When is the Best Time to Plan an Experiential Marketing Event?

Experiential marketing gives your brand a chance to engage with people like nothing else. Unlike traditional advertising, or even standard "pull" ads, it puts the audience directly into the action to create total-immersion experiences. For example, a company may set up a location that sends attendees through a themed area in an almost amusement-park fashion – but this time, the themes are all connected to the brand's overall image. These events truly join the company's name and brand with great feelings of happiness, excitement, or other emotions that the company wishes to impart. A well-done event also motivates the guests to share their experiences both directly and via social media.

One thing you may be wondering about is when it's best to hold an experiential marketing event. There is no single answer, but instead, several guidelines to look at to determine the optimum time for such a presentation.

Tips for When to Hold Your Event

1. If your brand or product has a powerful seasonal association, plan your event for the beginning of that season or the end of the one prior to it. This will give your audience time to go buy your products before the active season starts. A good example of a seasonal association of this nature is the connection between snow skis and winter.
2. If there is a mild seasonal association, you likely sell some products during the "off" season but many more during the high time of the year. In this case, the middle of the high season is a good time for an event. An example of this type of product is cola. People drink it all year long, but there are even better sales during the heat of summer.
3. Brands with no seasonal association don't have to worry about hitting a specific month or season, but should try to avoid times that compete with too many other events, conventions, or general attractions. It's easier to get people to attend when there aren't as many other things trying to draw their attention.

When to Start Planning

It's a good idea to plan an experiential marketing event as part of a larger ad campaign. This will allow it and the traditional advertising to strengthen each other. Therefore, both should be planned at the same time.

Planning for experiential marketing requires more than deciding to include it in your overall strategy. You'll need to secure a venue, sets, performers, and other essentials far enough in advance to avoid any foreseeable problems. Many venues and performers are booked months in advance, so be sure to leave enough lead time before the expected date. How much time is "enough" depends on seasonal booking fluctuations, geographic location, and the popularity of the venue, band(s), and other personnel you intend to hire. Call them all far in advance to find out how soon before your event you will need to commit to a booking.

To book your event in Miami, call Soho Studios. We have up to 70,000 square feet available. We can configure the space to meet your needs and arrange for all of the peripherals you require, such as lighting, sound, sets, videography, and more.

How to Avoid a Music Festival Disaster

How to Avoid a Music Festival Disaster  

Putting your business name on a music festival can give you great exposure. But as we’ve seen in real life examples, this can also backfire greatly. Take the case of the Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, which was promoted as a luxury experience but turned into a disaster. Abby Ohlheiser reported for The Washington Post that headliner band Blink-182 and others canceled just before the event, many of the tents for the event were not set up by the time guests arrived and other significant problems occurred. What should have been great publicity for the organizers turned into the wrong kind of exposure.

Obviously, you don’t want your company's name associated with a disaster. So here are some tips on how to avoid a music festival disaster and create a successful experience instead.

Work With an Experienced Team

It’s essential to have an experienced team working on a large event like a music festival. You either need your own experienced team or to work with a production partner who understands the nitty-gritty of how a music festival works and what is needed, down to every detail. Foremost, you need a strong management team who can organize and execute the event plans, with a system in place for potential problems.

Focus on Practical Needs

Putting on a music festival is not just about the music and the marketing. There is a lot of background work that needs to be done – and done right. You need to ensure you have the necessary power for the specific event, as well as access to water and proper management of waste. An experienced team will think about potential problems and make sure the logistics are capable of working out in the earliest stages before moving forward with a particular venue or the rest of the event planning. Event professionals told BizBash that they probably would not have continued with the Fyre Festival's location, at least not before consulting local professionals.

Start Small and Take It Slowly

Apparently the Fyre Festival planning started a few months before the event, and organizers ran out of time. Professional organizers take much longer to plan an event of this scale, beginning the process at least a year in advance. The Fyre Festival organizers also went full speed ahead with marketing, while event professionals normally would perform a soft launch in the beginning and try to gradually build interest and a reputation. By taking more time, you also have the chance to test your site, learn and grow in the industry and work on fitting your tactics with the right audience.

Be Prepared to Cancel

Sometimes you simply cannot get an event to work out. Planning and proper management will generally prevent the need to cancel an event but you need to realize when canceling is the only answer. Event professionals told BizBash that the Fyre Festival organizers should have canceled when they knew they couldn't fulfill their marketing promises.

When you perform proper planning and work with event professionals, you can prevent a music festival disaster and create an event that successfully promotes your brand.

Coachella 2017: When Brands Create Experiential Marketing Trends

Who doesn’t like sun, drinks, music and fashion? Coachella, the much-loved CA-based music festival, is packed with fashion brand representation. This year, a slew of brands flocked to the desert, capitalizing on Coachella’s rad fashion collection. It wasn’t all about the brands, but they certainly made a splash. Whether it was shop-able runways, hip bars, social media activations or entire branded festival lines, Coachella was the place to be. Here’s our coverage of the hottest Coachella marketing events.

