The event landscape is rapidly changing - and quickly. While there has been no shortage of events in our social media feeds, we are sensing a change of tides. The days of influencer-only launches designed for maximum reach and social buzz are starting to lose their sparkle.
Why?
Consumers are getting desensitized to seeing the same curated event coverage on their feeds and not being able to participate. They are demanding IRL experiences from the brands whom they are supporting with their wallets. They don’t want to be spectators anymore.
Now this doesn’t mean that influencer events have become obsolete, they still have an important role, but this role is shifting. The new era of events is not just about who attends, it’s about who gets to experience it. Brands that fail to recognize this run the risk of just becoming part of the noise in an incredibly saturated digital world.
A consumer-first mindset
A few months ago, we saw this post by Brittany Saunders, who called on brands to recognise how switched on consumers are right now, and questioned what consumers are thinking to themselves when they see extravagant trips with high-profile talent who typically already get everything for ‘free’. She spoke of the success of a recent Fayt The Label community trip, and how the value of rewarding her community, and the subsequent brand equity that came from her community that watched on was far greater than what they would have gotten if they had taken a more traditional approach to a brand trip.
This thinking doesn’t just apply to brand trips, but events and activations in general. The FOMO-effect is waning, and consumers now want-in. Authenticity is the new currency, and rewarding your communities engagement and participation leads to long-term advocacy and deep brand connections.
Event is an execution - not a strategy
Events have become the go-to ‘strategy’ for a while now - but if they aren’t underpinned with a story, they rarely drive media coverage on their own. The most successful events are ones that have an impactful story, a cultural tie-in or a disruptive message that cause people to stop and think. Before embarking on planning any event big or small, start at the beginning:
What is the story / message I want to tell
Who do I want to reach
What is the best way to reach them - maybe it is an event, but maybe it isn’t.
If it is an event ensure that the event contributes meaningfully to the brand story and not just a one-off marketing moment.
The brands that have been doing it best
Miu Miu Summer Reads Pop Up
Venroy hijacking Rhode’s pop up in New York
REFY Community Trip Mallorca
Skims Pop Up New York
The New Event Playbook
Let your community in -
IRL and digital hybrid models - livestreaming and digital extensions will still continue to play a role, but they need to be complementary to IRL activations, not replace them, as a way to make moments accessible beyond just a select few.
Micro-communities over mass following - guest lists need to be well thought out. Hyper-relevant audiences have a greater impact to a one-size-fits all approach. Authenticity is the key here!
Experience-driven - Immersive and sensory events that give guests something to ‘do’ and share rather than just watch are the events that are the most sticky.
Turn moments into momentum - Any type of event is a drop in time. True success lies in how you are maximising this moment (and budget) to make it stretch further. What kind of content are you capturing and how are you going to continue to amplify it? How are you sustaining the relationships you built at the event? Integrating with other teams within the brand (social, digital, sales) to ensure that the event isn’t a one hit wonder is how you will drive maximum impact.
