Field marketing involves direct engagement with customers or potential customers at events, tradeshows, or any physical location. It aims to create meaningful connections between a brand and its target audience, driving conversion and increasing brand visibility.

Field marketing activities may include product demonstrations, sampling, trade show participation, pop-up shops, and organized promotional events. The primary objective is to facilitate direct interactions with customers and influence them at various touchpoints along the buyer's journey.

For some businesses, field marketing may not matter. Events are expensive both in terms of cost as well as the time spent planning, traveling to, and executing the event. But if this is something you have decided to work into your marketing strategy….

Here are a few reasons why field marketing can be impactful:

• Personal Interactions: Field marketing allows for personalized, one-on-one interaction with potential customers. This personal touch can foster a deeper connection between a brand and its audience.

• Targeted Approach: Field marketing can be highly targeted. For instance, if a business wants to reach accounting professionals, they may be interested in exhibiting at an accounting technology trade show. 

• Lead Generation and Sales: Field marketing can be a powerful lead generation and sales tool. Direct interactions with potential customers can provide immediate feedback and allow the sales team to identify and pursue promising leads. B2B companies will likely be generating leads, but B2C companies may be able to make direct sales at the event. Consider one of the biggest US Defense shows of the year - the Navy League's Sea Air Space (SAS) exhibition. Most SAS exhibitors are B2B companies looking for leads and big government contracts. However, in 2022, a B2C fitness brand set up a 10x10 booth and sold product directly to attendees walking by. They were able to liquidate all the product they brought to the show as well as book additional orders to ship later.

• Brand Visibility: Participating in industry events or organizing field marketing activities can enhance brand visibility, establish authority in a sector, and help a business stand out from the competition.

Consider the hypothetical scenario of a company launching a new gut-health drink. They plan a field marketing strategy to introduce their product to the market:

• The field marketing team identifies fitness expos, health fairs, and farmers' markets as suitable venues to reach their target audience. They boil the initial list of events down to three that they believe have the greatest potential and that fit their budget.

• They organize a booth at these events, offering free samples of their health drink, interactive product information displays, and promotional discounts for immediate purchases or online orders.

• The team captures attendees' information by offering an entry into a prize draw for anyone who signs up to their email newsletter.

• Post-event, the sales team follows up on leads gathered, and the marketing team sends out email newsletters, including further discounts to encourage sales and loyalty.

• Event Listings: Today we there are lots of trade shows and events to choose from, and it'd be easy to burn a fortune trying to attend all the ones that you think may be valuable. Websites like Eventbrite or relevant trade organizations can help you identify suitable events that are established and offer a good opportunity to maximize ROI. Be sure to consider things like what kind of prospects attended this event in the past, are there details on current registrants (exhibitors and attendees), and what types of opportunities you have to interact with prospects (e.g., at a booth, as a speaker, etc.).

• Tools: Each event may have its own tools to help manage the event, track lead generation, and analyze the success of your field marketing campaigns. Costs for these event specific tools can be high and may not offer a suitable ROI. Is paying $1000 to scan badges with the event's software really more effective than exchanging business cards? Maybe. Consider your options and how you'll effectively use tools before investing.

• Agencies: You could consider hiring an agency to plan and execute field marketing campaigns, but this can be very expensive and may be cost prohibitive for small companies. If you're just setting up a 10x10 booth, then I'd recommend doing it guerilla style. If you're having a huge booth with gigantic, hanging signs, opt for the agency.

• Templates/Standard Materials: Trade show logistics can be a major time suck with administrative tasks ranging from setting up the event's exhibitor portal to planning logistics for the booth to booking travel. I'd recommend setting a standard process or templates for conference planning and execution.

  • Company info: Each exhibitor portal will ask for you to fill out relevant company details. The first suggestion is that you put together a folder with the boilerplate basic info that each evet will ask for (logo files, product descriptions, company profile, etc.). You may also have to get a certificate of insurance to provide each event as well.

  • Materials: If you're attending multiple events, it's always easier to try and repeat your setups when possible. You can easily ship or hand carry your conference backdrop and other materials as needed. The guerilla event pros have cases that they use to neatly pack and ship their materials between shows (backdrops, pop up flyer stands, extension chords, etc). Renting anything from a tradeshow can be extremely expensive, so I'd recommend trying to ship or carry anything that you can (within reason). You may also want to consider renting from a local party supply store (tables, stools) or furniture rental stores (monitors/TVs). The rates will be significantly cheaper than what the trade show offers.

  • On-site logistics: Do you know if the booth provides power or if you have to set that up separately? Can you hand carry booth supplies into the exhibit hall or do you have to use local, union labor? Establishing a standard list of items you need to coordinate for each event can save a lot of time. The list may include checking things like: power setup for your booth, internet availability, conference rules (labor, cleaning), do you need carpet (most shows require), official booth set up and tear down times.