Innovative Branding Concepts for Events

Events have become widely embraced and accepted as a powerful marketing tool. With traditional advertising budgets decreasing in favor of alternative methods to better target and involve the consumer meaningfully, events have risen to a prominent place in the marketing mix. Jack Morton’s recent research found that consumers cited event marketing, word of mouth and the internet as the top media mediums to learn how the brand relates to them and explain “what the product/brand stands for:” (March, 2007). It’s not surprising given events offer a unique opportunity to interact face-to-face with the target audience and capture their attention for an extended period of time, potentially creating a (favorable) lasting memory.

With the many elements that make up events, there are myriad of opportunities to express the brand’s personality, message and logo. This article reviews branding techniques and innovations found in the event industry.

Obvious event branding at events typically involve:

Step and Repeat

Otherwise known as the press board, this is the photo opportunity area where the brand’s repeated logo or slogan is prominently displayed. It's all about branding and keeping it simple; controlling the backdrop for still cameras and B-roll footage.


Projection Screens

Oftentimes flanking a stage and always at the center of attention, large screens showcase a company’s logo, brand messaging and even bullet point lectures and Powerpoints.

Signage

Enlarged graphics decorate walls, hallways and red carpet entrances aiming to become part of the décor but oftentimes simply blaring the company’s logo in case you forgot who invited you or why you were there.

While these traditional branding elements are fine and sometimes mandatory, there are many more unique ways to seamlessly introduce the brand to the events’ guests.

The Tony Awards, repeated their top hat logo and created branded decor throughout the environment showcasing it as clever: chandeliers, table centerpieces, containers for take-home baubles and hanging light fixtures above the bar.




Target used their simple logo as a design element in their space through projected lighting treatments in their space.

A movie premier placed famous quotes from the movie onto the venue’s walls. Vanity Fair carved their logo into a tall topiary wall.


A magazine Company showcased their major titles by fashioning a live décor model in a custom outfit.

Caterer uniforms are often branded and their bodies are sometimes tattoo-ed.


It seems just about anything (or anyone) can be branded these days. There seem to be few limits on creative branding executions. Of course creativity must be balanced with style and a keen understanding of the brand in order to best judge how a brand should be translated into an environment and experience. But that’s for another article…

Live marketing experiences were also shown to be a valuable way to increase marketing ROI:

• 75% of consumers say that participating in a live marketing experience would make them more receptive to the product/brand's advertising

• 75% of consumers said they would be extremely or very likely to tell others after participating in a live marketing event , extending impact through word-of-mouth

• 8 out of 10 consumers who had actually participated in experiential marketing in the past said that they had told others about their experience

The research supports the value that experiential marketing brings to many companies. Spending on experiential marketing has grown to an estimated $166 billion in 2004, a 9% increase over 2003, according to an influential industry trade publication.


Stella Oh
Brand Amp Supervisor
Cheil Communications New Jersey