Levi’s Creates Neon Carnival

Posted up in an Airstream, Levi’s gave eventgoers a power-packed experience via Tequila Don Julio. We know, it’s an odd partnership. It worked, though, and Levi’s-lovers reveled in the specialty drinks from dusk til’ dawn.

Jeremy Scott’s Moschino Party

Produced by XA, Jeremy Scott’s Moschino party featured a kitschy, Candy Crush theme. It was larger-than-life, giving guests the chance to slide into a massive ball pit. The balls were made of lucite, ignited by the pool’s neon glow.

As if that wasn’t enough, the party also featured an oversized Absolut Lite-Brite installation. Guests could place different pieces into different slots, crafting their own art, patterns and long-lasting displays. The display took on Absolut’s lime flavor color, casting a memorable light.

Victoria’s Secret Angel Escape

The Angel Escape was an islandic tent, offering comfortable seating, shade and pillows for guests. While it covered a large amount of land, it was surprisingly low-key—in a good way. Customers looking for a reprieve from Coachella’s frequently rowdy atmosphere need only step into the tent’s intimate enclosure, taking a load off the feet.

The Katy Perry Footwear Easter Sunday Recovery Brunch

For the afterparty-goers, Katy Perry Footwear featured a Sunday Recovery Brunch powered by the H.Wood Group. Sure, it might’ve been a graphic, neo-art doughnut wall, but it certainly ignited holiday cheer with an awesome nod to pastel.

The Ciroc Summer Take Over

Ironically—or, perhaps unironically—alcohol brands promoted, well, themselves at Coachella. Ciroc, in particular, hosted memorable experiential events for patrons’ eyes. The Ciroc Summer Take Over, hosted by the Hard Rock Hotel, presented the brand in a new light—a vintage one, to be exact. Ciroc bottles were displayed alongside vintage objects, florals and vinyl records, giving event goers a taste of all things classy.

Coachella is a wonderful opportunity for brands. Featuring some of today’s leading brands, the event was a powerhouse of experiential displays. We’ve kept our eye on Coachella for a while, as it always highlights emergent experiential marketing trends. We'll likely see more great displays next year. For now, however, we'll make due with this year's awesome brand contributions—powered by today's leading providers.

How to Draw a Crowd to Your Live Stream

Live streams are invaluable marketing tools, but they’re constantly evolving. If you’re struggling to gain viewers, broadcast effectively and garner audiences, check out our tips below. Today, an impactful livestream utilizes relevancy, excitement and adaptability to succeed. If you want to boost your viewership, take charge with your creativity.

Tip One: Make a Scene, and Stick to It

While adaptability is important, you should still stick to a general voice. Consistency is key in growing a fan base, and it’s vital to your stream’s success. Be on time, and make sure you have at least 15 minutes set aside for early and late viewers. Your live steam’s predictability, overall, will determine its success.

Tip Two: Get High-Quality Equipment

Poor quality video deters viewers. You won’t sustain a long-term fan base unless you’ve directed your dollars into high-quality equipment. High-quality equipment circumnavigates server congestion, prevents viewing issues and assures good content delivery.

Tip Three: Make the Steam Easy to Find

Don’t try to control your audience’s viewing habits. Make your platform accessible—and make it adaptable. Hook it into Facebook and Twitch, and make sure viewers at all locations can sit down at a moment’s notice. As for location: Make sure it’s flexible. Few things kill a live stream like a rigid, inoperable filming location.

Tip Four: Shareability is King

Invest in engagement tools. If you’re like Toy Group—who’s shareable on Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else—you’ll make a difference. Instead of having thousands of shareable photos, you should align them with your video strategy. Shareable content is well-curated, beautiful and easily digested. Even if your content is text-based, it should be enticing for readers. In the social networking world, power is derived from enticement.

Tip Five: Prioritize Mobile Accessibility

In 2017, mobile access governs digital marketing strategies—and for good reason. If a media campaign is mobile-accessible, it’ll succeed. Don’t segment your audience by restricting mobile access. Instead, make sure mobile access is more than an option. Make it a primary avenue. Today, a large percentage of Internet surfers conduct research, use Facebook and share media via their smartphones. If you can secure a quality viewing space in the mobile world, you’ll succeed.

To draw live stream viewers, make sure your content is worthwhile. Nearly everyone is on a livestream, and modern livestream quality isn’t very high. There’s a lot of white noise out there, and you’ll need to surpass it to survive, thrive and become a sensation. Take your time, plan out your content and prioritize social media and mobile access.

Event Trend: Neon Logos and Artwork

Everyone likes lights, even when they go out. Neon lights are getting a lot of attention, and they’re popping up in unexpected places. From urban club lights to feminine spotlights, neon signage, apparently, is right on the money. Let’s check out the latest hits.

Neon and Corrugated Metals

As a décor choice, neon signage atop corrugated metals, apparently, is a big hit. The Medair New York gala—back in March—capitalized the look. Artists like Shepart Fairey, alongside other performers and artists, have fermented a modern urban vibe by revitalizing age-old neon looks.

Graphic Whites

Graphic white neon signage, too, is becoming popular. It’s a little high fashion, but it certainly works. Rodarte and Coach recently used graphic white neon to promote themselves, taking charge at Musso & Frank in Los Angeles. We feel straight-white neon signage works due to its simplicity, classiness and adaptability. Really, it’s one of the best graphical choices luxury brands can aim for.

