Stand out exhibition presence? Sorted!

Or how we enabled Stericycle to build a differentiated approach to sponsorship with gamified, on-brand experiences.

How to be the most exciting people in the room

Event sponsorship. It’s all about making a good impression. The thing is, we helped Stericycle make SUCH a memorable impression at the annual Waste Management Conference the first time, that when the next one rolled around… Stericycle had to up the ante. They strongly suspected that their competitors would have seen their fresh video content, their thoughtfully branded seed cards, and try to follow suit. So we got our heads together, and asked ourselves, “How do we beat Stericycle’s most successful event yet?!”.

Step one: co-create this year’s brief with Stericycle. We looked at how we could maximise their ROI from the sponsorship, making sure that every touchpoint with them was unforgettable. We agreed that it had to be a departure from the traditional tactics, and any assets created needed to serve similar events down the line. That’s when we suggested Stericycle try their very first gamified brand experience. And they were very excited to explore how it could work.

We had the most popular stand in the room, with a lot of buzz and interest in the game.

Louise Peer – Senior Marketing Manager, Stericycle

Experiences they’ll never forget

Come event time, we’d created a united set of messaging that spanned from pre-event comms all the way to awards evening wonders. La pièce de résistance? Two unique brand experiences, ready to steal the spotlight.

The first was a high-energy, prize-winning waste sorting game that lured NHS customers over to the stand. Fast, fun and deliciously on-brand, this experience gamified a core part of their audience’s battle (correct waste segregation). Players threw a variety of medical waste types into different coloured bins, which mirrored the swift decisions that clinicians would need to make when disposing of waste in real life. When time was up, the built-in scoring mechanism encouraged potential customers to enter their details.

In the evening, we delighted award nominees with a unique AR experience. Designed to cement Stericycle’s eco-credentials, these wallet-friendly, NFC-embedded cards greeted guests at their table. When scanned with a phone, they revealed a 3D AR surprise that showcased Stericycle’s new electric vehicle fleet, wished the nominees good luck, and directed them to their website. Meanwhile, the card’s built-in analytics allowed us to track the number of times that the experience had been activated, as well as the click-through rate to the site.

Messaging that inspired from dawn til dusk. A pocket-sized takeaway which could be scanned both during and after the event. A game so fun that even competitors couldn’t resist having a go. Stericycle’s sponsorship attendance successfully thrilled from top to toe. Now these assets continue to thrive at other lead-generating events. The only exciting question now is, “How do we top that one, then?”.

More than an AR experience, it’s a greater thing that was brilliantly executed and got the interest needed to steal the limelight. I love it!

Gavin Davis – Director, Int. PR and Marketing Communications, Stericycle.