Promotional Inspiration

by Chu Jiwang

I felt like I was back in college during my stay at the triennial Bauma 2013 in Munich， Germany， an international trade fair for construction machinery， building material machines， mining machines， and construction vehicles and equipment.

As one of the worlds largest exhibitions of engineering machinery， Bauma 2013 showcased almost every imaginable state-of-the-art mechanical product related to construction and logistics transportation， drawing hundreds of thousands of representatives of producers from every corner of the planet. Every player came armed with promotional tools： written descriptions， performances， bands， and even parades that advertised while displaying different cultures.

To market products is to promote culture. To do business is to develop enterprise culture. This is what I ultimately took away from Bauma 2013.

During the exhibition， my company， Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co.， Ltd.， spent some 2 million yuan to showcase dozens of logistics products， the most noticeable of which was likely the CQD Reach Fork Lift Truck， towering 12 meters tall. Our commercials rolled on the screen. The gentle neon lights decorating our booth attracted many visitors.

I navigated the showroom floor， greatly inspired by what I saw elsewhere. I came upon a giant excavator as tall as a sixstory building. Its scoop could lift 3，000 tons of earth， but I couldnt lift my jaw off the floor. “This is a literal giant machine maker，” I gasped. “We still have a long way to go to catch up.”

When I approached the booth of one world-famous forklift producer， I was surprised to find three massive ice blocks. A sculptor appeared with tools in hand. It didnt take long for him to transform the ice into a sculpture of a forklift. Had they turned to selling ice sculptures？ Of course not. They wanted to tell consumers that they were creating art as much as producing forklifts – that they work as meticulously and aesthetically as artists. “Youll enjoy our craftsmanship when using our products，” was what I read between the lines.

To attract more attention， a large hoist company created an amusement park ride with a tall crane. A lengthy line quickly formed as groups of five took turns being lifted into the air. Fastened in with safety belts， participants were fixed to the crane jib， slowly lifted and spun 360 degrees.“This is exciting， novel， and attractive！” I couldnt help but think.

A stage was erected atop a huge bulldozer， where dozens of performers sang and danced to the accompaniment of a band. Did they want people to enjoy the show and notice how huge their machine is？ No. They were telling people： “Our machine is efficient and entertaining. Thats why we make it.”

Indeed. Any innovative design and production should kindle social progress and happiness.

Bauma 2013 attracted a great number of businessmen from all over the world， not only to reap the rewards of their efforts， but also to showcase their respective cultures. They gathered to display what they had manufactured for the market while promoting their enterprise cultures through various forms of advertising. The trade fair is where contrasting cultures are woven together.