Make it an Event
The single biggest mistake most firms make is that they think of their product as a commodity and then try to apply event marketing techniques to such a product. For example, if your audience thinks that your brand is just another shampoo available in the market, corporate event planners will need to create some razzmatazz around it so that it comes out as something different from all other shampoos.
Develop Exclusive Products
You can also develop exclusive products which are only available at the events and not elsewhere (e.g., Ferrari produces special editions for its top customers). Such products can be used as giveaways and prizes too. This way, you can ensure exclusivity and boost loyalty among consumers. It is advisable to create limited editions and incorporate event technologies for special events.
Pre-Event Survey
It is highly recommended that you do a pre-event survey or send out event invites with a questionnaire attached to it so as to capture the most recent market data and consumer preferences.
This way you can carry forward your brand’s image and also conduct real time research on how people perceive your brand image at the time of events. You can use this information to plan a strategy for future events too.
Use Event Marketing Approach
When you organise an event, always keep in mind its end goal i.e., what are the objectives that the event should achieve? Always ensure that these goals are achieved through proper planning and management of the same as well as marketing support.
For example, if your brand’s goal is to create a “Buzz” around the product, you will need to understand that achieving this objective needs a lot of effort and not just putting up a stall at the venue.
Think Beyond
There are many event types which can be organised for your product apart from just organising trade fairs. You could organise conferences or seminars with experts speaking on industry-related topics or do road shows where brand ambassadors travel across cities/regions to promote your products.
Other than these, there is celebrity endorsement (with fees), contests and quizzes related to your industry, games organised at shopping malls etc., depending on the budget you have allocated for marketing your next event.
Use Social Media
If your next event is related to a musical concert or movie, you can use social media such as Facebook and Twitter for promotional activities. Event planners can ask people to like the page and send in their comments and share with others to stand a chance of winning an event ticket (for e.g., “Like us and send your best joke on this topic for a chance of winning 2 tickets”). Apart from that, you can also utilise these platforms to conduct real time surveys about what people think about the particular product/event/brand etc.
Add an Element of Surprise
An element of surprise always creates curiosity among target market users which usually turns out into more brand promotion compared to when everything is planned out in advance. For example, a brand launching a new variant of their product can organise an event where they announce one ingredient in the new product which will be introduced after some time. The target market consumers would typically take interest and wait for the launch of the same to make use of it as soon as possible.
Set An Objective
Whether you set an objective like customer engagement or boosting sales revenue, make sure that your next event is linked to one goal and all activities are carried out to achieve that particular goal only; else there will be no end to expenditure and not much benefit either! It is advisable that you fix specific targets (e.g., number of participants, financial gains etc.) before organising an event and perform a post-event analysis so as to measure the effectiveness of your marketing activities.
Know Your Target Group
Large events with high footfall always attract people from different age groups which means you cannot target specific sections like college students, housewives etc. Also, not every event has a dedicated space for each type of audience (e.g., if women are in majority at an event, there will be no designated place reserved only for them) and this might cause inconveniences among your target users; hence it is advisable that you keep these factors in mind when organising an event for your brand!
Event Marketing is not about You
Many companies make this fatal mistake; they think the purpose of any event they organise is to make consumers aware of their products and services. However, the purpose is not just to promote your brand but also to serve as a medium where consumers can experience your products/services for themselves apart from reading or hearing about it! Just organising an event will not suffice; you will need constant promotional activities too alongside proper planning, management and branding.
Know Your Audience
Successful brands always conduct market research before organising any events because this helps them figure out what exactly are target audience expectations from that event? What are their interests? What should be the tone and theme of the event? These are some questions which require clear-cut answers before selecting your next event type! Also, depending on whether you wish to attract local users or people outside the locale, you need to make the required arrangements for travel and stay.
Consider Various Venues
There are many options available for hosting an event be it a convention hall or five-star hotel, stadium or school auditorium etc., depending on the budget you have allocated for marketing your next event.
Promote Your Event
If your next event is related to some kind of product/service launch or new brand introduction, then promoting it is of prime importance! You can promote your upcoming events via word of mouth, email campaigns, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter etc. Also factor in traditional methods of marketing too alongside promotional activities so as to widen target audience reach!
Ensure Logistical Support
An event means preparing a blueprint for what you want to achieve with that event in terms of marketing, promotion and communicating your business offerings to target market consumers. Event management includes pre-event activities like planning, promotions, organising etc. which is followed by post-event activities where the learning curve begins! Ensure that your chosen venue offers all the required logistical support so as to facilitate smooth execution of marketing events; else problems are bound to crop up at the most inappropriate time.
