New study on the importance of live communication

 A study provides new results on the weighting of communication measures in Swiss companies. As the study "Uniplan Live Trends 2007", conducted in cooperation with the Chair of Marketing and Corporate Management at the Scientific Center of the University of Basel, shows, the importance of traditional advertising is increasingly shifting towards direct communication channels such as the Internet, public relations and events. In the survey, 295 marketing and communication managers from leading Swiss companies, 35 percent of whom were at management level, provided information on trends and developments in live communication at trade fairs and events. 295 marketing managers surveyed use live communication tools such as trade fairs and events within the customer relationship cycle, particularly when it comes to building a relationship of trust with their customers, retaining them or differentiating themselves from the competition. According to the managers, brands that use live communication also gain an unmistakable brand profile and thus differentiate themselves from the competition. Soft factors such as people, brand and product are key to differentiation. "Forward-thinking companies therefore invest in their staff and in trade fair and event communication that supports the core messages," advises Uniplan Managing Director Guido Maurer, based on the survey results. However, far too little importance is currently attached to the preparation and follow-up of events, and above all to measuring the success of live communication, he continued.
The results of the study can be requested at [email protected].