What Is Brand Activation?
Most people have no idea what brand activation is since it is far from being the most popular term in event planning. In fact, some may see it as a confusing marketing jargon. However, brand activation actually has a simple definition as it is merely the process of increasing awareness about your brand.
This term is typically used for new brands since they are the ones that need to be made known to the public and potential consumers. In other words, it should be “activated.”
Many would consider this the same as brand marketing since both are aimed at raising awareness in the target market. Still, there is a significant difference between the two. Brand marketing is an ongoing process that aims not only to make people know the brand but to maintain such public knowledge throughout while brand activation covers the beginning of the process and initiates brand awareness.
How to Activate a Brand
Brand activation is one of the most important aspects of marketing that has a significant impact on how well the product or services will fair in the industry. Because of this, several event planning companies have made it their specialization as affairs are arguably considered as the most efficient way of letting potential customers aware of the brand.
Even so, many event planners still consider this as unchartered waters, leaving them uneasy when presented with the task. Because of this, we have compiled 5 expert-proven steps that need to be done when planning a brand activation event.
Step #1: Research Event Demographics and Trends
Like any other task, planning a brand activation event requires research to make the event more productive and meaningful. Among the most important things you should look for are the trends and demographics of the target market as it would guide the kind of affair you are going to hold as well as other specific components such as entertainment and attractions.
Step #2: Get a Feel of How Well an Event is Going to Do for the Brand
Testing the waters is the next step in successfully planning a brand activation event. This step requires both skill and instinct in event planning. Of course, some trial-and-error may happen during this step, so don’t be too disappointed if your first try doesn’t yield the result that you expected. Once you’ve gotten a feel of what’s effective and what’s not, you should be able to do just fine.
Step #3: Piggyback an Affair Through Sponsorship or Mini-Events
Piggybacking an event means you either sponsor or conduct small-scale activities within it. Some companies may prefer in-store brand activation as it is one way of promoting awareness for the brand without spending too much. Other forms of mini-events to do to achieve brand activation includes sampling campaigns and experiential marketing.
Sampling campaigns, as the name suggests, require allowing potential patrons to have a taste of the product being introduced. Of course, this can be applied to food and beverage as well as other usable items. You just have to get creative in doing it.
Experiential marketing is a bit different as it provides consumers with an experience that will let the brand being activated stick to their minds. One company used this process to introduce a floatation device by simulating what a person experiences while drowning to remind them of the dangers of swimming without safety gears like what they’re selling.
Step #4: Get the Most Out of Brand Activation
Maximizing the company’s investment in a brand activation event is also important to guarantee the success of the affair. This means you should incorporate as many marketing strategies as you can and draw as many people as possible. Some companies make use of competitions with attractive prizes that is related to the brand.
Step #5: Determine If Goals are Met
After conducting the brand activation event, it is time to measure whether the targets were met and how well the event performed. To do this, you should quantify goals set at the beginning of this process and compare it with actual results.
