If you are an event organizer or involved in event coordination/marketing, the relaxed protocols as it relates to gatherings must be music to your ears. If you’re a brand looking at sponsorship opportunities during the approaching Carnival season, bear in mind that particularly after a two-year absence of Vincy Mas, there’s more to sponsorship and marketing than erecting banners. As you consider the opportunities during this anticipated season, look at ways for consumers to have memorable interactions/experiences with your brand; furthermore, don’t limit your brand/business by thinking you shouldn’t or can’t sponsor an event- take some time to examine potential opportunities that can benefit even if you are not able to make a huge cash injection. How can you make these memorable connections? Through one of the fastest growing types of Marketing – Experiential Marketing.

Experiential marketing should form part of your overall event marketing strategy; it involves interacting with your brand outside of the typical place of business and its goal once done right, is to create a positive association with your business/brand and encourage loyalty. The fact is this type of interactive experience will bring your brand to life and make consumers feel more connected. The result? The brand gets noticed and becomes unforgettable.

Here are few points to remember:

1. According to Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, 82% of customers buy from companies they’re emotionally engaged with or brands they are loyal to. Consider what this means to your bottom line as a business.

2. This type of Marketing can include festivals, business events, activities and kiosks at an event, sampling or demos, instore experiences, test drives, trade shows/expos, ways for the brand and loyal customers to be social together as well as unique experiences that may fit the brand.

3. Campaign possibilities when you engage in this type of Marketing include but are not limited to: a) Brand activations which are very effective for brand awareness and involves any activity that encourages customers to act b) guerrilla marketing which includes unconventional methods and has the element of surprise, risk, or interactive emotions

4. Best practices include:

– Mapping out the components that will make up the experience. Remember ultimately you want to create a buzz. Think about how the experience with your brand will trigger the customers’ senses i.e., what type of visuals, scents or sounds will you incorporate?

– Knowing your target audience so that you can incorporate activities that would interest them e.g., props, socially relevant content or even music that would resonate with customers and complement your brand e.g. let’s say you decide to have a tent or kiosk at an event, what type of experience will customers have when they visit? Is it just a table of items displayed with your branding or is there any opportunity for better interactions with your team and your brand?

– Measure! Measure! Outline in advance what would be the indicators of success e.g. what type of action would you like someone to take after they visit your tent/kiosk? Would you want them to be more informed about a new product/service? Try a new product? Remember it’s great that a customer goes to an event and sees your banners- that helps with visibility and awareness but what about if in addition to those branding materials, you were able to do something more memorable, or how about if your branding was not the usual? How about if they had the chance to interact a lot more with your brand and this led to purchasing or even seeing the brand in a new light?

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out and communicate the right message to the right people at the right time through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions. She is also a freelance content writer, advertising copywriter, voiceover talent, media personality. Follow us on FB & IG 784-432-2223. Email: igniteresults