NACDS Total Store Expo Fires Up Social Media Machine

PRESS RELEASE

Arlington, Va.

— The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo has launched a major social media campaign to maximize the event’s power to “Make Connections Happen.”

The social push aims to continue to attract new audiences — and thus new opportunities – to the event that proved successful for exhibitors and retailers alike in its first two years. The campaign also is geared to build the platform that companies can use to boost their visibility before and during the tradeshow and strategic exchange, which will be held August 22-25 in Denver, Colorado.

Introduced on NACDS-TV, NACDS’ campaign is utilizing Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to tell the story of what makes the NACDS Total Store Expo unique and truly game-changing for attendees. Already, representatives of retailer and exhibitor companies are signaling their interest — and their “likes.”

“This social media campaign is designed to leverage what’s truly important about this remarkable event. By far, the most important ingredient to the NACDS Total Store Expo’s success is the engagement of decision-makers across diverse functions within their companies, and across diverse segments of the industry. Also of importance is the total commitment to help attendees prepare thoroughly for the event — from their exhibit space to their meeting agendas and more,” said NACDS President and CEO, Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE.

“The content that we are featuring in this social media campaign adds value, because it showcases the tremendous resources available to help participants engage in the meeting with maximum effectiveness. It also will present opportunities to continue to bring in new companies, and to give returning and new companies an opportunity to achieve added visibility as they engage online as well as on-site.”

The impressive and influential attendance of the show and the attention paid to helping participants prepare has created tremendous momentum, with about 90 percent of post-event survey respondents in the past two years indicating that they plan to attend the next year’s event.

The new social media campaign guides audiences to the NACDS Total Store Expo website, which features robust content to help all attendees plan and execute. Once again, the event also will feature a mobile app — currently in development – that will offer essential and powerful resources.

On a related point, not only is NACDS employing social media in new ways to advance its renowned meetings; it also is fostering awareness of the latest trends in corporate digital marketing strategies. In 2014, NACDS and AT Kearney partnered on a “Winning with Digital” study and a follow-up report that have proved valuable to retailers and suppliers alike.

“One axiom of association leadership is that an association should reflect the industry it represents. This new social media campaign, and our member services on related issues, are case-in-point,” Anderson said.