Revisiting choosing a marketing partner

In an earlier post, we discussed how you should choose a potential marketing partner. With the economic climate being what it is currently, you should revisit this process.

Just because the incumbent is the incumbent doesn't mean you should keep them--or shed them. Ask for regular reviews and to revisit your contract or pricing structure. If they can afford it and you need to make cuts, come to an understanding so you both can survive. You can make it up to each otehr later.

You should also broaden the scope of your view of suppliers. Many times you might be able to get away with one supplier rather than two or three. Can your branding agency handle your trade show program? Can your trade show house support your branding and marcom mix? Do you hyave an outside consultant who can broker all of the above?

Be creative in your approach and consider the many alternatives. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

TTSG

Advising suppliers of awards

When it comes time to let your competing suppliers of a contract award, here is one request:

Call them. If you can't call them, send a polite e-mail. But, above all, don't just not contact them at all and make them hear about the "loss" from a third party. That's like hearing about a break up from someone other than the person breaking up with you.

Be polite. It's the only thing to do.

And, besides, if things don't go well, you might need to have a fall back plan with the rejected vendor.

TTSG

Getting answers to your questions

Recently a client asked her incumbent exhibit house a simple question and got the runaround. I'm still not sure why.

The question she asked was for a set of set up or construction drawings. She is adding a graphic to a backwall of a booth she has in her warehouse and needs the dimensions of the wall for her graphic vendor.

The reply to her request was off-putting and cryptic--no, they didn't have any drawings and the sent her the space layout for a long-past show. No help at all.

Now, why the constructor of an exhibit doesn't have assembly or engineering drawings is beyond me. How did it get built? How is it assembled by the I&D crew? Could it be because they weren't being asked to produce the new graphic that they were being evasive? Hmmm.....

There is absolutely no reason my client shouldn't have gotten a set of drawings. She, after all, owns the booth. As it is, she is now having to be inconvenienced by pulling the wall from the crate and measuring it by hand. This involves forklift drivers, time, travel, etc., etc., etc.

Lesson Learned: you own the drawings, designs and electronic files and all that comes with your booth. be sure to ask for it or an explanation of why you don't or can't have it. Be straight with your vendor and have high expectations.

TTSG