After being forced to go on hiatus because of the global pandemic, the festival industry is back in full force. As a result, the demand for outdoor events and festivals is at an all-time high.
Often attracting thousands of people, outdoor events and festivals present an exciting opportunity for brands to connect and engage with new audiences. Not only that, but festivalgoers are open to connecting with brands as they attend festivals for the whole experience.
However, in the age of digitalisation, customers expect more from brands and desire real-life experiences. Therefore, to capture attention, create a buzz and build long-lasting customer connections at outdoor events and festivals, brands should consider hosting an immersive brand activation.
At The Events Structure, we have worked on many brand activations for festivals over the years - here are our tips and tricks for creating a stand-out immersive brand activation that doesn't get lost in the festival crowd:
First things first
For a brand activation to be successful, the festival or outdoor event must be compatible with your brand. Not only should the festival's goals align with your brand, but the festival's audience demographic must be your target audience.
Alongside presenting Three Friday Nights at Goodwood Racecourse to promote their TV passes, NOW TV hosted a brand activation with video photobooth and horse-riding props using our Studio Premium shipping container conversion.
The event delivered first-class horseracing and incredible music sets from world-class DJs, attracting an audience aligned with the Entertainment and Sports TV passes offered by NOW TV at an event discount.
Create a captivating experience
To create a stand-out activation, you will want to consider the experience, as there will be a lot of competition from other brands. Creating an immersive space or introducing an activity can help your brand attract attention, spark a buzz, create FOMO (feat of missing out) and capture your audience interest.
As the official fan partner of BST Hyde Park Festival, Reddit showed festivalgoers how the social news platform allows users to "dive into anything" with a giant ball pit using our Statement Plus shipping container conversion.
As something fun and different, the brand activation sparked curiosity and attracted large crowds while demonstrating Reddit's core brand values.
Make it exclusive
Besides creating a buzz, giving festivalgoers something exclusive will make your brand more memorable. Consider providing the basic needs festival-goers desire, such as exclusive access to Wi-Fi connection, a place to rest, food, drink and entertainment.
Delivering 2022's Wireless Festival was GoPuff. To raise awareness of their service, GoPuff hosted serval branded applications around the festival with Creation Group, including their "Party. Pose. Post." 360 photobooth, phone charging and chill-out area from our Impact Premium and Gallery shipping container conversions.
The phone charging and chill-out area catered to the basic needs of festivalgoers. Whereas the 360 photobooth added to the whole festival experience, capturing special memories that GoPuff was a part of.
Utilise social media
According to Eventbrite, 81% of festivalgoers are active on social media during their time at an event. By creating shareable opportunity during the activation, you can utilise this behaviour to drive engagement and reach people outside the event.
Lucy & Yak brought their picture-perfect Yak Fest to Camp Bestival and We Out Here Festival in 2022 using our multi-deck Impact Premium shipping container conversion. Providing plenty of Instagram-worthy picture opportunities, the brand encouraged attendees to share images using the hashtag #YakCreator to further online community reach.
By encouraging festivalgoers to share relevant content with their online communities, Lucy & Yak was able to reach a wider audience and drive brand loyalty with attendees.
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To enquire about an event shipping container conversion or temporary event structure for a stand-out, immersive festival or outdoor event brand activation, please contact The Events Structure today on 0161 821 1010.