10 Things I Hate About Event Marketing: How to Deliver Results (Part 2)

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.

#6: Moving the Goal Posts: 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?

• Be flexible… but not too flexible! As we’ve mentioned, proposed changes cannot compromise the integrity of the event itself. If you believe a request to be impossible to satisfy, communicate your concerns and then look for compromises or ways that a similar effect could be achieved.
• Document everything. Keeping clear documentation of all requests keeps all parties on the same page and can help to realign everyone when concerns come up. Keep a paper trail of amends, changes, financials to ensure you’re covered.
• Under-promise, over-deliver. Set clear and attainable goals and be transparent about any constraints the event might have related to a request. If your team overperforms, or you can pull a rabbit out of a hat, all the better!

#7: Things Not Going to Plan: Establishing Contingencies

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:

• Choose the right partners: the vendors, partners, and team members who are working alongside you need to be fully aligned with your goals and values
• Brief your staff: in addition to execution details and event goals, provide event staff with the why behind the event campaign, and let them know how and why they are critical to success
• Spend time perfecting your contingency plan: assign responsibility and make people accountable
• Document everything: this will include H&S, insurance, incident forms, licenses, and more

#8: Underachieving: How to Deliver Results

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.

#9: Missed Opportunities: Detailed Reporting and Analytics

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.

• Exploit the opportunity: experiential provides brands with undivided and direct consumer attention. Engaging with them provides the company with feedback and can give them a voice, which many react positively to
• Understand what’s of value to your company and marketing objectives: Measurable data points and key insights should show clear results against KPIs
• Highlight learnings: what went wrong? What was great? Document key learnings and best practices
• Follow up in a timely manner: continued attendee engagement is an important part of every brand experience. Whether that’s announcing a competition win, kicking off a social media campaign, or asking for feedback – do it while your brand is front of mind.

#10: Explaining Value: The Importance of Experiential Marketing

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:

• Only 3% of consumers would be inclined to purchase a product after seeing a celebrity endorsement.
• 98% of users feel more inclined to purchase after attending an activation.

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. 

Author: Carina Filek

Carina Filek is the Global COO at Elevate Staffing. When she's not innovating the business function or leading operations, she can be found at home in London with a canvas and paint brush in hand.