Promotional model

A promotional model is a person hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with consumers. A promotional model can be female or male, and typically is attractive in physical appearance, and not only provides information to the consumer about the product or service, but makes it appealing to them in some way, enabling the consumer to identify with the product, service, or the company that offers it. While the length of interaction with the consumer may be short, the promotional model delivers a live experience that reflects on the product or service he or she is representing.

Even though this form of marketing touches fewer consumers per dollar spent than traditional advertising media (such as print, radio, and television) the consumer’s perception of a brand, product, service, or company, is often more profoundly affected by a live person-to-person experience. The influence of this type of marketing campaign on consumer’s purchasing habits tends to be more enduring as well. Promotional models often interact with many people per unit time so as to maximize quantitative influence on consumer demand. The responsibilities of the promotional model depend on the particular marketing campaign she or he is carrying out, and typically include but are not limited to the following:
# increasing product awareness
# creating an association in the consumer’s mind between the product or brand and a particular idea (natural beauty, classic heritage, edgy sex appeal, reliability)
# providing product information
# handing items to consumers, such as a sample of the product itself, a small gift, or printed information

Marketing campaigns that make use of Promotional Models may take place in stores or malls, at tradeshows, special events, clubs, or even at outdoor public spaces. They are often planned at high traffic locations to reach as many consumers as possible, or at venues at which a particular type of target consumer is expected to be present.

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Trade show model

Trade show models work a trade show floorspace or booth, and represent a company to attendees. Trade show models are typically not regular employees of the company, but are freelancers hired by the company renting the booth space. They are hired for several reasons. Trade Show Models make a company's booth more visibly distinguishable from the hundreds of other booths with which it competes for attendee attention. Also, Trade Show Models are articulate and quickly learn and explain or disseminate information on the company and its product and service, and can assist a company in handling a large number of attendees which the company might otherwise not have enough employees to accommodate, therefore increasing the number of sales or leads resulting from participation in the show. Trade show models can be skilled at drawing attendees into the booth, engaging them in conversation, and at spurring interest in the product, service, or company. Trade show models may be highly skilled at screening the mass of show attendees for target consumers or at obtaining attendee information so that they may be solicited after the show.Attire varies and depends on the nature of the show, and on the image the company would like to portray. They may wear a dress, or simple but flattering business attire. They sometimes wear wardrobe that is particular to the company, product, or service represented. The slang term 'booth babe' has occasionally been used to refer to a trade show model. The term focuses on physical appearance, or specifically on wardrobe, which, depending on the type of trade show, can be thematic or sexy. For example, at a builder's convention a model may be dressed as a construction worker with cut-offs, tight t-shirt, tool belt, and hard hat. Girls that work at a car show or similar event are often called 'car show girls', 'race queens', 'pit babes'.

Trade show models are sometimes subject to sexual harassment, especially if they are related to a male-oriented industry. In 2005, a man posing as a disabled person attended E3 in a wheelchair in order to grope the models and take upskirt photos, which he posted on the [HardOCP|General [M] ayhem] forums. [http://www.xxgamers.com/content/view/40/41/] This resulted in several exhibitors threatening legal action. In 2006, E3 "banned" booth babes by requiring them to adhere to a stricter dress code, [http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2006/01/25/booth-babes-banned-from-e3-2006] and some speculate that this was linked to the 2005 incident.

References

*cite news |first=Kombo.Com |url=http://wii.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6511&pg=2 |title=E3 Through the Eyes of a Booth Babe |accessdate=2008-02-09
*cite news |first=G4TV.Com |url=http://www.g4tv.com/g4archives/features/49/The_Hidden_Lives_of_Booth_Babes.html |title=The Hidden Lives of Booth Babes |accessdate=2008-02-09
*cite news |first=About.Com |url=http://nintendo.about.com/od/screenshots/ss/boothbabesasia_2.htm |title=The Girls of the Asia Game Show and DEE Asia 2005 |accessdate=2008-02-09
*cite news |first=GameCritics.Com |url=http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/report/e3expo2004_babes/page02.php |title=E3 2004 Report: Booth Babe Dialogues |accessdate=2008-02-09
*cite news |first=PRWeb.Com |url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/7/prweb1154384.htm |title=Gamer Promotional Models |accessdate=2008-08-22

External links

* [http://www.CharismaPlus2.com Charisma +2 Promotional Gamer Models]
* [http://www.trade-show-guide.com/articles/tradeshowmodels.html Using Trade Show Models Effectively]
* [http://www.310610.com/ autoshowevents : Southern California news and photos of the latest import tuner, lowrider, and sports compact events]
* [http://www.affinitymodels.com Affinity Models & Talent: Your National Promotional Promo Model Specialists]