguishable a brand is.
That sounds harsh, but honestly, the cold reality of stepping on the show floor and into a sea of tech blue or 17 companies talking about how “innovative” their solution is can be a kick needed to create a brand that actually stands out.
If you’re attending RSA, just take a walk around and snap some photos of the various headlines on booths. Look for:
- The adjectives people use to describe their companies or products
- What features are you competitors highlighting in their booths?
- What benefits are people leaning on (I would bet money that you’ll see nearly everyone talking about “saving time,” “reducing costs,” or “reducing risk.)
- Similar visuals [a fun game I used to play with my teams were to count how many shields we could find in booth designs].
While going on a scavenger hunt for brand sameness at the show can be kind of soul-crushing, remember that you can change your brand narrative or your key messaging. Even small refreshes or refinements can have a major positive impact without the disruptions of, for example, a logo change.
Better to show up with something interesting to say than spend 100k+ on a show where people confuse you with 20 other vendors selling the same story. And if you refresh now, you can launch in plenty of time for Black Hat. 🙂
