A few weeks ago, we published the first five things on a list of 10 that we have been told our clients hate about event marketing. From the up-front work in briefing your executive and marketing teams, to embracing the human connection that is inherent to experiential, we laid out 5 challenges and ways to navigate them. Click here to catch up and read the first post or continue with pain point number 6: Managing Requests.
Having a flexible response to changing event requests from the executive team and other key stakeholders is something that must be done. But the way marketers manage these requests and implement them should be carefully considered. Changing the entire wrap and branding of a stand 2 days before go-live isn’t going to happen – but what can we do to keep everyone happy and meet half way?
Being prepared for any situation is what live events are all about. Doing the prep work and having adequate contingency plans in place is required. That being said, we can’t always predict the future, so have a pro-active outlook – “let me come back to you with a solution” is a perfectly acceptable answer.
The following will help you prepare for anything and everything related to experiential management and execution:
The last thing any brand manager wants is to deliver below expectations. Setting your team up for success from the outset is important. Telling the executive team that you can deliver double the number of engagements just to gain buy-in is only going to come back to bite you.
Make sure your marketing team can deliver results by setting realistic and measurable targets for each event activation. Next, brief the event staff properly based on the aforementioned recommendations. Remember to be adaptable – it’s never too late to make amendments to ensure targets are achieved. And use your contingency budget if needed.
There is often oversight as to how much value can be gleaned from exploiting every reporting opportunity at an event. For example, if a staff member has product in hand for 8hrs a day – what questions are we asking? What valuable consumer feedback can we obtain? If an attendee has just left a pop-up shop, do we have methods in place in which we can gather feedback both about the products as well as the shop experience?
Establishing key metrics and establishing reporting mechanisms for these types of valuable event data represent opportunities that shouldn’t be missed. Every brand experience should incorporate key metrics that are easily gathered onsite, either by the brand ambassadors or by the attendees themselves.
An activation has the power to capture consumers’ interest by helping them focus on a single message, with no interference or distractions interrupting the communication between the company and its target audience. Consider the following statistics:
Face-to-face marketing is remarkably effective in building relationships between consumers and brands while driving revenue. Gaining executive buy-in, executing an effective event, and showing ROI are the keys to a successful campaign.
We live to help our clients reach their experiential marketing goals. Let us handle everything you “hate” so you can enjoy creating the best brand experiences in the world.