Virtual Systems

Virtual Systems is an MIS software developer specific to the printing industry. MediaShare was originally hired to manage its biggest annual tradeshow, Graph Expo. But we had a bigger vision. VS was launching a new product, Midnight, and wanted to make an impression. The challenge was to make a $2 million company look like a big fish in a big pond.

That’s where we came in: The challenge was launching a new product for a company who always went to market as a collection of products – never a single brand. There was no strength in that concept: it was as if Ford took the badge off of its vehicles and just had 20 smaller brands out there, each on its own.

While each of VS’s products were leaders in their categories, no one had ever heard of Virtual Systems – a company so deep and solid, that its story had to be told. So instead of just launching their new Midnight product, we launched the Virtual Systems brand and its four products as singular offerings. We created marketing materials that led with the VS brand, telling the story and showing the engine behind each of its products. Then, we physically launched the brand at the biggest Printing Industry tradeshow in the US, GraphExpo. We took their traditional 10×10 floor space with a table top display, and turned it into a 20×30 tradeshow bonanza. During the two-month run-up to the show, we led customers and prospects to the both, slowly dripping information about Midnight. By the time the show opened, we actually had a line for people waiting to see the new product. With two conference rooms and a lounge (and some cool software), the booth become a hub for the Virtual Systems brand, to market its existing products and to launch Midnight.

So…our goal was to create buzz, and buzz we created! We then hosted a client and prospect party at The Roof on top of the Wit hotel. The party actually became an industry hit, and one we continued to run for years, changing venues and themes. Sales from the show were up 14% from previous years. Midnight, through our PR efforts, won an industry award. We went on to handle the entire marketing landscape for Virtual Systems including social media, its entire tradeshow schedule, advertising and public relations.