3 tips for strategic marketing success at MIPIM

When Innesco sat down for its initial MIPIM planning meeting, a younger team member asked one of the senior management (who shall remain nameless) when they had first attended. After a bit of mental mathematics – and the realisation that they had listened to a recently-released Daft Punk album on their Discman (!) on the flight – they eventually settled on 1997 as their first trip to Cannes. It transpired this was a full five years before the questioner had been born.

If this shows the remarkable longevity of the conference (and the Innesco team), it also acts as a reminder of just how much things have changed in that time. MIPIM is a different beast, real estate a different world and marketing a different discipline altogether.

So, what does successful strategic marketing at MIPIM 2024 look like? It is a global forum, with an incredible potential audience, but one that companies need to actively engage with rather than passively hope to reach. In short, companies that put the most effort into it get the most out.

The range of potential marketing activities is boundless. There’s high-level brand awareness through billboards and advertising. Sponsorship of sessions helps to target a specific audience, perhaps with a voice on the panel too. Curated events give the opportunity to speak directly with key contacts, both old and new. A presence in the Palais des Festivals is essential for some. Media relations – be it for publication or broadcast during the event itself, or to connect with journalists from further afield – has a vital role to play. And let’s not forget the power of an old-fashioned PR stunt outside Caffé Roma (branded ice cream, anyone?).

The point is this: communicating and engaging with your desired audience at Cannes is unlikely to be a one-channel affair. It is those that can best assemble an overarching strategy – so that their brand and its capabilities are rarely far from their targets’ minds – that reap the best dividends.

Innesco’s experience, not only at MIPIM but with the real estate sector as a whole, leaves it uniquely well-placed to conceive, develop, refine and implement such strategies. As our MIPIM brochure shows, many of the industry’s leading names have turned to Innesco to help them achieve their aims in Cannes. From stand design to press conferences, and event management to personal introductions, our team draws on its experience, network and creative capabilities to deliver marketing activity that yields real results.

3 Tips for strategic marketing success at MIPIM

Capture more leads: To capture more leads at events you need to plan the customer journey from the moment they first encounter your brand to the moment they disengage weeks after they’ve flown home. Pre-event you should be thinking about how you can entice your audience to come and see you, think direct mail, social media and leveraging press. During the event you need to make it easy for your audience to find you – is your design striking? Does your message separate you from the rest? Is your event space activated, or dormant and hoping for the best? Finally, when your prospects are on the plane home – how are you going to keep them engaged? How do you want to be remembered, and how are you going to stay top of mind?

Cut through the noise: Think differently, be memorable. Recently Innesco attended one of the world’s largest real estate events – a labyrinth of screens and snacks sourced from the same supplier. At one end of the event was a stand covered in natural plants and draped in flowers – it gathered the most attention, because it was different, yet had the same product to sell. The lesson? You need to stand out from the crowd, but remain true to your brand identity. At Innesco we approach design differently, and our clients are instantly recognisable on the palais.

Meet the right people: Network, network, network. Make sure you have your plan in place of who you want to meet and where you want to go before you arrive at MIPIM this year. One bonus of working with Innesco is access to its own professional network and the ability its team has to open the doors that others simply can’t. Let us build you a better MIPIM and help you to speak to the world.

We have said before how MIPIM provides an opportunity to “Speak to the World”, and this mantra underpins everything Innesco does.

To find out how Innesco can realise your strategic marketing goals, get in touch with the team.