Event marketing has really picked up over the last five years. It is now something even smaller companies need to consider. Some people will call this experiential marketing and they have the same principal. Create something fun and engaging for current and potential consumers to experience associated with your brand.
People who have been working in marketing for years are still not considering the impact an event marketing approach can have. I ask why not? Could it be they have been doing the same radio, print, and television ads for years? Could it be they think it is too expensive and they don’t see the immediate returns? Do they not know how to create an event marketing campaign?
Event marketing is creating something for people to talk about. You may have a friend that goes to a concert or festival and talk about their experience. They may have mentioned how much fun they had, but it’s the specific fun they had that marketers need to focus on these days. When people go to an event they may see tables and tents in rows, but a brand needs to stand out to be remembered. Events usually have a designated space, marketers need to utilize their space and stand out. If they do not effectively use their space they will just be another table and tent in those rows.
Best friends, their friends to their friends, brothers, sisters, etc. are all people hearing about event marketing. They may not know the term event marketing, but people know that they or their friends had an experience with a brand. Social media is giving these influencers a place to talk about their experiences with brands.
If you do something engaging with your space, people will be more inclined to talk about it and your brand. You want to create a space that people can engage and have fun with. People will then associate that experience with the brand that allowed them that experience.
If someone does something fun and engaging they will want to talk about it. The people in their social network may go to the same event later and will look for that same exciting experience. “My friend told me you get to jump into a pool of sharks at this event.” “Really, lets go and look for that.” Being dramatic with this experience, but as simple as this conversation sounds, it opens the door to more people exposed to the same experience and the brand that gives them that experience.
People in social networks talk about products they have tried or things they have experienced with a brand. When people hear about how good a product is, others are more inclined to give it a try. You can see an advertisement and go buy something, but if you hear anything bad about a product, no matter how good their advertising is, people may not try it themselves. As a marketer, you want to give people a very positive experience with a brand. People rely on their social networks and this has been a huge reason the event marketing industry is taking off.
Modern marketing campaigns need to consider creating experiences with brands and take a serious look at event marketing.
This is a guest post by Mike Sulik. Mike Event marketing professional. Former Emcee. Experience in marketing, event planning, advertising, promotions, and sales.
“Image source – Flickr , usage under Creative Commons license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)”
