Blue skies. Sunshine. And a bumper crop of business opportunity! If you’ve been kicking around new marketing and promotion ideas for your brand or product, summer is a great time to experiment with event and experiential marketing. Here are some pointers to keep in mind:
Take the Show on the Road
Summer is more than a season. It’s a feeling – a wonderful one at that. And summertime events and experiential marketing can capitalize on summer’s ‘feel good’ halo effect. The marketing opportunities that summer offers are a chance to bring your brand or product to life in the context of your consumer’s lifestyle. We know consumers today are more selective than ever before. One way to stand out is to allow them to engage with your brand in a meaningful way. Utilize this summer’s event opportunities as a chance to meet your consumer face-to-face.
Food Festivals, 5Ks, Beerfests, Concerts… Oh My!
There are so many great aspects of summer, and certainly one is that there’s something going on every day of every weekend within the radius of your target customers. Whether there’s an opportunity to set up a pop-up shop at a street fair or have brand ambassadors mingling among concert revelers, and handing out samples at a Color Run, there’s undoubtedly an event that aligns with your brand mission and product purpose. The point is to get out there and interact. While promotional sponsorships of events are excellent, exploiting the opportunity for target consumers to engage and experience your brand in person is more memorable.
Have Target & Plan, Will Travel
While some events will make sense, others you will have to research to make sure you will be interacting with target customers and prospects. Event organizers can provide attendance and demographics from years past. If the event is a fit, think about what kind of on-site activation is best suited for the venue and attendee expectations. Is a booth or other fixed location the way to go, or will street teams be most effective? In addition to your own pre-event marketing, don’t forget to piggyback on whatever promotion the event itself is planning.
Brand & Event Appropriate Talent
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be strategic about the talent you bring to your events. Working with a staffing firm like 24 Seven will help ensure you align your brand mission, and event purpose with the individuals you bring on for your summer plans. Our best advice is to hire people who most resemble your target audience, and who are naturally extroverted and are proven influencers among their social network. They should be users of your brand and already a cheerleader for it. And look for the quick learners – not only will they need to impart the marketing message naturally, but they need to be able to educate and convert new users of your product or brand. Summer is a chance to capture new audiences and reconnect with current customers. Take advantage of the good weather and good times to create a memorable, good vibes that last into the rest of the year.