Want to win over a jaded audience at your next trade show?
"Appeal to the inner child," says marketing consultant Jill Amerie.
Amerie recounts a midnight film screening at this year's SXSW.
A house full of film journalists sat waiting for Keanu, an action-comedy about a kitten, to finally begin. The mood was sullen and bitter.
"Then something interesting happened," Amerie says.
"The comedic team of Key and Peele came on stage with a basket of toy kittens. They started throwing the stuffed animals into the audience, and suddenly, those tired, grouchy journalists were jumping to catch them like a bunch of bridesmaids going after the wedding bouquet.
"A lot of those kittens will end up going to the children of those attendees, but it’s a safe bet that a significant number of them will end up in their offices, too."
