Applicability of Mobile Marketing in the Marketing Mix of Trade Fair Organizers

Master's Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Business economics - Marketing, Corporate Communication, CRM, Market Research, Social Media, grade: 1,3, Cologne Business School Köln (Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften), language: English, abstract: Executive Summary§Trade fair organizers face an intensified inter and intra industry competition and increasing customer requirements towards efficiency and convenience of the trade fair events. In order to stay competitive trade fair companies have to integrate new market oriented marketing measures to improve their customer§communication, extend their service portfolio and thusly satisfy the customer needs. In this context the applicability of mobile marketing in the marketing mix of trade fair organizers was researched in this thesis. It was asserted that mobile marketing is a significant global trend with enormous growth potential as far more people can be reached via the mobile channel than via any other marketing medium. Thereby, mobile marketing is not limited to its communication function but it is understood more comprehensively as the activity, set of institutions, and rocesses for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and the society at large. The mobile channel offers unique haracteristics that distinguish it from other channels and allow a targeted customer communication. However, there are limitations to mobile marketing that were described within a general framework consisting of technological, legal, customer, organizational and economical aspects. Along this framework the main strategic approaches the push and pull approach were identified. In the following trade fairs and its function, its economy, and participants were introduced. The focus was put on the trade fair organizer as well as on the two most important customer groups, the exhibitors and visitors. Since the applicability of mobile marketing depends on these groups the structure, goals and needs were analyzed thoroughly. It was shown that the success of the event depends on the ability of the trade fair organizer to satisfy the needs of both customer groups simultaneously as they are mutually dependent. Thereby it is important to acquire the right quantity and quality of exhibitors and visitors and provide them with sufficient information before the event as basis for their participation decision. During the event the trade fair organizer must provide a broad service portfolio to support both customer groups to reach their trade fair goals in an efficient manner. After the trade fair tools for customer retention needs to be employed to keep contact with the customers between the events...