Consider Multiple Events
Diverse entertainment options or organised fun zones at an event attract more footfalls than single entities so it is advisable that brands choose multiple events when organising marketing events for their products/services instead of confining themselves only to product launches or brand promotions! Multifarious activities at a marketing event makes it an ideal platform for brands to explore their business options with target audience which is why brand managers must opt for more than one marketing events when on the lookout for customer engagement opportunities.
Event Management Must be In-House
In order to save yourself from unwanted hassles and last minute surprises, you must appoint your in-house team of event professionals who understand every nook and cranny about your company’s products/services better than anyone else!
Event management needs proper understanding of the product/service features, its intended use and benefits of using them offered by a particular brand. Also, factor commercial aspects involved by holding an event involving expenditure on travel arrangement, venue rental etc., apart from spending on entertainment activities, contests etc.
Keep an Eye on Social Media
Although marketing events are meant to maximise brand awareness among the target audience, but for this to happen, your event must be mentioned across various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc.
Prepare Brand Manual
An ideal marketing event is one where organisers don’t need to carry out promotional activities since the buzz already exists before the actual launch of the product/service! So, when you are planning multiple events featuring different entertainment options like fun zones, contests etc.
Ensure that all related details are well-documented in a brand manual or an exclusive booklet published by the event management team; this will help gain maximum brand mileage out of every activity planned for your next marketing events.
Ensure Event Quality
Low-quality content at an event means low market value so it is advisable that brands invest more in planning marketing events that offer better entertainment options or learning opportunities to target customers.
Attend Events Organised by Competitors
If you are one of the brands in the same niche as your competitors, then attending other brands’ product launch event can be a great way to stay ahead of other market players because not only will you get an idea about their upcoming products/services but also use this knowledge for preparing your future marketing campaigns!
Plan Customer Engagement Activities
An ideal platform for customer engagement, incentivize them enough so that they try out your products while at an event and encourage them to recommend it to others across their social circle; therefore make sure that the activities planned during the course of your next marketing events offers multiple benefits and learning opportunities to attendees.
Setup Online Advertising Campaign
Online advertising campaign is a great way to create buzz about your upcoming event; you can publish ads on leading social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc which will help generate interest among customers and compel them to visit the venue at the specified date and time as well as secure their entry with pre-booked tickets!
Also, it helps generate sales leads for future marketing campaigns once you start receiving enquiries from prospective customers visiting your site during the course of the event or after it gets over.
Organise Promotional Events
Hosting promotional events featuring competitions and fun activities inspires consumers to participate in such contests and provide their valuable feedback regarding upcoming products/ services apart from generating interest among the target audience.
Sponsor Local Events
If you are based out of a small city and find it hard to attract customers from other cities; then sponsoring local events like school fests, marathon runs etc., in your hometown can help generate brand awareness in the same place where you live and grow up!
Promote Event on Radio Shows
Contact famous radio jockeys and ask them to host an exclusive show with regards to your upcoming event; this will help create excitement among listeners who might visit your venue at the specified date and time as well as secure their entry with pre-booked tickets! You can also promote such events through online medium by uploading posters via print-on-demand services across all major cities in the country.
Mention Event Details in Media Releases
Always remember to mention important event details like date, venue etc., in your next media releases so that it generates interest among reporters and they might even send their team at the specified time to cover your event for their daily news bulletin!
Invite Guests via SMS
Once you finalize all the details of an upcoming marketing event; just draft a nice message including all important event-related information and forward it via bulk messaging services like Hike, WhatsApp etc.; this will help generate interest among invitees who might visit your place on the given day!
Organize Photo Contest
Photo contest is an amazing way to promote any upcoming marketing events by involving prospective customers as this incentivizes them to visit the venue at the specified date and time as well as recommend their close acquaintances about such events.
Advertise on Social Media
Along with publishing ads on leading social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc., you can also upload videos over YouTube where a short clip of your event is showcased which helps generate interest among prospective customers who might visit your place within no time!
Market Event Through Email
If you have prior experience in marketing then it will be relatively easy for you to come up with an effective email campaign highlighting all important facts about upcoming press conference or marketing events; this will help create excitement among readers who might visit your venue within no time
Offer Discounts on Limited Seats
Push your sales by offering discounts on limited seats as such offers compel people to buy tickets as soon as possible otherwise they might lose a great opportunity of witnessing an exclusive event at heavily discounted rates!
Spread the Word on Social Media
Your business is bound to grow if you start promoting it over social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc.; make sure potential customers and clients get all important information about your upcoming events and invite them via email or bulk messaging services; this will help generate interest among people who might visit your place within no time!
Host Press Conferences
Press conference can be a great way to promote any upcoming marketing events by involving journalists and reporters from various news houses whom you can ask for featuring such events on their daily news bulletin; this will help create excitement among prospective customers who might visit your venue within no time!