LOOKBOOK 2022 [PUBS] [NOW] [CREATE] [CONSULT] [SPEAK] [STORYTELLING] [LAVNCH] Everything you need. One agency.
2 Welcome to our LOOKBOOK of talents and services for 2022. TALENTS rAVe [PUBS] LAVNCH rAVe [NOW] rAVe [CREATE] rAVe [STORYTELLING] rAVe [CONSULT] rAVe [SPEAK] 6 22 26 28 32 34 36 Kirsten Sharpe, Global Accounts Director +1.984.464.4194 | Kirsten@theraveagency.com Emily Dean, Marketing Director +1.704.942.1786 |Emily@theraveagency.com
3 We aren’t just a publication or an ad agency anymore. At the risk of sounding hackneyed, we are truly a one-stop-shop for anything creative for companies in the AV, UCC and Digital Signage markets. And, even with all the excitement we have about leaving both 2020 and 2021 behind, we join you in recognizing the uncertainty that 2022 brings us. Thus, I wanted to call your attention to THE rAVe VOW: A vow is a personal commitment of trust. And trust has always been part of the rAVe DNA. In these uncertain times, we’ve decided to state our VOW publicly to assure you that rAVe will always be a good steward of your investment in creativity with us. A show isn’t happening? You’re no longer able to launch a new product or service? Supply chain issues require a scheduling shift? Or, you just change your mind? We VOW always to do the right thing. THE rAVe VOW is that we have always, and will always, help you use your investment in us strategically, creatively and beneficially — maximizing your exposure and value. How? Simple: We have the industry’s largest social media presence — nearly three times that of #2. We produce the most engaging hybrid and virtual events featuring quality content and leads. And, we have access to 200,000+ people in AV, UCC and digital signage. This means consistently offering a creative solution to your every problem or need. We strive for your confidence in us and in your investment because we want to do right by you and your company - not most of the time - 100% of the time. We aim to always be good stewards of your money, so if you’re not satisfied and want your investment back, we will always honor that; it’s the right thing to do. And, we VOW to always do the right thing. Gary Kayye Co-founder & Director
4 WE ARE THE CREATIVE AV AGENCY THE rAVe Agency is proud to serve the global AV market as the industry’s first, and still the only, dedicated creative agency. Founded in 1998 by Gary Kayye as Kayye Consulting, the company expanded to add rAVe [Publications] in 2003, which is still the #1 trusted information source for things AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage.
5 [PUBS] [LAVNCH] Our flagship talent, rAVe [PUBS], has been around for as long as you can remember - in fact, we were the first digital publication in AV and Digital Signage, and we were in UCC before it was even called that. rAVe [PUBS] brings you timely, often-opinionated, alwaysrelevant news coverage of the AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage markets. THE rAVe Agency’s [LAVNCH] platform is, at its core, an education-focused, membership-only virtual experience designed to deliver qualified leads - leads that turn into sales. Customized to your event and branding needs, we can turn any in-person event into a hybrid experience that’s both digital and in-person. Everything inside LAVNCH is designed to boost your brand, engage your customer base, elevate thought leadership and generate leads. [CREATE] rAVe [CREATE] brings a new and creative twist to digital media and marketing efforts in the AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage industries. We don’t just place ads, run social media or design experiences. Yes, we do all of that, but at rAVe [CREATE] we also dream up big campaigns that draw attention and engagement from the audience you want to reach. We are a full-service creative agency that includes branding, product launch creation and complete marketing campaigns. OUR TALENTS The creative team at THE rAVe Agency has both the experience and the knowledge to help you launch and market your company, product or service to the techies known as #AVtweeps. Whether you’re partnering with us in editorial under [PUBS], hosting your own hybrid or virtual event using [LAVNCH], needing a visionary team with [CREATE], relying on us for PR or content marketing through [STORYTELLING], using us to manage all your social media or need a keynote speaker, we are here for you. We have everything creative you need to get the job done -- our people. [NOW] [CONSULT] rAVe [NOW] is THE rAVe Agency’s unique, comprehensive live event and trade show coverage. Our coverage is the best in the industry - over the past 10 years, we’ve shot over 32,000 videos at live events across the world - yes, 32,000+. rAVe [CONSULT] can help you understand the AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage industry’s unique challenges and provide the tools to be leaders within it - from product strategy to a product or company distribution plan. Team leaders Gary Kayye and Sara Abrons have 45+ years of combined experience in the AV industry. [STORYTELLING] Brands need strategic storytelling to set themselves apart in the market. rAVe [STORYTELLING] has the expertise to help build brand awareness and establish authentic, lasting relationships with your audience. [SPEAK] Gary Kayye is an award-winning keynote speaker who’s engaging, fun, energetic and always with a message tailored to your audience. With rAVe [SPEAK], Gary’s talks will educate, entertain and inspire.
