How Sabra Celebrated National Hummus Day in an Unforgettable Way
National Hummus Day was celebrated in a big way by Sabra, a giant producer of the spread. Rather than simply print coupons or run TV ads, it hosted an open-air event in New York City that featured a 44-foot-long dining table as the most obvious attraction. Gardens on each side of the table not only added beauty and offset the event from the overall city, but helped to highlight Sabra's hummus varieties. This scene is what met invited guests when they arrived.
Once there, the guests were treated to a variety of hummus on small bites of food that were passed out. Non-alcoholic drinks were served to help wash them down. This presentation helped to reinforce one of Sabra's ongoing themes: the "Unofficial Meal." The company also gave away 10,000 hummus packages that included hummus mix, pita chips, and custom bowls. These packs went to passers-by so that plenty of people could feel involved in the celebration.
Sabra didn't stop with one on-site celebration in a single city. For the same holiday, it partnered with the Ellen Show to promote its brand and products. There, Sabra hummus was supposed to be shown to the audience to display its good ingredients – but conveniently, a prop hand was portrayed as having eaten it all. This concept created an exciting "live advertisement" segment and was more compelling than a regular advertisement.
Applying Sabra's Lessons to Your Brand and Products
This is a great example of how an experiential marketing event like the huge table in New York can be combined with other media exposure to make a huge impact on the buying public. By making sure that the theme matches the brand and product in question, rather than choosing something that is only generically entertaining, the connection between the event's good feelings and the brand will be cemented. It will also make your brand's identity stand out above all of the less-unique competition.
Since every brand is a bit different from every other one, the use of themes means that your event may use motifs that are much different from Sabra's. It's also important to remember that specific products, rather than entire brands, will also catch your guests' attention. If your brand is associated with a wide variety of products, pick just one or two categories so that you can keep your event tightly centered on a theme. Mention other products in brochures or other peripheral materials instead.
The venue is also important for success. Indoors or out, you need enough space for your sets, behind-the-scenes equipment, and of course, your guests. Here at Soho Studios in Miami, we have two outdoor pavilions as well as up to 70,000 square feet of customizable indoor space.
Outdoor events are great for fresh, lively, and natural themes. The indoor space, on the other hand, is perfect for events that require careful control of lighting and temperature. With either option, we can also provide sets, sound systems, video equipment, catering, and more. This allows you to concentrate on your event itself rather than all of the nuts and bolts behind it.
