The Impact Of Brand Activations

In a world where absolutely everything is being sold on the internet and especially on Social media, traditional marketing mix, feels like it has disappeared. However, if the younger generation is so obsessed with the digital world, why are brands still heavily investing in pop-ups, events, and experiences? 

The answer could either be quite simple, or quite complex. At a surface level, there’s an implicit need for brands to appear in their consumer lives to obtain recognition. However, there are only a few brands that have made great brand activation campaigns. That has to do with the complex answer. But to dive into brand activation, we first need to define it. 

According to Colateral, brand activation is a “marketing campaign or event that drives action from your target audience. These campaigns aim to generate brand awareness, increase brand salience, and drive customer loyalty.” In other words, Brand activation is all about making a brand stand out, connect, and stick in the minds of its target audience. 

Having well-executed brand activations has effects on two important aspects of marketing. The first one (and for business owners the most important) is sales. In fact, according to Colateral, 74% of people said they are more likely to purchase after attending an activation. From a business standpoint, brand activations often look like a no-brainer. 

The second one is brand perception. Think about it this way, when a brand (instead of selling their product) does something meaningful to their audience, it automatically makes them change the perspective of the brand in people’s minds. Brands spend lots of time (and often lots of money) in developing sentiments, positive opinions, and overall good attitudes towards themselves. They do so understanding that it will not work as an immediate transaction but rather a long-term relationship with a group of people. The remuneration of long-term brand perception will take place when the audience will indistinctly choose their brand over competitors. And that’s what often separates small and medium-sized brands from big corporations. 

One important aspect of brand activations is that to be successful, it must be very creative. Successful activations are the ones that have the element of surprise and captivate consumers. For instance, one of the most brilliant brand activations comes from Carlsberg beer. With a simple billboard and a simple copy, they were able to quickly make a line of people in the middle of London. This billboard was dispensing beer to passers-by.

Novelty looks like the real gold in marketing nowadays. Consumers are constantly bombarded with online media, and very rarely pay attention to what advertising is showcasing on the TV and online. Brave companies willing to insert themselves in the real world with actual humans will most likely get real-world results for their brand.