Reach your audience and stand out from the crowd
The Purple guide to the Pharmacy Show
The world of trade shows and exhibitions is finally opening again. This is a great opportunity for brands to meet face-to-face with new potential customers and rekindle acquaintances, while chatting about the latest industry trends.
First on the list is the Pharmacy Show, which takes place on 16 and 17 October at the NEC in Birmingham. It’s two days of pharmacists coming together from all over the UK, ready to learn more and network with the biggest names in the industry. It’s where they will find the inspiration and insight to tackle the biggest challenges in the industry.
Terri Martin, Client Partnership Director for Consumer Health at Purple says:
‘The Pharmacy Show 2022 is an unmissable opportunity for brands to reach their trade audience and build brand exposure. This exposure can be built on through trade launch plans, and should form part of the wider PR strategy for any health brand looking to cut through and stand out.’
If you’re lucky enough to go, you should make the most out of it. Here are our top tips to make sure you do:
Before the show
- Do your research
Use the event website to see who the speakers, sponsors and stand owners are, to decide who you want to speak to. Do a bit of research on them and arm yourself with two or three key questions to start a conversation with them.
- Create your story
The stand is coming together, the hotel is booked … but what did you think about your brand story? You should have a clear idea of the experience you want to give people when they visit your stand. Everyone should come away knowing exactly who you are and what you are offering – so take the time to hone your elevator pitch, and – most importantly – brief your team!
At the show
- Define your objectives
What do you want to get out of the show? Prepare a target list and note down all the speaking sessions you want to attend. Make sure all your conversations have purpose and direction. The whole stand team should have the same goal in mind.
- Be visible
Brand reminders have been around forever for a reason: they work. The right give-away will resonate with people and remind them of your brand. So have branded bags and recycled coasters at the ready! And don’t forget to include business cards – it may sound old-school but exchanging cards or LinkedIn details is still a great way to start a conversation and build your network.
- Get social
After making sure the stand looks amazing, and the team is briefed and ready to welcome visitors, it’s time to think about the outside world. Be ready to take plenty of pictures and video to share on your social channels. Engage with your network who aren’t there too, with updates, successes, and short interviews with your sales team.
After the show
- Report back
Ask your team for their post-show reports. Often the days on the stand are so long and busy that it’s easy to forget to check in with everyone, so send your team a reminder to give you all their highlights and thoughts so you can be ready for the next show.
- Follow up
Follow up with an email or LinkedIn direct message to anyone you connected with at the show, thanking them for their time taking questions.
- Finally, get the most out of your hard work and investment by sharing a write-up of how the show went for you, and capture any learnings for next year.
Purple’s consumer health team believe in science as a foundation for creativity. That means we blend our scientific expertise with strategic thinking and bold imagination to create the best results-driven campaigns in consumer health. Imagine it. Make it.
To find out more about communications that actually work, visit our Purple Consumer Health page here or contact healthcare@purple.agency.
Terri Martin, Client Partnership Director, has worked agency side now for over a decade, developing marketing solutions for national and international brands. She has a proven track record in leading and growing a variety of key brand relationships across both pharmaceutical and consumer markets - focusing on effective client agency partnerships, managing and developing agency teams.