6 rAVe [PUBS] THE #1 AV News Publication. Period. rAVe [PUBS] is the leading information source for the audiovisual industry. Since 2003, we have provided opinionated, timely content for our readers involved in commercial (ProAV), digital signage, UCC, education and residential (HomeAV) audiovisual trade industries. All content is hosted on our website, rAVePubs.com, and/or on our end-userfocused site, AV Buyers.Club. It is home to all of our editorial content including opinion columns, news articles, press releases, podcasts and videos. We have 11 newsletters in a range of verticals and for a variety of audiences. Each newsletter is sent two to four times per month and features valuable content from our editorial team and columnists. We have more social followers on more platforms than any other publication in AV. No other entity can reach systems designers or buyers on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram better than us.
7 [PUBS] BY THE NUMBERS Twitter 20K+ @rAVePubs Facebook 17K+ rAVe [PUBS] LinkedIn 86K+ rAVe [PUBS] AVIP Gary Kayye YouTube 21K+ rAVe [PUBS] Instagram 2K+ @rAVePubs Email 100K+ Total [PUBS] readers OUR PHILOSOPHY | SHARE-OF-VOICE ADVERTISING At rAVe [PUBS], we operate with a share-of-voice sponsorship philosophy. This means limited space for ads and branded content. You won’t find any pay-per-click or cost-per-impression pricing structures on our site because we don’t believe that is the most effective and honest way to sell advertisements. Instead of bombarding our readers with hundreds of banner ads or an abusive amount of emails, we show only a limited number of ads to our audience. We give our clients a “share in the voice” we have with our audience -- if there are four sponsors, each receives 25% of the advertising share. We believe this sponsorship structure facilitates a good relationship with our readers; we respect their digital space. It also creates a better partnership with our clients, who value the exclusivity of advertising with us. As the #1 AV news publication in the industry, we strive to only work with the best. Sure, we could sell more ads and add more advertisers, but we don’t. We keep ad and sponsorship inventory focused on adding value and not distracting from the content.
8 OUR READERS 40% Readers from North America 40% Readers from Europe, Middle East & Africa 20% Readers from the rest of the world
9 [BY THE NUMBERS] Our target audience for much of what we do is what we call “AV Insiders” — AV dealers, integrators, consultants, designers — they deal in the sale, specification, design and installation of audiovisual products. However, as the market has evolved, we know reaching end users (e.g., tech managers at universities and CIOs at corporations) who design systems or buy products directly have become more critical - so we have publications and special content just for them, too. 5% | manufacturers 75% 20% | end users of rAVe’s readership are “AV insiders” Estimated data as of August 2021
10 NEWSLETTERS rAVe produces 11 different newsletters targeted towards specific AV industry vertical markets or a specific audience. All newsletter content is also hosted on rAVePubs.com and/or our end-user-facing AV Buyers. Club website. As an all-digital publication, we don’t have an editorial calendar; we let our writers write about whatever they want, whenever they want. This allows us to deliver the most timely and insightful news to our readers in every issue. rAVe ProAV Edition rAVe DS [Digital Signage] For AV integrators, installers, designers, consultants and other AV insiders working in the ProAV commercial market. Features up-to-date product news and editorials from industry experts in technology in business, including rAVe founder, Gary Kayye. Sent four times per month. For dealers, consultants and end users navigating the profitable and unique digital signage market. Features up-to-date product news and opinionated commentary on the digital signage market. Sent twice per month. rAVe ED [Education] rAVe HomeAV Edition For integrators and dealers who sell equipment to and design systems for educational institutions in higher education and K-12, as well as technical end users who design for, buy products for and support AV/IT systems within educational systems. Published twice per month. For home AV integrators, designers, distributors and AV insiders working in the residential (HomeAV) market. Also features extensive coverage of CEDIA EXPO, CES and the residential side of ISE. Features up-to-date product news and editorials from industry subject matter experts. Published twice per month. rAVe Europe This EMEA-focused publication covers both ProAV and HomeAV systems integrators, distributors and systems designers.. Features relevant industry news, executive features, case studies and editorials. Published twice per month.
