Breaking into the Digital Conversation

Last evening I had the opportunity to attend the Business Marketing Association (BMA)– Milwaukee Success Seminar and dinner event. Sky High Marketing was the event sponsor and it was really fun to be out talking about what we do and how we do it with fellow Milwaukee marketers.

In addition to getting the chance to network at the dinner, my colleagues and I were able to take in the Success Seminar. Barb Gilles from Google’s Chicago office did a terrific job talking about B2B marketing and the ‘Zero Moment of Truth.’ There were some great takeaways in her presentation.

However, the most interesting thing that I noticed is that Barb used promotional products to keep her audience engaged. Throughout her seminar on digital engagement, she peppered the conversation with little known facts posed as questions for her audience. The winning answerer received a prize – a mouse pad branded with YouTube, an insulated plastic tumbler sporting the Google brand, and classy 5x7 notepad.

The world may be going digital and online is certainly the first place we look when searching for answers to life’s many questions – including how we market our business. But in the end, we have to reach out and touch the people beyond the screens, and branded merchandise is an old fashioned tool that will never go out of style.

Colleen M. Feldner, Marketing Coordinator