SES SJ: Final Thoughts and Exhibition Awards

[Update: A lesson here on proofing... I forgot to upload the images before posting this. I hate it when that happens! All fixed.]

We returned home early Thursday evening and yes, came to work on Friday. I wanted to give myself the weekend to digest the whole SES event before providing a few wrap-up thoughts. I had been thinking about going to SES for some time and I finally made the plunge. I’m glad I did!

As a whole, I enjoyed SES a great deal. A good deal of the information presented each day was stuff I already knew, give or take hearing varying opinions on different things, but none of it was a waste. Seth and I were able to split up and we each went to different sessions. He should be blogging about his sessions over the next couple of weeks. We both felt we walked away with a lot of new information.

Some of the most interesting things learned was finding out what others in our industry are doing, what tactics are uses, strategies employed, etc. Some of our own research and thinking had been confirmed while we were also presented with some strategies that turned into ideas of our own. These will be fleshed out over the coming weeks as well, as we take what we have learned and formulate action plans to be implemented over the coming months.

I also enjoyed going through the exhibit hall and checking out all the booths. I was mostly interested in the marketing angle here and not just from other SEO firms. Just for kicks, here are my Exhibition Awards:

The Most Extravagant Display Award

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This wasn’t the largest booth there, but it was close. It was also one of the most extravagant. I have to admit, I really liked this one. I get it. What would have been cool was to give away some “gold” nuggets with some kind of prize inside. Maybe like real gold!

The Busiest Display Award

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This one has a carnival theme going on. I didn’t hang around long enough to see what the spin-the-wheel game was all about, nor was I particularly interested in winning a prize. Though “Blaze Search Trails” was pretty plain, I think the overall marketing message got lost here. I never did know what this company does.

The “We Just Threw Something Up” Award

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There is a chance that others “got it”, but it was certainly lost on me. You can’t see it in this picture but there is a sign at the top that says who/what this is (bad photo). Honestly, I already forgot. But hey, if it worked then I guess it’s not a loss.

Award for Worst Branding

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After walking by this booth I thought, hey, SEO inc. has rebranded. You can see here the new logo; new font, new color, etc. But then, right there on the big screen was SEO Inc’s website. It’s the same old website with the old logo. So what gives? Are they re branding or not? This is a case where the marketing teams need to work together to present a unified image. Go all the way here folks so you can be consistent.

Award for Keeping it Simple and Effective

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This was one of my favorite displays purely for its simplicity. Unlike many of the booths, Andy’s display didn’t require a good deal of time to figure it out. The display was clear, concise, uncluttered and go the point across. Though they could have done without the clown! (Just kidding Andy!)

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Tags: Business Principles, SEM News & Trends
Posted in Business Principles