Welcome To Brandlandia
Northwest Promotional Marketing Association Pops The Top On Show Rebrand
When a pop culture phenomenon perfectly captures the character of a beloved community, sometimes you have no choice but to pay homage to the creative genius behind it. This is exactly what the team at Northwest Promotional Marketing Association did when they chose to rebrand their 2015 end-user show.
The quirky sketch comedy “Portlandia” served as the inspiration for NWPMA’s recent rebranding of its popular showcase, which was held in Portland, Oregon in March 2015. “The show characterizes people, places and situations particular to the Northwest,” says Reggie Gonzalez, NWPMA’s vice president and recognition board advocate, and vice president and national sales manager for iClick. “Featuring fun, outlandish but poignant topical information was our focal point.”
Enter Brandlandia, a land “where your brand will live forever,” says Gonzalez. “The creation became a fun and lively logo—a beer bottle label—with a gritty, distressed feel.” Brandlandia is the brainchild of Spring Showcase Board Advocate Kate Ivory, owner of GIDI Promotions, and the showcase committee.
The goal of the rebranding effort was to boost awareness of the regional association’s trade shows and create a brand image that the association could use for years to come, he says. “Members were invited to kick off the show with a networking party, the Brandlandia Beerfest, the evening prior to the show. It offered [members] a way to interact with fellow distributors and suppliers while enjoying all the local brewery favorites that Portland has to offer.”
Pre-show marketing aimed at NWPMA’s 350 members included use of the new logo and events whose names included ‘brand’ somewhere in the title. “This gave both exhibitors and attendees the idea that we can work hard and play hard at the same time,” Gonzalez says.
The NWMPA Board of Directors received branded wearables including t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts—all emblazoned with the new logo: “Brandlandia … put a brand on it.” During the beerfest, pub-style t-shirts in pilsner glasses were given to attendees along with branded wood beer tokens. Winners of the night’s beer trivia received branded growlers as well.
“The great energy carried onto the show floor the next day,” he says, “as attendees reminisced about the new and strengthened relationships that were developed at the party.” The Brandlandia theme was renewed for the association’s fall showcase in September, and NWMPA plans to continue its use in the future.
Gonzalez says the new branding and related promotional efforts created new awareness of the networking event and increased attendance by 20 percent over the previous year. “The additional goal of enhancing the fun and frivolous aspects created a successful atmosphere that should be the takeaway from any networking and trade-show launch.”
The rebranding earned NWPMA a 2016 PPAI Image Award for Regional Creative Achievement.