Lifting ESTHRA up to the next level
What happened so far
Eszter Debreczeni, owner and founder of Esthra HR orchestration, had originally hired OVERW8 to help her build the foundation for her unique HR consulting business with our entrepreneurial coaching and marketing strategy consulting services. A long-time HR professional with working background at Microsoft, Eszter had toyed around with the idea of combining her passion for music (at a certain point in her life she was quite near to becoming a professional singer) with the idea of a new generation of transformational processes. At this stage, we helped to shape the brand name, its vision and the story – and we coached her on CI basics for her brand.
18 months later
A year and a half later, Eszter got in touch with us asking for help for a specific project: Her company had been offered the opportunity to exhibit in the startup area of the HR trade show Zukunft Personal 2019. She was aware that she won’t exactly find her target group there. Nonetheless, she thought it might be a good opportunity to take her marketing to the next level, not just in terms of her concept, but also concerning to the tools she might use.
The timing was perfect: She had already acquired some lighthouse customers and references, and her idea of music-based workshops had proven to be very effective.
All was ready for moving to the next level.
Step 1
Goal-setting Workshop
“What is to be done? Why? Which are the priorities? What key performance indicators need to be set?”
Rather soon we realized that it wasn’t just about this one trade show … we were talking about much more than that. About a new level of impact for the communication of esthra’s training portfolio.
The Ultimate Challenge – To Market a Service
We usually use this scribble above to explain to our customers how budget and effort change across different markets. It’s easy to see that selling physical products business-to-business is less cost-intensive but needs more human resources. And it’s also easier to sell because you can try out the product, see and touch it, test it. Selling services B2B is challenging and needs real marketing craftsmanship – you have to know your stuff and care for every single word and every single visual element.
Step 2
A Concept for the Trade Show & Lead Generation
- Now that we knew what was needed, OVERW8 prepared a concept for the trade show that would convey the vision of esthra as clearly and incisively as possible. We
- took care of both the run-up and follow-up
- provided a concrete pre-selection for promotional materials
- suggested ideas for give-aways, outfits for the booth staff etc.
- Our challenge: creating a brand with a strong visibility that generates attention at the trade fair with relatively simple means.
A STRONG SLOGAN
engages with the user experience, grabs attention and delivers a good brand recognition.
Music speaks,
(HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN)
Step 3
Product Profiles & Sales Folder
We focused on the offer “UNPLUGGED”: Upselling options generate future sales opportunities and, from the client’s point of view, they offer a more long-term perspective. Therefore, we also incorporated “HRMonia”, a transformation program designed for a more medium-term implementation. We wanted that prospects could grasp the essence of the service easily – this was achieved by using clearer terms, good visualization, and by answering classic “W” questions (what, when, where, how much, what’s in it for me).
We developed a hybrid approach for the large sales folders: a smooth “businessy” outside that includes the typical playful workshop atmosphere at the inside. A proven timeless tactic: a second CI created specifically for a more sales-oriented purpose.
Custom designed imagery for a truly unique product:
Custom designed imagery for a truly unique product:
We chose a semi-custom solution for the illustration of the two musicians: Based on icons available under Creative Commons and inspired by line drawings, we developed our own design. What was the reason for this? Well, the existing materials showed only men and diversity is an essential brand value for esthra.
Pro-tip: If your prospect knows little or nothing about your company or your services, it’s a good idea to use SYMBOLS – not only for the illustration but also in your text. In this particular example, we used a line in the visuals that symbolizes smooth cooperation within a diverse team.
Other important factors are so-called trust signals. Every prospect has the same questions: “Is this worth a try? Where did they learn this from? How can I tell that they’re trustworthy?” These signals in esthra’s case are the owner’s highly solid professional background and customer references.
Step 4
Lead Generation
Obviously, companies do not attend trade shows just for fun. They want to generate leads for their services. Being an expert networker, Eszter Debreczeni had already agreed on mutually attractive cooperation with the app developer Endel. That was the starting point for our lead generation concept.
Furthermore, we addressed GDPR issues in advance and advised esthra on what was feasible.
And that’s the result:
Step 5
Leaving an impression from afar
Last but not least – the trade show booth: it should be easily recognizable from afar and catch the visitors’ attention. Owner Eszter and her team should feel at ease when engaging in meaningful conversation with their leads. Design options are limited for a booth with a size of 4 square meters, but keeping the brand in mind for every element brings the world of esthra to life also in such a limited space.
Esthra provided most of the materials. What was missing was a design for the booth. Here, the sketched musicians are the proverbial line that visually connects the booth and the sales folder.
Step 6
Pragmatism Rules: International Version + Landing Pages
Initially, any communication at the trade show was supposed to be in German only. This is easier said than done – after all, Eszter’s focus and that of her company are very much international. At short notice, we had to think about whether and how all content, including website content, could be made available in English.
For the website, Eszter already had a partner who was provided with open data. As a result, the landing page was ready the next day:
For the English version, Eszter Debreczeni and we agreed upon a very pragmatic approach: She created a draft translation, which had been checked with Grammarly. Thanks to her English studies and many years of international experience, the owner of OVERW8 Kristin Reinbach, did the final editing. Then the text was pasted into the final layout and printed. Voilà.
A smart idea: designer Gabriela suggested adding a visual marker to the English version on the front page. A minor detail, yes, but one that adds an additional touch of professionalism.
Business Coaching on the go.
Throughout the process, CEO Kristin was there to advise Eszter on all content and procedural issues. “How to sell without being pushy? What to consider when training booth staff? How to get leads on board quickly?”
Step 7
Prepress / Production
The print options had been preselected by OVERW8’s in-house production team. This allows our customers to quickly overview price/performance ratios. Furthermore, they get recommendations which materials to choose. Once approved, the order had been placed and the tracking link handed over… ready for delivery.
12.09.2019:
Yay! Everything was delivered safe and sound!
Then it started:
That’s exactly our motivation at OVERW8: Our customers should feel ready to tackle the market.
Confidence based on Competence.
Step 8
Finish Off / Style Sheet
While Eszter was already preparing her presentation, the team at OVERW8 created a brand stylesheet, making sure that the elements developed are easily available and reusable in the future. This is how Agile Brand Development works with OVERW8 – piece by piece, we enhance every single part and application of a brand world and hone it until there’re ready to go out into the market.
Tools
Our Tech Stack for this Project
Inspiration/ideas
Text editing
Document storing/sharing
Backstage team messaging
Client communication
Team video call/screen sharing
Printing service
Overview
What was done?
- Design concept for trade show booth / run-up to the event
- 4-page sales brochure in German and English – concept, design, texts, printing
- Refinement of product concepts / sales argumentation
- Process design for cooperations and Lead Generation – flyer design, texts, printing
- Creation of customized visual brand elements
- Booth design
- Guidance on purchasing other trade fair materials
- Business coaching during the whole process
- Input and coaching on social media – content, hashtags, emojis, tools.
