3 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Takeaways for Industrial Marketers

03.22.23

Claire Carroll
Senior Strategist

3 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Takeaways for Industrial Marketers

The leading event for construction, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, brings together industrial and manufacturing leaders for a week of exhibition, education, and networking. For B2B marketers, it’s an annual opportunity to build brand loyalty, validate customer priorities and pain points, and reassess the competitive landscape.

As a first-time attendee, here are my top three takeaways from CONEXPO-CON /AGG 2023:

B2B “brand-obsession” is flourishing.

When you picture true “brand obsession” (not just preference) who comes to mind? Probably the likes of Apple, Harley-Davidson, and Nike. Carhartt hats flying off the shelves wasn’t the only indicator of brand loyalty pulsing through the Las Vegas Convention Center; Caterpillar, for example, generated year-long engagement through their Global Operator Challenge. This program created sustained connections with over 5,000 customers in an international competition that culminated at CONEXPO-CON/AGG.

Creating campaigns that are meaningful to your audience as well as recognizing and rewarding their loyalty, can make customers less fleeting, more dedicated, and with time and consistency, even “brand-obsessed.”

Less of what we do, more what it can do for you.

This year’s standout booths not only focused on the features of their latest equipment, but also emphasized what the technology can do for its customers. Kubota, for example, featured a solution-oriented kiosk that allowed customers to self-select their challenges and navigate through content that depicted how the brand could help solve those challenges.

Exhibitors that implement a personalized approach to their content strategy can cultivate more targeted sales conversations, increased dwell time and overall experience satisfaction.

[Attendees] just wanna have fun.

Despite the extensive range of equipment on display, the booths with coveted queues kept their crowd-enticing strategy simple—they had an element of fun. After hours of walking through sprawling halls, attendees were seeking bursts of energy and entertainment. Hitachi, for example, introduced a ‘mover’ photo booth for attendees to engage with their equipment at scale, Linkbelt let attendees ‘roll the dice’ for an exclusive prize, and Liebherr delivered on-brand flowers to promote the precision of their technology.

Achieving mindshare at such a vast event is challenging. Creating an engagement strategy that focuses on your audience as people, not just professionals, allows brands to create a deeper connection with a wider pool of potential buyers, which in turn shortens the sales cycle and drives more business for brands.   

For industrial marketers seeking to create a unique brand experience, contact your InVision account representative or info@iv.com to learn more.