11 rAVe UCC [Unified Communications & Collaboration] Curated and written for integrators, dealers, distributors, manufacturers and systems designers who design, install and sell products or technologies for collaborative or conferencing spaces. Published twice per month. rAVe AV Buyers.Club rAVe’s publication specifically for end users, including end users such as technology managers in educational institutions or Fortune 500 companies, digital signage network operators, technology purchasers, IT and AV managers and more. rAVe HOW [House of Worship] For integrators and dealers who focus on the house-of-worship AV market. Features product news and content from industry influencers, and editorials from industry experts. Published twice per month. LAVNCH BLAST rAVe Rental [and Staging] rAVe’s monthly marketing-focused email blast – For AV integrators, installers, designers, consultants, LAVNCH event attendees and members. BLAST features new products releases, announcements, industry events and more. Published once per month. For integrators and dealers who work in the fastpaced AV rental, staging and live events market. Features up-to-date product news and content from industry subject matter experts such as Joel Rollins. Published twice per month. rAVe RADIO Features podcasts and video casts including Gary Kayye’s “Rants and rAVes,” Mark Coxon’s “Selling AV”, Alexis LaBroi’s “AV Talk”, and of course, Steph Beckett’s “Study with Steph” podcast about studying for and taking the CTS exam. Hosts offer advice, commentary and interview the industry’s most interesting people. rAVe RADIO also features show-related podcasts recorded on-site at events such as “The Trade Show Minute.” Published once per month.
12 NEWSLETTER OPPORTUNITIES Newsletter Sponsorship of rAVe email newsletters is the way to reach readers in a particular vertical market of the AV industry. We started with rAVe ProAV Edition in 2003 and have since expanded to include 10 additional newsletters. With each rAVe newsletter sponsorship, sponsors will receive a 300x250 graphic ad with a linked URL. Sponsors of rAVe ProAV Edition will receive one custom HTML email blast per month to the rAVe ProAV subscriber lists. rAVe ProAV Edition rAVe HomeAV Edition Newsletter rAVe DS [Digital Signage] rAVe UCC [Unified Communications & Collaboration] rAVe ED [Education] rAVe Rental [and Staging] rAVe HOW [House of Worship] AV Buyers.Club rAVe Europe rAVe RADIO LAVNCH BLAST # of Issues per Month 4 2 # of HTML Blasts per Month 1 / month 1 / month # of Issues / Month 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Add-on: rAVe newsletter sponsors have the option to purchase individual e-blasts to newsletter lists (except ProAV Edition and HomeAV Edition) for a discounted price. Price per Month $6,000 $3,000 Price per month $4,500 $2,500 $3,000 $2,500 $2,500 $3,500 $2,000 $3,000 $1,000 Max send: 1 / month Standard Contract Length (months) 12 3 Standard Contract Length (months) 6 3 6 3 3 3 12 6 1 Price: $2,500
CUSTOM E-BLAST OPPORTUNITIES rAVe ProAV Edition rAVe DS [Digital Signage] rAVe HomeAV Edition rAVe ED [Education] rAVe Rental [and Staging] rAVe HOW [House of Worship] rAVe UCC [Unified Communications & Collaboration] rAVe RADIO AV Buyers.Club $6,500 $4,500 REACH AV INDUSTRY DECISION-MAKERS Leverage rAVe’s loyal readership by sending your custom HTML email directly to the inbox of rAVe readers. Our lists are sorted by vertical industry market so you can be sure your targeted message reaches the right audience. We protect our lists and limit the number of email blasts available to ensure our readers do not receive too many emails and to make sure yours is seen (aka share-of-voice). If you need help designing your e-blast, the rAVe [CREATE] team can do it for you ($1,000 per email design).
14 WEBSITE AND BANNER ADVERTISEMENTS The rAVe [PUBS] website is everything you have come to know and love about rAVe. Delivering the best AV news and information, the #1 AV news publication. Period. Banner advertisements are a basic element of a brand-awareness campaign. All banner ads on rAVePubs.com and/or AV Buyers.Club meet IAB standards and are valued through a share-of-voice advertising model. Banner and mobile ads appear in the same placements on rAVePubs.com and/ or AV Buyers.Club web pages, and also on our home page, individual article pages, blogs, podcast posts and industry resource pages. Location Leaderboard rAVePubs.com Top medium rectangle rAVePubs.com Bottom medium rectangle rAVePubs.com Wide skyscraper rAVePubs.com Medium rectangle AV Buyers.Club THE rAVe app Format Size (px) Price per month Max # of Ads 728 x 90 300 x 250 300 x 250 300 x 600 300 x 250 720 x 1200* File formats accepted: .png, .jpg, .gif, HTML5 (no Flash files) *Minimum resolution accepted. Ad must contain 3:5 ratio $899 $450 $450 $699 $550 $550 8 OUR PHILOSOPHY = SOV 8 8 8 8 8 All sponsor ads are seen the same number of times, and ads will not get lost in the mix. We promise. At rAVe [PUBS], we operate with a share-of-voice advertising philosophy. If there are four advertisers, each advertiser receives 25% of the advertising weight.
