Audiences are no longer spectators, they expect more – to be a part of the action. Immersive marketing techniques will allow you to engage them in every element of the event. Not every event has the Hollywood movie budget to allow a completely theatrical and immersive experience, however there are three easy tools that can be deployed that will boost the audience’s engagement at events.
Today, most brands recognise event marketing as an integral part of their integrated marketing portfolio; deepening relationships that have been built in person, online, on devices and through interactive media. And the proven result is that brand awareness skyrockets!
Branding an event is about keeping your key messages clear, and in the mind of your attendees. You want them to remember the call to action and the company or product name long after they’ve left, so you can get the best return on your investment. That’s why it’s vital that any logo or naming is prominent throughout the event experience – prior to arrival, through the event itself, and at any other additional events such as dinner or awards presentations.
Your options have increased from the standard vinyl banners and signs, to now an almost unlimited palette of tools, so take advantage of the latest physical, social and digital opportunities to engage your audience.
1. Digital immersion
Immersive marketing is about creating an experience that totally captures your attention and digital techniques have all the power here. They’ve become the new black, offering a number of high-powered, large-scale projectors, projection mapping and flat panel displays that can catapult brands front and centre.
LED walls, pixel mapping and digital signage are all techniques that can surprise and delight your attendees, and leave a lasting impression.
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See all the latest digital trends featured at this year’s InfoComm conference.
2. Social immersion
The best way to define what makes an experience immersive is to see how it differs from non-immersive events – does the branding interrupt the flow of the event? Do the messages feel clunky or forced? An immersive event will seamlessly and imperceptibly integrate the brand into every element of the event so capture your audience’s attention and let them create a buzz for you online.
Create snap-worthy physical experiences and attendees will be dying to share the content with their friends and colleagues on social media.
If you can convince your audience to post the event’s content to their networks using your company or event’s hashtag, incorporating your graphics and spreading your message, then you will have gained some of the most valuable endorsement possible – word of mouth.
This sort of two-way communication can be achieved by integrating social integration platforms such as Event Feed, into your event. It encourages attendees to get involved and become an integral part of the event, thus immersing them in the event from a social perspective.
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What is Event Feed?
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Event Feed allows you to capture your guests’ tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts via a dedicated hashtag and displays them instantly on screen for all to see and comment. It’s great for encouraging that festive cheer and if everyone is going to be posting anyhow, why not take advantage of that?
Private Events: If your event is private and you don’t want the posts going public, Event Feed can also provide a closed platform where your colleagues simply upload their images and messages at a secure online location which Event Tweet then pulls from.
For more information please visit the Event Feed product page.
3. Physical immersion
There’s still a huge range of applications for tangible, three-dimensional objects to support your message, and depending on your event, budget and brand they can sometimes be more effective than their digital equivalents. People absorb and retain information from a book differently than a screen, and different people respond to various mediums, so cover your bases using physical displays as a solid reinforcement of your brand that can be touched and shared in way that an electronic image can’t be.
Event Backdrop by Staging Connections is built by stretching custom-printed nylon across a high-tech aluminium frame and comes in a variety of standard sizes so you can surround and immerse your audience in visual displays from $2,500.
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What is Event Backdrop?
One of the hardest things event planners face is striking the right balance between styling and branding. If you go too far towards styling your brand gets lost, but if you go too heavy towards branding your event becomes too corporate ‘dry’. So what if we told you there is a simple and cost effective solution to get the best of both worlds? Introducing our latest branding solution, Event Backdrop.
Now your branding can be integrated into a stunning custom designed backdrop, printed in photographic quality onto canvas. It’s the perfect way to marry your styling and branding and guarantee your branding features in photos. Event Backdrop can be used for all event sizes and types as it comes in 3 sizes and can be internally lit or projected onto. For more information please visit the Event Backdrop product page.
Whilst a product launch featuring 3D projected aliens jumping out of caravan may be an immersive experience, consider whether or not your event requires stunt theming, or whether you can tailor these three marketing strategies listed above to create an experience that too immerses your audience in the brand and key messages of the event.
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Staging Connections is now part of the Freeman Co family – the world’s leaders in brand experiences. If you have an upcoming event you need to plan and need ideas for how to best create an impact whilst delivering against your objectives, contact us today.
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