But if they’ve ever watched a live product demonstration in a supermarket, or
been handed a discount voucher for a particular cleaning detergent at a traffic
light, or sampled a new brand of sports drink at an event, then they’ve
certainly been the target of this kind of brand-building exercise. Whether we want it to be or not, the world is a
branded place and activation solutions can help distinguish brands in a crowded
marketplace.
Providing the much sought after
two-way conversation between brand and consumer, brand activation campaigns
generate interest by allowing the customer to experience a product or service
in a personal way. Experiences are often aimed at educating and motivating, so
that the customer begins to appreciate the brand, and this involves making sure
that the brand connects on an emotional level with the customer. The stronger
the emotional connection, the more meaningful the interaction between consumer
and brand – resulting in customers re-buying a brand more frequently.
While traditional marketing is based
on a volume of target audience impressions, activations involve engaging with
consumers in a manner that enables them to ‘feel’ the brand versus simply being
exposed to it.
Perhaps only 1000 people experience a new product launch at a
popular shopping mall, by the time the event is shared on Instagram or YouTube,
the impact is far greater. Human beings are highly social animals and have the
innate need to communicate and interact. So even if an event is really small,
what better way to spend marketing budget and make an impact than through brand
activation?
The quality of the impact a brand has,
is therefore often times more important than the high reach of the message.
Maximising reach will mean very little if the message isn’t heard and
internalised in some way by the target audience. If the audience is
disconnected and regards the message as white noise, then they’ll probably
ignore it altogether.
The cost per reach is, therefore, directly related to the
quality of the impact. When the cost per reach reduces, so too does the impact
of the message. In contrast; as impact increases, so too does the cost per
reach. As such, best practice brand activation campaigns must be
strategically-led in order to deliver measurable results with a focus on ROI.
While activations can achieve
outstanding results, conducting a campaign that is not aligned with the brand
strategy should be avoided. To complete a successful activation, a mix of the
right elements is needed. If the campaign is not captivating, the product or
service not aspirational, the campaign not promoted or the promotion not given
enough time in market, etc., the activation may not meet the objectives set at
the very beginning.
Some of these strategic elements
include:
- Communication targets: Determine
beforehand how many engagements/direct communications are to take place with
the audience;
- Distribution of material/giveaways:
Determine upfront how many units of product are to be issued to the audience
during the campaign;
- Sales targets: Is there a direct
action that must be measured at a till point or through a coupon redemption?;
- Other call-to-action activities:
Execute well-structure digital media initiatives in support of the campaign;
- Conversion targets: determine the
measure of communication versus the actual action. For example, the sample product is
distributed to 10 customers, resulting in one sale = 10% conversion; and
- Measurement of the influence on/changing in consumer perceptions or behaviour, must be measured through
independent market research at activation and/or beyond.
About Isilumko Activate
Isilumko Activate (powered by Studentwise) is a company focused on facilitating creative, integrated one-on-one interactions between a brand and the consumer. With impressive credentials built up over almost 22 years in the in the industry, this level 2 BBBEE accredited company has a rock-solid reputation that attracts and retains staff that are as passionate about activations as the company’s original founder members.
For more information, visit the Isilumko Activate website.