15 SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING Our social media is followed by more AV insiders than any other trade publication in the industry. Leverage our social reach and promote your products and/or your brand to our dedicated online audience! AMBASSADOR Ideal for: Small announcements, event promotion, company news Includes: • Needs-analysis call • 5 Tweets • 2 LinkedIn posts • 2 Facebook posts • Performance report INFLUENCER Ideal for: Product launches, product promotion, service highlights and features, brand awareness, case studies, white papers Includes: • Needs-analysis call • 15 Tweets • 8 LinkedIn posts • 4 Facebook posts • 2 posts on Gary Kayye’s personal LinkedIn page • Paid social media campaign (managed by rAVe) Ideal timeline: One month $1,500 • Performance report Ideal timeline: Three months $5,500 Interested in more options? Let us build a custom social media marketing package for you. Contact: Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com EXECUTIVE Ideal for: Brand retention, product series campaign, product launches, content distribution, creative campaigns Includes: • Needs-analysis call • Custom social media marketing campaign designed by rAVe [CREATE] team • Paid social media campaign (managed by rAVe) • Graphic creation and support • Performance report Ideal timeline: Six months Starting at $10,000
16 PROMOTED CONTENT Highlight your brand, story, products and announcements on rAVePubs.com. We have always believed that the best marketing, especially in a technical industry like ours, is through education. Content marketing is a unique way to promote your products and establish your company/employees as thought leaders at the same time. And we have a channel of readers who prefer it to traditional banner ads. Promoted content is published on rAVePubs.com and/or AV Buyers.Club and are featured at the top of our homepage for at least one week. Sponsored content is marked as promoted and shared on the @rAVePubs Twitter account. Blogs • Podcasts • Videocasts • White Papers • Videos • Case Studies • Product News Increase the reach of your promoted content with additional social media and rAVe newsletter coverage: @rAVePubs will post about your story, podcast or video on our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and tag your company so that you can share it too. Your content will also be featured in at least one of our monthly newsletters. SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION LEVEL 1 | $750 2 tweets • 1 LinkedIn rAVe company post • 1 LinkedIn AVIP group post • 1 Facebook post • Feature in the promoted post section of a rAVe newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION LEVEL 2 | $1,500 3 tweets • 1 LinkedIn rAVe company posts • 1 LinkedIn AVIP group post • 1 LinkedIn post on Gary Kayye’s personal page • 1 Facebook post • Feature in a rAVe newsletter with a special graphic ad
17 Blog Posts Podcasts/Videocasts These blogs include articles posted on rAVePubs.com and can be “boosted” and promoted to the top of our news feed. Written by you: $1,000 Written by rAVe: $2,000 Podcasts posted on rAVe RADIO iTunes channel and rAVePubs.com Rants and rAVes: $2,000 LinkedIn Live Video Videos Broadcast video, LIVE, to Gary Kayye’s connections and rAVe’s followers One of the best and unique new offerings we have is our access to LinkedIn Live - only available to a few thousand members of LinkedIn. And, LinkedIn is the top B2B social platform, per Statistastia. LinkedIn Live allows us to broadcast video, LIVE, to anyone we choose to aim it. Through rAVe’s LinkedIn live access, you can increase the reach of your video interview, new product launch or product demo. Your video stream will be promoted beforehand on all rAVe social channels. When it goes live, push notifications will be delivered to Gary’s connections, as well as rAVe’s own followers. Once it’s completed, the recording will be uploaded to the rAVe [PUBS] YouTube channel as an archive. - Starting at $5,000 Videos posted on rAVePubs.com Product demo: $2,000 rAVe [NOW] video or your video: $1,000
18 PROMOTED CONTENT CONTINUED Includes: BLOGS $1,000 + $1,000 to promote on rAVePubs.com • Brainstorming of topic ideas and content planning • One 30-minute interview with subject matter expert • Word count: 400-800 • Creation of supporting graphics • Finished blog post with licensed images (provided by you, or found/created by us) CASE STUDIES Starting at $4,000 + $2,500 to promote on rAVe [PUBS] channels Includes: • Brainstorming of topic ideas and content planning • 30-minute interview each with up to three subject matter experts • Word count: 1,500+ • Client case study template design (designed with custom branding) • Final PDF for distribution and promotion WHITE PAPERS Starting at $4,000 + $2,500 to promote on rAVe [PUBS] channels Includes: • Brainstorming of topic ideas and content planning • 30-minute interview each with up to three subject matter experts • Word count: 1,500+ • Client case study template design (designed with custom branding) • Final PDF for distribution and promotion CONTENT CREATION To do effective content marketing, you have to start with great content that engages your target audience. Creating excellent content that positions products or a company a certain way while still educating and engaging a technical audience is tough, and many marketing departments are lacking the resources to do it well. Fortunately, rAVe can be an extension of your marketing department! We have the technical acumen and the content creation skills to produce whatever you need. Let our experienced copywriters, editors and designers produce blogs, case studies, white papers, even scripts for video ads. Services include: Ghostwriting of blogs White-labeled Content Interviews Design Services Email Marketing Position yourself as a thought leader by delivering engaging, educational content to the right audience.
