At Spaulding Communications, we work with manufacturers to turn moments of visibility into moments of impact. As brands gear up for a busy trade show season, Agency President and Founder Matt Spaulding shared the following LinkedIn post, offering a straightforward storytelling framework manufacturers can use to make new product introductions more engaging, memorable, and meaningful.

Storytelling. It’s a big buzz word among marketers. But sometimes, we make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Research shows that storytelling is a highly effective communication technique. Good stories engender trust, engagement and empathy. 🤝 They can also be highly memorable. We remember a good story over a list of facts.

With so many trade shows coming up — The International Surface Event (TISE), AHR Expo, KBIS – this is a great time for brands and their subject matter experts to ramp up their storytelling. 💬

Do you work for a manufacturer that is introducing a new product at one of these shows? Perhaps you’re a marketer or a product development pro? Here’s how you can do some nice storytelling. 🎯

First, it’s important to remember that every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end – as well as conflict and resolution. Your new product introduction likely contains all of these elements. For example:

1. Your Beginning:

Describe the “why” and the market need for the product

2. Your Middle:

Describe the iterations and stages of the product’s development

3. Your Conflict:

Describe the challenges you faced as you went through the journey

4. Your Resolution:

Describe the finished product, why it matters & how it will help customers

5. Bonus:

Was there a protagonist (perhaps a customer?) who championed the product to completion? Include this person and their role. 

Package this up into a 2-3 minute story. Share it when editors and customers come by your booth. This will be more memorable than simply listing off the product’s features and benefits. (Note: Your press release should have all that information anyway.) 

Storytelling is not complicated. It just requires some good thinking.

Here’s to more and better storytelling in 2026. 💡

Let’s Get Started!

Great trade show marketing doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built with intention. If you’re looking for a partner to help clarify your story, engage the right audiences, and make your next trade show work harder for your brand, Spaulding Communications is here to help. Reach out to learn more.

Let’s keep the conversation going by leaving a comment below. Be sure to follow Spaulding Communications on social media. Or sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest industry happenings.