Selecting the Right Event for Your Activation

When creating an experiential marketing plan, selecting the right events is a critical factor in the success of the activation, as well as the overall ROI for the program. Some brands are universally accepted and can therefore activate at virtually any kind of outing. These include Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, and General Motors. Other brands like KeVita, Subaru, or Razer electronics have a much more selective following. These niche brands need to be strategic in selecting the right events that represent their key customer demographics. Trade shows, conventions, and ethnic group cultural events are examples of targeted events, while art fairs, food and drink festivals, and sporting exhibitions are considered general public events.
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A NASCAR event might bring over 100,000 attendees over the weekend race, but it might not be a good fit for your brand to activate, A cool experience can certainly fill a footprint making it seem like thousands of people were interested in the promotion. However, if only a handful of those attendees end up converting into customers, that will not result in a positive ROI. That is unless the goal of the promotion is to purely increase brand awareness, like social media engagement, without a concern for driving sales.

When researching potential opportunities for your activations, try these tactics to get an understanding of what the event will be like:

• Google photos of the event from previous years
• Contact the event coordinator or public relations department to see press releases targeted for potential exhibitors
• Try to speak to people that have attended the event in the past
• Look to see what other vendors will be set-up at the event
• Follow the event on social media channels to see what consumers are saying/sharing

 

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