Australian consumer demand for events is high, with a recent Eventbrite
Australia survey showing nine out of 10 Australian and New Zealand event
goers plan to attend as many, or more events in 2024 as they did in 2023.
As a retailer, however, it’s not always easy to budget for live events, especially
when there are so many other marketing initiatives that also require funding.
Prioritisation is the name of the game, as is ROI: marketing leaders must
decide which strategies yield the highest results with minimal investment and
prioritise those strategies.
Fortunately, we can help. According to a recent AnyRoad survey, retail
activations and events have the highest marketing opt-in rates of all events:
61%, compared to the overall event average of 35%.
Other benefits of retail activation events includes a long list of increases:
increased brand awareness, consumer engagement, sales, loyalty, data
collection, and more.
So while these events do require an investment, the potential for high ROI is
there. Like everything in marketing, though, your results will depend on how
well you “get it.
”We know that consumers respond well to retail activation events, but how can
retailers maximise the impact of these events? Here are six crucial
components of successful retail activation.
The Six Components of Successful Retail Activation Events
Entertainment: Duh. Give potential customers a reason to stop what
they’re doing and participate in your event (which can be a sidewalk pop-
up stand, store display window, trade show, etc. Anything goes in retail
activation.).
Connection: Connect with your consumers about values they hold dear.
Sustainability, ethical fashion, value for money, and cost are top values for
Australian consumers — can your event incorporate one or more of these
to forge a strong connection with your target audience?
Sales and loyalty incentives: The main reason that marketing opt-ins are
so high at retail activation events is that customers have clear incentives
in front of them — both to make purchases and sign up for loyalty
programs on the spot. Take advantage of this forum to put your best
incentives on the table, which can result in an immediate increase in
sales, a high quantity of data, and loyal consumers.
Technology: Use technology to create interactive/immersive in-person
experiences. You should also use it to enhance data collection, glean
consumer insights, personalise experiences, streamline customer service,
and more.
Social sharing: You’ve probably heard the age-old pondering,
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” The
modern version of this would be, “If an event happens IRL (in real life) but
no one posts about it on social media, did it really happen?
As far as marketing leaders are concerned, the answer is no. If your event
takes place IRL but doesn’t get any social coverage, it may as well not
have happened.
The most successful brand activations engage and immerse consumers
at retail locations/events and make the experience so enjoyable that
attendees feel compelled to share their joy on social media.
If you’re concerned about whether your event has what it takes to be
shared, take an active stance: encourage attendees to share posts and
photos, either through a themed campaign with hashtags or with
consumer incentives.
Measuring ROI: Define the goal of your activation event and the metrics
by which you will measure it: opt-ins, attendees, data collection, sales,
loyalty program sign-ups, app downloads, etc. You may also have event
goals and post-event goals. Differentiate and make sure you have a
standardised way of measuring your success.
And of course, your brand should make noise about its activation event
on its own social channels.
Case study: Montblanc: After-Hours Test Drive (Interactive Window Display)
Montblanc approached us to create an interactive experience for consumers
that would allow them to explore the new Summit 3 smartwatch during closed
hours of its brick-and-mortar stores.
We created a 1.5m replica of the watch, which we set up in store display
windows in Paris, London, and Beijing. People walking by on the street
could scan a QR code and interact with the watch in the window, explore its
features, and book an appointment in-store during open hours.
The activation was a huge success, with 31% of users filling in the booking form.
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