Dare to be different – see and be seen at medical meetings…
Dare to be different and use a mixture of virtual and traditional channels to improve your visibility at medical meetings. This will work even if you only have a moderate budget. Looking at the congress presence of your competitors can be daunting, especially when you are a small start-up or a medium-size pharma company. We have some tips and tricks that will support companies of any size in making a big splash at medical meetings.
Turn heads on the way to the meeting
Repetition keeps your message top of mind. Make your company known by placing animated infoscreens, posters or mega lights at train stations and main routes towards the congress. It’s a traditional channel and it works!
Online promotion
You already have an online presence. Promote your conference activities on your own websites and then link these announcements to campaigns you post in external digital media, such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and the digital versions of the medical journals. Google Ads may also help in the beginning. In return you will get increased visibility before, during and after the congress.
Partner with the congress
Congress sponsorships can be pricey. But it is definitely worth investing in them to get access to the congress channels. They often have an even bigger impact than any other channel because they are more accepted by your target group. Therefore they are an ideal way to leverage your assets.
Internal communication and information
You want to make big noise about your activities to the external world, so don’t forget about your internal resources. We suggest a good variety of email announcements for country affiliates to keep them up-to-date and to enable them to advertise the meeting in their home countries. Have branded announcement cards that support your onsite activities printed – like live online seminars or incentives to visit the booth such as free WIFI access or a free cup of coffee – for MSLs to share with their HCPs.
Booth communication
Use doctors’ competitive spirit to attract them to your booth. The most effective tools are moderated quizzes and games. Donations via a signature wall are another popular way of letting conference goers do something good. It also gives you the opportunity to hook up with them and start a conversation.
Using medical information apps that give visitors access to your online resources, is another way to support their daily business and they help you stay in touch with them after the congress.
Satellite symposium
Congresses are stressful – make your symposium a relaxing experience by providing branded lunch boxes and brochures with summaries of most important facts and figures. Always link to your online resources and promote the online seminars on demand of the session. Provide live online events to attract users and keep the audience engaged during presentations with interactive tools. Surveys, polls or a moderated chat engage even shy people that may lack confidence to speak up in English sessions. Keep track of your visitors by using badge scanners to evaluate the success of your session.
To sum it up
If you mix and match measures, you can ensure your congress activities are well attended and engage physicians beyond it. Needless to say by using digital channels you can receive detailed analytical reports that will inform your next activities. Sounds interesting? We would love to apply our learnings to your congress presence.
