Brands have been drawn to the allure of retail showrooms for as long as there have been things to sell. The ability to showcase their products and create a full brand experience for their customers without having to maintain a full stock has inspired many companies to invest in (often pricy) showrooms, and with good reason! Even in the modern direct-to-consumer market, the ability to physically see, touch, and experience products before purchasing leaves customers more satisfied and lays a strong foundation for a loyal brand relationship. In the past few decades, mobile marketing has taken off and become a successful promotional tool of its own. It has allowed companies to introduce their products to new customers in previously untapped markets, create buzz on social media platforms, and strengthen brand loyalty with existing customers.
At Craftsmen, we know the best way to utilize these branding techniques is to combine them with a custom mobile trailer showroom! You get to take full control of your brand experience by choosing where, when, and how you execute your tour or activation. Take your showroom to a public area where your demographic is located or direct to your target customer or prospect. This allows you to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to your lead generation. Unlike your typical trade show exhibit, there are no competitors surrounding you and no distractions limiting your time with customers.
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen companies seek out creative ways to expand their brands and combat event cancellations and other pandemic-related hurdles. Since many people are wary of high-traffic stores right now but are starting to grow tired of online limitations, you may find that they are more open to the idea of browsing products in smaller, less crowded environments, especially in an open-air setting.
Another benefit of mobile showrooms is their price and convenience. Mobile marketing vehicles come in a variety of models and price points that can accommodate most budgets. Leasing of your base vehicle can offer further price accommodation and dramatically quicker turnaround times. Mobile assets are easy to transport and quick to set up, especially compared to the effort it takes to prepare a new building or permanent storefront for commercial use.
Interested in mobile showrooms, but still want to make appearances at future trade shows? Trailers and vehicles make a great "wow piece" at conferences. Not only do they effectively display your products and assets, but they offer a large amount of storage space when not in use. They can save brands from expensive shipping, storage, and material handling fees.
We recently partnered with Stratasys to create a branded showroom that allowed them to connect with businesses outside of trade shows. Their audience can firsthand experience their printers and determine how additive applications can benefit their organization. A social distancing-friendly footprint, temperature checks, regular cleanings, and sanitizer stands provide a personable, yet safe experience. Leasing of this asset allowed for a quick 2.5 month turnaround! The trailer will tour across the nation for 6 months visiting specific locations.
Makita’s Driving Innovation Tour is a great example of smaller-scale showrooms. We crafted a set of bumper pull trailers and box trucks specially designed to showcase their new 18V lithium-ion cordless tool system for Makita users and dealers across America. The vehicles were equipped with custom product displays, branded full-coverage graphic wraps, rooftop signage, recessed monitors for displaying promotional material, custom lighting, and weatherproof sound systems. The tools on display could be removed and checked out to customers for firsthand experience. After only 5 months of build time, the fleet of 5 vehicles hit the road.
An excellent example of a large double expandable trailer showroom is the Destination Dell EMC tour. The goal of the tour was to bring the breadth of Dell EMC solutions to more consumers by creating an experience that customers and sales teams felt was unique. To accomplish this goal, Craftsmen decked out a double expandable trailer with a walk-on rooftop, mirrored walls, 85” Dell touchscreen monitors, custom kiosks, and custom lighting. Their portfolio was showcased in a future-ready workplace with hands-on experiences in technology solutions and enterprise offerings. By the end of the year long tour, the trailer made 33 stops in 11 cities, including at Dell Technologies World 2018, partner organizations, select events, conventions, stadiums, and retail locations. The tour attracted over 20,000 attendees and garnered over 100 new accounts and 1 million social media impressions. Along with double expandable trailers, shipping container trailer conversions are interesting, unique substitutes for your marketing buildout.
Contact us to learn more about our capabilities and how your company could benefit from a mobile showroom!
Craftsmen Industries has been a trusted and valued partner of the military, federal government, emergency response, and consumer goods industries for rapid prototype development for nearly 40 years. We are the market leader in design, engineering, and fabrication of deployable solutions including expandable trailers and large containers. We build each project to the highest standard of quality and safety per our ISO 9001:2015 guidelines and customize every unit per our customers' specific needs.