Hot Dogs + Branding = ?

In addition to the giant 3D television from Panasonic commanding so much attention, one other booth at the Interactive Trade Show had a healthy crowd. That was because it had free hot dogs, whose delicious smell was wafting throughout the giant hall.

There was a continuous crowd of people waiting patiently for their chance to grab a bite. While we were hanging out with our Bandize buddies at the adjacent booth, we did a quick informal survey as people left, hot dog in hand. Our question was, “Do you know what company’s booth that was? What was their product?” No one had any idea.

It’s a shame, because ImageSpaceMedia’s booth graphics were nicely put together. And their product, basically integrating ads into images across the Internet, seems like it has potential and is a new way of thinking when it comes to integrating ads onto the web. The problem was the hot dogs (oh, and the free beer). Every booth needs a hook to get people to stop, whether it’s flashing lights, cool schwag or attractive booth attendees saying hello. But the icing (the schwag) needs to feel like it’s part of the cake (the product). A disconnect like this means people walk away happy but with no knowledge of the brand who made them so.