Hotcow Expertise
The Brand
Alibaba.com is an online trade community that connects buyers with suppliers. Their mission is “to make it easy to do business anywhere” and their community reaches more than 56 million users in more than 240 countries and regions. They opened their London UK office in 2009.
Our Challenge
Alibaba wanted to target visitors of the London Gift Fair and Top Drawer Autumn trade show at Olympia, London to show that you don’t need to waste time searching for suppliers at trade shows, and that it can all be done online.
We were challenged with creating an experience that would compliment the trade shows, increase brand awareness and drive more people online in preparation for the Christmas period, as well as capture data from trade show visitors.
Hotcow Insight
Trade shows can often be stressful experiences, resulting in sore feet, headaches and steering your way through crowds. People trawl through them looking for suppliers, yet Alibaba offer a refreshing one-stop alternative.
What we did
We developed an engaging experience to reinforce the Alibaba service, by developing the “Beat the squeeze campaign. Our customer message was “Thirsty for more suppliers? Let Alibaba quench your thirst!”
We set up a juice cart at Kensington Olympia station, right by the London Gift Fair and Top Drawer trade show, and offered visitors a freshly squeezed cup of orange juice in exchange for their business card.
A singing Santa Claus and Elf created intriguing talkability by singing specially created Christmas carols, with an Alibaba twist. Given that it was a September promotion, it certainly got everyone’s attention and put smiles on everyone’s face!
So, what happened..?
- Alibaba became the talk of the trade show Reinforced the message about the Alibaba brand with people saying “Oh yes! I have heard of alibaba!”
- Total awareness/reach: 50,000 people
- Cost per Awareness: £0.12p