Case History

A Virtual Solution to the Costs of Tradeshows and Conventions

 

Situation

ON24 Inc., the world leader in webcasting, wanted to expand into the Virtual Show market. Virtual Shows are online tradeshows and conventions where participants can watch live or recorded videos, network with each other, and see demonstrations—all in environments that can be customized to look like anyplace on the planet. The challenge was educating the media and potential customers about the need for this solution and proving that ON24 was best suited for the job.

 

Objectives

  • Educate the media about the uses of Virtual Shows
  • Place case studies of Virtual Shows in local, national, and vertical business publications to illustrate how Virtual Shows are cost effective and convenient
  • Establish ON24 as the leader in Virtual Shows

 

Special Connections

  • We successfully positioned ON24’s introduction of Virtual Shows as tool to fight the recession.
  • We conceived and executed special industry surveys in the US and Europe to determine how business leaders would use virtual shows and why they would actually prefer them over their physical counterparts.
  • We created a strategy where each Virtual Show became a news event – from finding the right media to “break” the story to following up with the appropriate case study.
  • We worked with ON24 to create and draft thought leadership bylines in publications read by the leaders of the Virtual Show industry.
  • Over 9 months, we worked with CNN and ON24 to record a segment on Virtual Shows, teaching the staff of ON24 television presenting skills and working with ON24 artists to present the best materials to the most respected name in news.
  • We then used the same drill for NBC and ABC reports.
  • We worked with ON24 to launch additional Virtual Show products, like the Virtual Learning Center and the Virtual Sales Kick-Off.

 

Results

  • When ON24 debuted Virtual Shows in 2008 they sold 50 shows
  • In 2009 ON24 sold 300 shows – a 600% growth!
  • ON24 has experienced an average growth of 30% per year
  • 185 news outlets have covered ON24, including:
  • USA Today
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Associated Press
  • Forbes
  • Financial Times
  • CNN
  • NBC
  • ABC
  • San Francisco Business Times
  • San Francisco Chronicle
  • San Jose Mercury News