A promotional model (sometimes to as “Booth Babes”) is a person hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential consumers. A promotional model can be female or male, and typically is intended to be attractive in physical appearance. They serve to provide information about the product or service and make it appealing to consumers. While the length of interaction may be short, the promotional model delivers a live experience that reflects on the product or service he or she is representing.
This form of marketing touches fewer consumers for the cost than traditional advertising media (such as print, radio, and television); however the consumer’s perception of a brand, product, service, or company, is often more profoundly affected by a live person-to-person experience. The influence of this type of marketing may be more enduring as well. Promotional models often interact with many people at once to maximize quantitative influence on consumer demand. The responsibilities of the promotional model depend on the particular marketing campaign being carrying out, and may include:
- increasing product awareness
- providing product information
- creating an association in the consumer’s mind between the product or brand and a particular idea (natural beauty, classic heritage, edgy sex appeal, reliability)
- handing items to consumers, such as a sample of the product itself, a small gift, or printed information
Marketing campaigns that make use of promotional models may take place in stores or shopping malls, at tradeshows, special promotional events, clubs, or even at outdoor public spaces. They are often planned at high traffic locations to reach as many consumers as possible, or at venues at which a particular type of target consumer is expected to be present.
Changing social and business standards have resulted in a decrease in the use of promotional models in both the construction industry and automobile trade shows.
Spokesmodel
A spokesmodel is a spokesperson whose physical appearance contributes to brand equity.
Trade show model
Trade show models work a trade show floorspace or booth, and represent a company to attendees. Trade show models are typically not regular employees of the company, but are freelancers hired by the company renting the booth space. They are hired for several reasons. Trade show models make a company’s booth more visibly distinguishable from the hundreds of other booths with which it competes for attendee attention. Also, trade show models are articulate and quickly learn and explain or disseminate information on the company and its product and service, and can assist a company in handling a large number of attendees which the company might otherwise not have enough employees to accommodate, therefore increasing the number of sales or leads resulting from participation in the show. Trade show models can be skilled at drawing attendees into the booth, engaging them in conversation, and at spurring interest in the product, service, or company. Trade show models may be highly skilled at screening the mass of show attendees for target consumers or at obtaining attendee information so that they may be solicited after the show.
Attire varies and depends on the nature of the show, and on the image the company would like to portray. They may wear a dress, or simple but flattering business attire. They sometimes wear wardrobe that is particular to the company, product, or service represented. The slang term “booth babe” is often used to refer to a trade show model. The term focuses on physical appearance, or specifically on wardrobe, which, depending on the type of trade show, can be thematic or sexy. For example, at a builder’s convention a model may be dressed as a construction worker with cut-offs, tight t-shirt, tool belt, and hard hat. Girls that work at a car show or similar event are often called ‘car show girls’, ‘race queens’, ‘pit babes’ or in a non-colloquial term, paddock girls.
Convention model
A convention model is an assistant that works with a company’s sales representatives at a trade show exhibit. They are used to draw in attendees and provide them with basic information about product or services. Convention models may be used to distribute marketing materials or gather customer information for future promotions.