Event marketing has gone through many changes throughout the years. Just a few years ago flash mobs were a new trend and a very popular way to build brand awareness through an event. Today marketing experts have had to get more creative to build brand awareness. Here are 10 ways to increase brand awareness with event marketing.
Engage with the Customer One on One
The key to building brand awareness it to engage your customers on a personal level. Here a couple of examples of smart marketing strategies using events.
- The event within an event approach worked for Ray Ban. During the Sundance Film Festival they set up a truth or dare event within the vehicles as they shuttled people back and forth. They gave prizes and created a buzz about their brand.
- Video tape your event within an event and post it on social media. That way the people involved can share it with their friends spreading your brand awareness even further.
Be Unique but Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
There are some great ideas out there which you can take and make your own. Study trends and see what is successful and then tailor these ideas to your brand.
- One example of a unique approach to brand awareness and event marketing was the combination of GPS and real-time event tracking used by Blu Dot. Chairs were placed around New York City with GPS tracking attached to them. Cameras were then used to make this a live event on the internet. People could join the fun from their own homes.
- Use QR codes to develop a unique brand experience and event. Smartphones are ubiquitous in today’s society and if you notice there are QR codes on almost everything. By using a QR code you can engage customers with unique offers and content.
Tap into the Power of Social Media
Social media is hotter than ever, and there seems to be no sign of its popularity slowing down any time soon. Smart marketing experts know and tap into social media’s power to build brand awareness.
- Set up a social media only event for your brand. Advertise the upcoming event, but stress the only way to become involved is to become a friend or follow you on social media.
- Encourage on site friending. Offer something of value if your customer goes to your website and connects with you on social media. This could be something tangible like a t-shirt, or access to an event only available online.
- You can also offer a special prize for event attendees if they sign up on social media. This could be free parking, backstage passes, or anything of value to attendees.
- Tweet up your brand awareness and event marketing. Twitter is the second most popular social media site, and there are many ways you can use it to promote your brand awareness and event planning. You can hold tweetchats, use hashtags to mark tweets, and send out timely tweets to let customers in on secret sales and events.
Own Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is a valuable commodity. It should be taken honestly and used to improve your brand and event planning.
- If you receive negative customer feedback, own up to it and use it as a catalyst for change. You can then let your customers know listened to them and made the changes they suggested.
- Hundai used customer feedback on test drives that they videotaped during test drives. Not only could they use the footage on their Facebook page, but they also had material they could use for television commercials.
These are some unique ways to increase brand awareness with event marketing. Uniqueness and customer engagement are the keys to successful brand building. Use these 10 tips to help plan your next brand building event.