The busy summer conference, trade show and event season is about to be in full swing! We know event organizers are anxiously waiting to try new things and to see what their colleagues are up to with technology and beyond, looking at brand activation.
One big movement in the event space right now is part technology, part creative execution and part budget…of course!
We’re talking about a recipe for experiential brand activations, and it’s the future of all events. It’s sort of like a brand creating an interactive booth-like experience, outside of the walls of a convention center.
Events like SXSW set the bar when it comes to these types of installations and experiences. From the restaurant takeovers from big brands like Dell, Google, Fast Company and even Land-o-Lakes, to smaller pop-ups featuring up and coming brands. Downtown Austin is basically turned into one giant circus of brand activations for the weeks the annual festival takes over.
But other smaller profile industry events are doing cool things around brand activations too and pushing the envelope when it comes to integrating technology into these installations.
What is brand activation?
Brand activation is an important part of any marketing strategy. It can help to increase brand awareness, drive sales, and build relationships with consumers. When done well, brand activation can be a powerful tool for differentiating a brand from the competition and driving long-term success.
Brand activation strategy
A brand activation strategy is a marketing plan that focuses on creating memorable and engaging experiences for consumers. The goal of brand activation is to build awareness for a brand, generate positive associations, and drive desired actions.
Brand activation strategies can take many forms, including:
Experiential marketing: This type of marketing involves creating interactive experiences that allow consumers to connect with a brand on a personal level. For example, a clothing brand might create a pop-up store where consumers can try on clothes and get styling advice from experts.
Digital marketing: This type of marketing uses digital channels, such as social media and online advertising, to reach consumers. Digital marketing can be used to create interactive experiences, such as games and contests, or to deliver targeted messages to specific audiences.
Influencer marketing: This type of marketing involves working with social media influencers to promote a brand to their followers. Influencer marketing can be a powerful way to reach a large audience and generate buzz for a brand.
Here are the top 5 ways to integrate an experiential brand activation into your event app!
1. Unlock exclusive content
A great way to spark downloads and engagement! Position some of your brand experience or sponsored content as exclusive and available only in the mobile app. Maybe that’s a secret passcode to a free drink at a pop-up or access to a prize or promotion for app users. Whatever the incentive, consider how you can incorporate your event app into your experiential brand activations.
2. Use an interactive map to highlight “experiences”
Think outside the map! Consider adding pop-ups and brand activations into your interactive mapping system. This is a great way to increase your overall user experience and spark exhibitor participation in the event app. There is also an opportunity to generate sponsor dollars for “pin-drops” on your maps.
3. Use in-app alerts
Create FOMO! Fear of missing out is a real thing, and you should use your event app to create a sense of urgency to be a part of your brand activations. You can send out timed and geo-fenced alerts to event app users to get them to take action, like participating in an experience or exhibitor activation. This can also be an add-on sponsorship upsell to exhibitors prioritizing real-time engagement.
4. Beacons technology
Beacons are small, physical devices that allow our programmers to configure specially targeted alerts 
through the event app. This is perfect for experiential brand activations and event apps because you can segment out rooms, locations and more and send attendees specific alerts. Our beacons also do not interfere with each other. So you can have session room A send a specific alert and that will not interfere with a separate alert you’re sending for session room B, for example. From the exhibit hall to education session rooms, our beacons deliver location-specific calls-to-action that can drive engagement in your experiences and also provide valuable analytics that can help shape future decisions.
5. Behavioral leads
This feature allows organizers to gather engagement data on the attendees that are most likely to take action with exhibitors. It’s basically a predetermined scoring system that allows you to gauge attendees’ interests in order to personalize your engagement. Get access to the attendees that interact with your booth listings, marketing materials, sponsorships and more! Make the most of your opportunity to showcase your exhibitors and drive qualified leads. Behavioral leads are accessible in real-time and year-round through your Exhibitor Portal. This is a perfect use case for experiential brand activations and event apps.
From exclusive content to real-time engagement, your event app has the potential to extend your experiential brand activations, pre-event, during the event and post-event. Let us know how we can help you configure the best way to converge your event app with your experiential brand activations. Click here to contact us to learn more about our team and our event technology.