19 SURVEYS - $8,100 Gain insights directly from designers and buyers in the AV industry, including those who are not yet your customers! Survey rAVe readers, collect leads and receive feedback on new products or technology through rAVe surveys. We’ll design a branded survey and promote it through a custom email blast and rAVe social media channels. We’ll even manage the incentive process for survey takers. You’ll receive the leads collected from the survey, including all their answers. Through rAVe surveys, we guarantee you at least 120 leads. WHITE PAPER / CASE STUDY PROMOTION - $2,500 Your case study or white paper will be published as a story on rAVePubs.com (promoted for at least one week), featured as an ad (designed by rAVe) in the appropriate corresponding rAVe newsletter vertical and promoted on rAVe social media channels. If your content is long, or protected by a lead registration wall, we will write a blog promoting it for publication instead of publishing the case study or white paper itself. Optional add-ons: Leverage rAVe’s email newsletter subscribers and promote your case study or white paper with a custom HTML email blast designed by rAVe. - $3,000 Place a lead wall in front of your content capture AV integrator and end-user leads. (Prices vary.) Interested in more options or ways to generate leads? Let us build a custom package for you. Contact: Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com
20 #avIRL Take your case studies to the next level. #avIRL Sponsorships include: • A 30-minute live case study with your partners discussing an install (a realtime panel discussion moderated by Gary Kayye) Case studies are a great way to demonstrate how specific problems have been solved with technology solutions and designs. But what about the real-life experiences that don’t make it to the paper that happen behind-the-scenes during the install process? That’s where the real learning experience is, right? We thought there was a way to take case studies to the next level, making it a more custom experience for the audience. So we’ve decided to introduce #avIRL (AV in Real Life). Have a project that would be great for presenting a LIVE case study to the rAVe and LAVNCH audience? Host an #avIRL session to demo your recent project to an influential audience of potential buyers, where they can ask questions and have conversations directly with the designers and installers. For #avIRL, you get to promote your special case studies and installs - here’s how: • We will promote your #avIRL to the entire rAVe audience and LAVNCH Community. We will feature your integration partner, prominently, as well as your customer via live panel discussion • #avIRL can include both photography and video footage of the install • We can even host your rack as-builts and elevation drawings to show your expertise • We’ll leave it on LAVNCH as a living case study for you to refer back to and share with other potential clients #avIRL sessions are hosted on the LAVNCH platform. • Live audience polling (4-6 questions) and Q&A during your session • Dedicated landing page with video content, photos and downloadable assets, one-on-one and group networking with attendees in text, audio or video form) • Custom dynamic session banner (designed by THE rAVe Agency) • Promotion to the LAVNCH Community of members and a qualified registered attendee list, upon completion • Individual product videos highlighted in a virtual video library that live on the #avIRL page Starting at $10,000
21 THE rAVe App THE rAVe App not only aggregates ALL our news from each publication, but it also allows users to use a single app on their iOS devices to catch up on the latest from rAVe [PUBS], LAVNCH, [NOW] covered trade shows and read all the content from the BlogSquad. Now, with version 7, we’ve added LAVNCH CREW -- the ultimate networking interface for everyone in AV/IT, UCC or Digital Signage. Think of it as the Slack of AV - reach out and text, call or carry out an ad-hoc video meeting with anyone in the industry. THE rAVe App now also includes the ability to advertise your latest product launch or event, new service or technology (or even just your trade show presence) with the 720x1200-pixel take-over ad that’s seen by all users, every day. Push notifications are also available in limited quantities. Contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com to learn more. OUR PHILOSOPHY = SOV Location THE rAVe App Format Size (px) Price per month Max # of Ads 720 x 1200* File formats accepted: .png, .jpg, .gif, HTML5 (no Flash files) *Minimum resolution accepted. Ad must contain 3:5 ratio $550 8 At rAVe, we operate with a share-of-voice advertising philosophy. If there are four advertisers, each advertiser receives 25% of the advertising weight. All sponsor ads are seen the same number of times, and ads will not get lost in the mix.
