Marketing events, launch dates and special occasions require their own set of promotional tools, strategies and execution when compared to marketing a product, an offer or having something ongoing throughout the year. Although we can use the same advertising delivery methods to drive the message to potential customers, the approach varies from slightly different to a brand new sort of marketing altogether.
In summer, particularly in Malta being such a summer holiday fun destination for many, there are events, festivals and special occasions happening throughout and organisers turn to a marketing agency like us to help them prepare, strategise and execute the right marketing efforts that culminate in a successful event attendance. Last summer alone we had various events we promoted successfully to our clients’ delight, varying from international sporting events, to music festivals and concerts.
For these events we had the twofold aim of increasing public awareness of the events themselves and of course to increase online ticket sales and fill in the seats. The secret sauce to any event marketing is building the right amount of buzz and timing the buildup or crescendo precisely on a planned timeline leading to the event itself.
There are different forces at play that can be smartly used to our advantage when we aim to create a buzz. The first is the power of word of mouth which despite being in a technological exponential age, with a digital and social media penetration like never before, it does not only still work but has even more power as it spills from physical sharing among friends, family and peers to communicating on messaging apps, sharing on social platforms, tagging people along and knowing which of your peers are attending the event or not. In itself this word of mouth effect achieves two things: It makes someone aware of the event itself and secondly it makes it easier to take a decision because of social proof, knowing that your social cohorts and peers, people who are in the same sort of thing as you, are interested in joining the event.
The other force at play in event marketing is building up anticipation and excitement as the event date approaches and this helps in increasing the perceived value of the event itself. When we had been tasked in promoting the IPF World Classic Open Powerlifting Championship in June 2023, we had planned and executed a series of messages we spread on social media and in digital spaces in steps building up to the event date. For example we designed some really captivating imagery and messages around the sports event and the participating athletes, while creating a sense of excitement as the date was approaching. We were timing these messages to spread out on the social media platforms at particular intervals, every time giving more energy to the message as the event date approached.
In another international sporting event that Keen was commissioned to market, specifically Gozitan athletes participation in the Guernsey Island Games 2024, we have designed messages and visuals that created an emotional hook to the general sports enthusiasts, such as behind the scenes stories, personal highlights on the participating athletes, and creating a more personal human touch to the event – in other words making people and their personal stories more central and important.
Storytelling is another crucial part of event marketing because it weaves together parts and aspects of an event into a complete whole that appeals more easily to the subconscious mind as it creates more meaning and this is a central aspect behind storytelling – creating meaning around something, thus giving it more value.
When crafting messages through careful content planning, it is important to keep the idea of meaning in mind. We ask questions such as how can we create more meaning and value to an event? Partly that question involves knowing the likes and preferences of the audience you are trying to target and understanding better what is it that drives them and draws them to such events. It could be the competitive atmosphere built around it, or the level of sportsmanship involved, or because the occasions only happen every few years. Whatever it is, it is important to bring out and convey this sense of importance and meaningfulness. Creating a sense of urgency and the big date approaching also serves in adding more meaning to the event.
Besides creating buzz and anticipation on social media through timed posts and event pages, we were at the same time making a splash in the digital marketing sphere through YouTube ads and display ads targeting the main local online publishers and portals for added reach and awareness. Moreover, we used traditional marketing strategies such as so-called ‘Out of Home’ (OOH) campaigns, through the use of large format billboards placed in strategic locations around the islands, and alongside radio adverts and other offline marketing materials such as flyers and brochures.
The other aspect of event marketing involves building the right relationship with brand collaborators and as suitable influencers/stakeholders in the field. The obvious influencers would be thought leaders, opinionists, and famous personalities with a strong following on social media and who are focused primarily on sharing content about the field or subject. Less obvious, but equally important, are those individuals or associations that are involved in the same sort of thing. For example, for the sporting events, we were also making a PR outreach exercise to sports associations and venues and providing them with marketing material they voluntarily would disseminate to their members.
Rounding it Up
Event marketing can be quite labour intensive but proper strategic planning allows the execution part to flow more smoothly and the more effort is put in the planning stage, the better the chances of building the right amount of buzz become as the event approaches.
In essence, timing, storytelling, and leveraging the power of word of mouth are the three pillars for successful event marketing that by themselves serve as the central part of any event marketing strategy.