Touring promotional events, otherwise known as roadshow marketing campaigns, promote a business, product or service ‘on the road’, in multiple locations. Promotion is usually carried out from a truck, van, motor-home, or other wheel-able platform. It allows a brand to engage with a diverse audience across the entire UK.

Here at Push, we have previously published an article titled ‘What Is Roadshow Marketing?’. Click the link to find out more.

Now touring promotion may sound like a lot of effort. Branding a large vehicle with promotional material, hiring a team of effective staff, and planning various ways to engage with the public and generate attention. Yes, touring promotion takes time and effort to plan, but once you have the formula, it can be an incredibly successful marketing tool.

Promotion doesn’t have to take place from a vehicle either. For example, a pop-up gazebo, simple table, large backdrop or banners could be used instead of a branded vehicle.

Several promotional tactics are often employed at touring promotional events. For example, product sampling, product demonstrations, data/feedback collection, competitions, photo opportunities, leaflet distribution, giveaways, and more. They aim to connect directly with the public, creating positive and memorable impressions with potential customers.

This article will outline some of the major benefits of touring promotional events:

10 Benefits Of Touring Promotion

1. Large Audience

First and foremost, touring promotion reaches a HUGE audience. By moving around the UK you will interact with thousands upon thousands of potential customers. Brand awareness and visibility will rise substantially from touring your promotion in multiple locations. The more people that hear about your brand the better!

2. It Brings Back Face-To-Face Marketing

The public is tired of being constantly advertised and lectured about products and services on the Internet. You can’t watch a YouTube video, TikTok, or even a Netflix show without being bombarded with adverts or obvious product placement. In-person marketing directly engages with people, instantly personalising it. The public is more likely to remember, and think positively about, an encounter with a real-life engaging person, than a scrollable advert.

3. Collect Public Feedback

Touring promotion allows businesses to test new products and services before they are officially launched. Feedback can be collected on the products, which can then be used to improve it before it is released to the mass market. Even feedback on existing products can help brands to understand their customer’s preferences, concerns and expectations. All of this is invaluable to businesses who want to actively improve their products, services, and customer relationships.

4. Cost-Effective

Taking one touring vehicle around the country means that you don’t have to re-purchase your promotional tools in each location or spend lots of money transporting them around the country. You have 1 multi-purpose vehicle that contains all that you need! After the initial set-up costs are taken care of, the day-to-day running costs of the campaign are relatively low. It is just the staff and distributing material (e.g. samples, leaflets) that will need to be paid for.

5. Market Expansion & Targeted Audiences

Touring promotion allows brands to explore new demographics or geographic areas. Different areas and demographics will likely respond differently to your brand, or require different promotional strategies. For example, one location may absolutely love one particular product, whilst another area may contain lots of families so more interactive promotional tools (such as games and competitions) are required. Trial and error during a touring promotional campaign will allow you to discover what works where.

Moreover, connecting with consumers in their communities fosters a sense of locality and can lead to more personalised interactions. It shows that your brand cares about the area.

6. Flexibility & Adaptability

As mentioned above, touring promotional activity allows for flexibility and changing priorities at different locations. Such promotion also allows brands to adapt their marketing based on market trends, events or other specific opportunities. For example, something as simple as the weather. If it is supposed to rain all day at the next planned location, then another drier location can be selected instead. Moreover, if there is a summer fete or community event taking place in one location, then you may be able to capitalise on its pre-existing crowds and good humour by altering your planned location, and moving nearer to the event. Consider local events and seasonal holidays when planning your activities.

7. Content Creation

Furthermore, touring/roadshow marketing provides lots of opportunities for content creation. From capturing on-the-road experiences to customer testimonials, brands can generate a variety of content for use in marketing campaigns and social media. Online content can further raise brand awareness, and get the public excited for when your promotional campaign reaches them! Despite me referencing the importance of in-person marketing earlier, online marketing should not be overlooked if it can be created so easily during a touring promotional campaign. Although less personal, social media campaigns can reach millions of consumers!

8. Cause A Buzz

The fact that touring events are only present in one location for a small amount of time can also be a huge advantage. People don’t want to miss out, and word-of-mouth about a pop-up roadshow means that people may rush to see you before you move on to your next location. 

Furthermore, to create an even larger buzz, consider handing out (or selling) exclusive products, and discount codes. People love rare products or sales, so offering limited amounts will likely increase traffic to your event.

9. Competitive Advantage

Not all businesses invest in this type of promotion so adopting this strategy can provide a competitive advantage. It allows a brand to stand out and differentiate itself from competitors in the market. It adds a personal touch by engaging with local audiences.

10. Networking Opportunities

Finally, touring events can attract local businesses, influencers, and media representatives. This creates networking opportunities that can lead to collaborations and partnerships, therefore further increasing brand exposure.

Touring Promotion Staff

There are 2 different ways of hiring touring staff:

1. Hire 1 team of staff to accompany the promotional campaign around the country. This will bring consistency and increasing experience to the promotion. A strong sense of teamwork will be also likely be created, and familiarity with the work which will result in a quicker set-up. However, having 1 roadshow team accompanying your campaign around the UK will lead to inevitable travel and accommodation costs for staff.

2. Or hire a different team of staff for each individual touring location. This will remove staff transport and accommodation costs and bring a fresh perspective to each promotional location. Hiring local staff who are familiar with the area may also enable promotion to be tailored to the specific local population, and customer rapports established quicker. However, a staff member will still be required to transport the touring promotional vehicle to the next location.

Both types of team have inevitable pros and cons, so you should consider both when planning a touring promotional campaign. But don’t worry, Push Promotions can help with either type of staff!

Push Promotions Touring Promotion Staff

We have a network of 3000 staff based around the entire UK so can provide experienced, engaging, and efficient staff anywhere you require. We hold regular interviews in major UK to keep our staff database up-to-date and varied across the country. Our staff have experience in nearly all industry types and promotional strategies. For example, product demonstrations, product sampling, data capture, mascot work, and more. We have worked on guerrilla marketing campaigns, experiential campaigns, pop-ups, in-store campaigns, and more. We have worked with some iconic brands in our 10+ years of business, such as, Netflix, Specsavers, Benefit Cosmetics, Duracell, and more. Click here to read about all of our previous work. Your promotion will thrive with Push’s excellent promotional staff.

Please contact us today for more information about or to hire our promotional staff. We offer free and competitive quotes online and over the phone.