22 LAVNCH EVENTS Join an upcoming LAVNCH Event to showcase your new products, present your company as a thought-leader and collect qualified AV leads. Designed to offer educational sessions, highlight new or recently released products, facilitate industry discussions led by subject matter experts and create a space for virtual networking, LAVNCH offers the AV industry’s leading virtual education events -- come be a part of it! Packages will be available as events are scheduled. Contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com to learn more. Present your company as a thought-leader and collect qualified AV leads. rAVe LAVNCH Activities With each event, we have offered educational content from top industry speakers and launches of the industry’s most anticipated new products. To help further qualify attendees, each day is themed, typically based on market verticals. By sponsoring one of the themed days, you have the opportunity to present your content to the audience you want most and collect the qualified leads of the attendees. 50+ 30+ LAVNCH events annually LAVNCH partner event opportunities annually 75+% average engagement rate 60+% average show-up rate 25K+ LAVNCH Community Members
23 LAVNCH EVENTS INCLUDE: Live-streamed or hybrid-based events platform Education from the industry’s best speakers and subject matter experts Qualified lead generation through attendee engagement Product premieres Brand exposure Interactive audience participation Thoughtleadership opportunities Ask about our upcoming series of thought-leadership LAVNCH & LEARN events hosted by rAVe [PUBS]. We have opportunities for thought leadership, product introductions and more! Sponsor one of our coordinated events or host your own LAVNCH & LEARN! STARTING AT $6,500
24 rAVe rePLAY We all love that post-event high. You’ve met with customers and prospects, you’re exhilarated about new products and technologies... but what comes next, and how do you continue that engagement? rAVe rePLAY solves that problem. Whether it’s a major tradeshow like InfoComm or a year-end wrap-up, rAVe rePLAY will be a three-to-four day event where our team will go over the highlights attendees and non-attendees may have missed. Sponsorship packages will be available as rePLAY events are scheduled. Contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com to learn more.
25 We love the AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage industries. We love -- no, we’re obsessed -- with everything that happens in our tech community -- new product release, M&A news, inspiring case studies, champions of best practice, education, certification, all of it. We can (and do) nerd out all day about all these things and we are proud of the team we’ve assembled. We know we are the best team to curate an experience for you that recaps the tradeshow season -- new products, key takeaways, trends,analysis and as always, opinions. But this is not a one-way conversation! rePLAY is produced by LAVNCH, ensuring you are part of the discussion and connected with your peers in the industry. New products Key takeaways Thought leadership Trends Analysis rePLAY is produced by LAVNCH, ensuring you are part of the discussion and connected with your peers in the industry.
26 rAVe [NOW] Go Hybrid With Your In-Person Event A 365-Day Digital Experience Would you love to make the most of your investment in your one-, two- or three-day in-person event and turn it into a virtual experience that lasts 365 days? Well, that’s exactly what THE rAVe Agency does with the rAVe [NOW] talent. For more than a decade, rAVe [NOW] has been converting three- and four-day, in-person shows such as ISE, UBTech, InfoComm and CEDIA Expo into living, digital, year-round experiences. We’ve helped organizations like Almo Pro A/V (E4 Experience), AVI Systems (AVI Live), LG (the LG Roadshow), SYNNEX (VisualSolv), Integrate, Epson, Sharp NEC Display and a dozen others turn their regional, inperson events into hybrid or virtual experiences since 2013. And [NOW], we want to do it at your event.
27 Product Videos We bring a team of reporters to your show and shoot product videos at every booth or stand on the show floor, resulting in hundreds of videos and a virtual library of what was on display by the show’s end. Unique Email Marketing We can create email blasts for your show or event and send them to rAVe readers to increase awareness, signups and attendance. This is a very effective way to reach all rAVe readers and complement our extensive social media reach. We will send your HTML designs, or we can design it for you. Social Media Coverage We’re on every platform, all the time. rAVe’s social coverage sets us apart from other publications in the AV industry. Reach a new digital audience and receive the best traffic before, during and after your event. Podcasting and Videocasting Promote your presence at shows through podcasts and videocasts with our co-founder, Gary Kayye, or other rAVe podcast hosts. We also podcast live from trade shows as a part of our “The Trade Show Minute” podcast series, which can drive traffic to your booth or help extend your messaging well after you pack up your booth. Blogs and Articles Our editorial team writes blog posts and news articles to cover newsworthy events, company product releases, industry news and more. Our long-form content drives traffic to your event’s microsite. Online Opportunities If you prefer a more traditional online advertising experience, we offer banner ads, we’ll help you increase traffic to your company website or event microsite. It works nicely with some of our more out-of-the-box options. Moving to a virtual experience? Check out our LAVNCH services in the LAVNCH book. We provide our clients and readers with comprehensive coverage of the show floor, using every social network and digital medium available. Our team helps you build a full-scale media plan to cover your event, and we will see it through to the end. Through planning, strategy, implementation and execution, we will transfer your event to the online world and help expand its reach to a larger, more diverse digital audience. Starting at $10,000
