Brand activations typically involve exclusive events that target the audience in-person. More than 79% of the businesses now operating in NYC are either using event marketing ideas or planning to use them soon. More than 67% of these businesses already claim that brand activation or experiential marketing strategies are working for them marvelously.
The statistics are in favour of experiential marketing and brand activation strategies. Over 98% of the participants have stated that they feel inclined to buy products from a brand after participating in their event. More than 74% have left these events with a better impression of the brand, and a glorious 70% have later gone on to become veteran customers of these brands.
Why do you need brand activation?
Today’s consumers make it extremely difficult to sway them or convert them. When they have been using a brand product for years, it is indeed challenging to get them to try a similar product from a new brand.
The only way to achieve that is by investing in brand activation strategies that not only inform and educate the consumers in questions but also appeal to them emotionally. New brands and even startups are exploring new ways to engage new consumers and extend a tangible bond.
Necessary questions every entrepreneur must ask before brand activation
To make your brand activation campaign a roaring success, you will need more than the typical banners and flyers. Here are a few questions that you should always ask yourself before setting up the brand activation idea –
- Where will your consumers use the products? Can you recreate the entire experience in your (pop-up) store?
- Can you convey the brand story, mission, and ideas to your consumers via an exclusive event?
- What are the USP of your products and business? How can you uphold the USP via branded storytelling?
- What do your consumers like more – outdoors, indoor chic, indoor rustic, minimalist setups, competitive quizzing, or sports?
- Do you have any ideas that can boost customer interaction on-spot?
To find the answers to these questions, you will have to delve deep inside your consumer demographics. If your marketing team is just as new as your brand, and you believe that they could use some expert help, why don’t you ask an experiential marketing agency for guidance? To learn more about successful brand activation campaigns, check out the concepts at Roots3 Productions brand activation.
What are the five ingredients of successful brand activation?
You might have some robust and time-tested plans for your activation campaign. So, why don’t we find out if it has all the five ingredients that can make it successful?
1. Don’t forget exclusivity
Every consumer wants to feel special. No brand has an unlimited budget for marketing, and we know that all too well. The biggest secret no experiential marketing agency will tell you is that the very essence of time limitation makes your brand campaign exclusive for each participant. Ensure that you convey the idea of a time-bound event to your consumers when you promote the event.
2. Always include customization
Exclusivity will take a back seat unless you embrace customization. Your storytelling will require customization of activities to be a big part of the event. You should target activities that educate, engage, and entice. These activities will build the base of the consumer-brand relationship you cherish.
3. Train your staff
What sort of brand experience is complete without the business staff? If necessary, train your staff to use the new tech the activation uses and teach them to collect user data. Involving your team from the first step of the activation planning will improve your brand penetration and ROI.
4. Tell a story
The millennial consumers need to hear a complete story that inspires or motivates them. Your brand story should have certain elements that draw consumer attention and command their interest. Now, holding the attention of the millennial buyer is a challenging task.
That is the very reason you need to be able to tell a grand story via your campaign and event. You can choose a real story from a fellow consumer, or you can turn the event into a storyteller that upholds the human side of the brand.
5. Include discovery
Telling your brand story can be in the form of an escape room, a quiz, or a treasure hunt. Let the participants discover bits and pieces of your brand’s storyline. The medium you pick will depend thoroughly upon the interests of the majority of your existing and potential consumers.
Always remember to pay attention to the demographics before you set up the stall. Brand activations do cost money in terms of rental, temporary setups, and new tech that you might need to execute your plans. No matter how minimal or extravagant your plans are, consulting an expert with enough experience and knowledge about activation strategies and brand experiences should help you make the maximum impact.
Apart from making the experience unique and a one-time deal, you must make them enthralling for each participant.