28 rAVe [CREATE] THE ONLY Creative Agency in AV. Period. AV brands need fresh, creative ideas to help them stand out in a technical, mostly spec-focused industry. rAVe [CREATE] gives you the tools to reach your target audience and share your brand’s story. Services include: Social media management Content marketing Webinar development Experiential marketing VR for AV SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT Reach your target audience, share your brand’s story with unique, personalized and creative campaigns. We manage the social media accounts of some of the most popular brands in AV, but you’d never know it. We help brands create a social voice and tone that’s unique to their company and their audience while still being consistent with their overall marketing strategy. If you want to grow your followers, expand your reach and increase engagement --or you just feel your resources are spread thin and you’d be thrilled to outsource your social media to a team that’s already immersed in the industry let us do it for you. Examples: Social media management, strategy, paid campaigns, analysis and audits
29 CONTENT MARKETING WEBINAR DEVELOPMENT Great content is a vital tool in your marketing strategy. Our team will customize all the messaging around your brand or product in a way that generates qualified leads. For example, we can create a white paper or educational guide -- not one filled with jargony marketing speak but one that is truly educational and timely -- and help you deliver it to your audience with a custom distribution strategy, all while generating qualified leads and, ultimately, customers. EXAMPLES: White paper / case study writing, blog writing, content curation, social media content creation Reach a wider audience, generate qualified leads and educate the AV industry with a custom webinar designed specially for your brand. Our [CREATE] team will outline a comprehensive webinar strategy including: content creation, promotion, follow-ups and how-to guides. We also offer our LAVNCH & LEARN service, a turn-key, webinar management service to help with marketing initiatives. More about LAVNCH & LEARNs is on page 21. EXAMPLES: Webinar management, content creation, webinar moderating, webinar promotion, white-label services EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING VR FOR AV Live event experiences and participation engages and entertains, increasing brand loyalty and creating excitement around a campaign. Our experiential marketing team is the best in the industry; we’re well-known for THE GAME at trade shows such as InfoComm and ISE. If you’re interested in designing your own experiential marketing campaign to engage your audience, we can help. We can also help with hybrid events and hybrid experiential marketing! EXAMPLES: Event marketing strategy, event management, launch strategy, communication strategy, gamification, hybrid events Take the lead in innovation and B2B customer experience by turning your fixed installs into living case studies. Our platform-agnostic VR solution works on every VR platform and web browser. Our team will create a VR experience of your install, case study, event or trade show booth and show you how to use the experience to engage with the audience and capture qualified leads. EXAMPLES: Launch plans, VR case studies, custom VR experiences, VR trade show booth recreations
30 VR FOR AV CASE STUDIES Take your case studies into the future by creating a virtual reality tour of your installs. We can include embedded video interviews with your engineers and/or designers, links to specs or other collateral, videos of products used in the room, contact information and other media to engage your audience in a way that’s almost as good as being there in person. See examples of our VR case studies at THErAVeAgency.com/VR With rAVe [VR]’s platform-agnostic B2B solution, we can turn your installations into living case studies. Instead of having your potential clients read about installs you’ve done, you can actually show them — and they can see it using a VR headset or via a web browser on a desktop, laptop or mobile phone. rAVe [VR] takes care of everything, from embedding product videos from our library of 30,000+ videos to teleporting the client to your website. Impress your customers and give them an experience unlike anything they’ve seen before. TRADE SHOW BOOTHS/EXPERIENCE CENTERS Contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com for a custom quote. Take your analog trade show booth, open only to customers for a few days at a time, and turn it into an immersive experience that’s accessible all year round. We’ll capture your booth experience with our 3D technology equipment and turn the footage into a 3D exhibit that can be viewed via any VR headset or on a website (even on mobile). It’s the next best thing to being there in person. Best of all, it can generate leads for you all year long. We can do the same for your experience centers, too!
For more information and a custom VR quote, please contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com.
32 rAVe [STORYTELLING] Build Brand Awareness Reach Your Audience rAVe [STORYTELLING] can truly set a brand apart from all the others. Yes, we do traditional PR stuff -- we build relationships with journalists and industry influencers; we can manage trade show media appointments; we write press releases and case studies and blog posts. But it’s so much more than that. We use storytelling to build authentic relationships with any audience -- dealers, employees, press, end users -- so they really get what your brand is about. We build much more than awareness; we build trust and credibility. Establish Authentic Relationships Strategic Communications and Content Development We’ll work with you to establish objectives, key messages and target audiences to develop a road map for communication. We’ll remove the sales and marketing jargon and get your message out through good storytelling that aligns with your marketing strategy; we’ll create a voice for your brand that builds your relationships on a foundation of trust and credibility. Employee Relations Your employees are some of your biggest assets. Build excellent relationships with them so they can serve as ambassadors for your brand. We’ll research, conduct surveys and evaluate programs with the goal of turning all employees into stewards of your brand. THE #1 Strategic Partner to Help Build Your Brand. Period.
33 Industry Liaison Services Our network connects your brand with the people and companies you want to meet in the AV/IT, UCC and Digital Signage spaces. We’ll support your event coordination and logistics, lead management and promotional marketing to help you deliver the right message to your audience before, during and after an event. Crisis Management One of a brand’s most valuable assets is its reputation. And although no one wants to think about it, the best time to establish a crisis management strategy is before there’s a crisis. Our crisis management services can assist in anticipating threats and seizing opportunities to prevent crises. We can also help design a communications strategy for difficult business choices, such as company sales or layoffs, or react quickly to unexpected crises as soon as they happen, deploying strategic public relations responses quickly. Media Relations Even the best story won’t land media coverage without the work that comes before the pitch, both in preparation for contacting the media and afterward, to maintain relationships with them. Good press relations isn’t just about blasting out releases and hoping they’ll get picked up -- it’s about understanding the needs of the editors, the tone and coverage style of the publications, what’s important to them and how we, as storytellers, can make their lives easier. We do that better than anyone else and can use it to help you extend the reach of your brand. Dealer and Distributor Relations Engaging your customers through experience marketing, gamification and personalized events expands your network, strengthens your industry relationships and builds brand loyalty. We will develop a strategy for customized programs and events, including headquarter tours, trade show networking and social activities to engage your audience and increase your ROI. Community Relations Position your company as a strong corporate citizen and socially-responsible business by taking an active interest in the well-being of your community. We’ll work with you to establish programs that get your employees, executives and larger network involved in the communities you most wish to support, whether that’s part of the industry, your local area or something else.
34 rAVe [CONSULT] THE #1 Creative Consulting Agency in AV. Period. With more than 45 years of combined experience in the AV industry and in communications, branding and marketing, we know what we’re talking about. Our wide-ranging expertise can help you uncover valuable insights to elevate your business. Whether you’re facing specific market challenges or you’re wondering what more you can do to connect with your clients and buyers, our team can help. We’re here to enable you to learn, grow and take the path forward. Distribution Strategy Product Development Market Analysis Branding Marketing Strategy For more information, please contact Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com
35 DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY The AV industry is complex. Wondering whether you should go through dealers or distributors? Need to figure out how to get your products in front of the best VARs? Perhaps you need help figuring out the best strategy for selling direct. We’ll help you navigate your options and select the best partners to collaborate with to achieve your goals. MARKET ANALYSIS We’ve been working in the AV industry for decades. We’ve been through the analog sunset and AV/IT convergence, and we’ve seen countless technologies and standards. We know the ProAV market inside out, including all the players with the best and most up-to-date information. We’re not a traditional market research firm, but we DO know the ProAV market better than anyone else. Whether it’s an answer to a difficult question or a comprehensive market report, we can get you what you need. MARKETING STRATEGY The foundation of every great campaign is research and strategy. If you feel like you’re just throwing money at getting your logo or products seen, engage our strategists to work on a clear and effective plan. We’ll use research, combined with our industry knowledge and creative expertise, to produce clear insights and recommendations, as well as effective plans and strategy briefs. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT We’ve helped design and create the market strategy for some of the biggest names in AV — Crestron, Sony, Extron, HP, Da-Lite and others. Looking for new applications for an existing product? Not sure whether to go a particular route with a design? Want to find out what it takes to enter a product category you’ve never been in before or reach a vertical market you’ve never approached? We can help. BRANDING The core of every successful campaign is a clear message. We’ve helped some of the biggest brands in AV build and execute programs including product launches; company rebrands; trade shows, roadshows and events;and traditional advertising campaigns. We’ll help you position the brand of your organization, event, product or person so you can effectively reach and engage your target audience. Let our team help you build your foundation with our branding (and rebranding) services.
36 rAVe [SPEAK] Get ready for a speaking event you’ll never forget! Our co-founder Gary Kayye is an award-winning keynote speaker and he will bring his years of industry experience and marketing prowess to your next event or company meeting, whether in-person or virtual. His accessible talks will educate, entertain and inspire your audience. Gary has engaged audiences and taught classes all over the world for more than 30 years. His entertaining and approachable speaking style has earned him numerous speaking distinctions, including the InfoComm Educator of the Year and NSCA Instructor of the Year awards. He’s consistently rated as the top presenter, by attendees, at events like InfoComm, ISE, Almo ProAV, AVI Systems and Integrate, for good reason. Gary teaches new media, advertising and branding in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he has won the Adjunct Professor of the Year award and has wait lists for his classes every semester. Gary is recognized as an expert in marketing, personal branding, social media and new media, particularly as it applies to B2B technology markets. He’s available for hosting whole events, as well as keynotes, classes and panel discussions, through in-person, virtual and hybrid events. Available for keynotes, general sessions, education classes and seminars, panel discussions, virtual and hybrid events. KEYNOTE SPEAKER EDUCATOR MARKETER Speaking and promotional packages are custom designed based on the event. For booking information, please contact Gary@THErAVeAgency.com
Kirsten Sharpe, Global Accounts Director +1.984.464.4194 | Kirsten@THErAVeAgency.com Emily Dean, Marketing Director +1.704.942.1786 |Emily@THErAVeAgency.com Published October 2021 THE rAVe Agency 1011 S. Hamilton Rd. Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 Email: info@THErAVeAgency.com | web: THErAVeAgency.com
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