Between the Paintings

Moving in an odd direction, event designer Tinsel & Twine outfitted New York’s IP Soft’s holiday party by surrounding neon signage with paintings. Sure, it might’ve been a masquerade ball event. That said, there’s something creepily in-tune with audience desires by combining suggestive neon lights between classic portraits, graffiti and eye-catching chandeliers.

At Classy Dinners

Speaking of classiness, pink neon has experienced a resurgence at event dinners. American Express and Girlboss have been running a tastemaker’s campaign with branded neon signs. Pink has always been a solid choice, but its sheer brightness has been a turnoff for many. Fortunately, inaugural dinners are seemingly immune to the radical design choice.

Cacti?

That’s right: cacti. The H&M Loves Coachella launch in Times Square featured neon cacti. The Atomics played, celebrating alongside 200 brand-lovers amidst a neon desert backdrop. Cacti might be a little unorthodox—display-wise—but if it works, who cares?

Cartoon Signage

Classic cartoon signage, of course, has made a 2017 appearance. It’s always been a design choice, even if it’s fallen into obscurity in recent years. When Coach celebrated its 75th anniversary, however, the signage returned. Cartoonish neon works well when gritty, urban landscapes are advertised. Whether it’s a motel sign, a rocket ship or a Las Vegas star design, neon is a solid installation choice.

If your event wants an “emergency runway” look, or if it’s simply installing a sign collection to hit a modern market, you’re in luck. Today’s leading brands are already leading the way, and they’re pulling off difficult looks fantastically. Get creative, and light up your event’s night with this year’s leading trend.

How to Transform a Blank Canvas

Even if a business has money, they’ve still got it rough when it comes to event planning. Sometimes, the space isn’t there. At other times, unconventional avenues make it hard to let loose, get the point across and attract new customers. When thinking outside the ballroom, it’s important to consider your audience. Transforming a blank canvas into a full-fledged event isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Here’s how:

Turn Small Shops into Networking Gatherings

If you’re stuck with a coffee shop, fear not. You can still use the free Wi-Fi, attract customers and dish out branded swag. Coffee shops are today’s pop-up shops, and they’re surprisingly good venues for small businesses lacking funds. You can still cross-promote your other options, staying true to a frugal budget while meeting the locals.

Use Park Space for Active Market Promotion

These days, most brands utilize the sporty, get-up-and-go lifestyle to promote. We live in a world where even videogames are getting more active. If you’re stuck with a field, make use of it. Parks might seem unconventional at first, but they’re incredibly capable event properties. Set up a gazebo, have a cookout and promote your product to passerby.

Turn a Tram Ride into a Town Tour

Sometimes, all the venues are booked. Have you considered your mobile options? Today’s town visitors—and even the residents—are using cross-city tram services, brewery carts and even carriages to see new sights. Give your customers a look through your business’s eyes, and give them something to remember. Travel is memorable, and you needn’t spend tons of money on a good trip.

Book it In an Airport

If you’ve got extra money, try out a pop-up experience in an airport. A surprising number of brands, like NGO Miseror, have created entire digital campaigns centered in airports. Aside from the obvious high-traffic benefit, airports are unique places which guarantee visibility. If you’re expressing yourself in an airport, you’ll definitely be seen.

Check Out the Local Lodge

Similar to the cross-town experience, a one-night stay in a lodge isn’t a bad idea. A lot of marketers, in fact, are bringing their customers closer by instilling a sense of sincerity. If you can get your customers talking to one another, you have an experience.

Not every event relies on flashy event spaces, huge banners and unique technology. Sometimes, simpler is better. It’s called experiential marketing for a reason. Even if the event is small, you can instill a sense of wonder by planning your event correctly. Check out your local area’s offerings, and get to work on your brand’s experiential canvas.

Event Trend: Photo Booth Ideas for 2017

Few things bring guests together like a photo booth. Whether you’re presenting a new product line, getting creative with an expo or simply want to land a new brand perspective, installing a photo booth is a good idea. We’ve already seen a few photo booth trends in 2017 worth mentioning, and we’re sending them your way. Check out these awesome, tech-centric photo booths, and take charge with this year’s latest gadgets.

One: The LEGO Photo Booth

LEGO’s UK flagship store installed the world’s first “Mosaic Maker,” which is a photo booth capable of transforming self-portraits into LEGOs. A lot of brand providers have taken advantage of the trend, coming up with inspiring, unique ways to change the visitor’s face. LEGO’s mosaic kit, available after the photo is snapped, lets customers shape their own pictures.

Two: Movie Photo Booths

Apple, among other big tech providers, has expounded upon the recent Face Place photo booth series. It’s honored as the nation’s “Manufacturer of the Year,” and it isn’t toning down its creative approach to everything customer-centric. The Movie Photo Booth utilizes marquee-style lighting, Apple’s own green screen technology and digital photo sets which harness fantasy film backgrounds. Spice up the typical photo booth experience, and give your guests something to remember, scene-wise.

Three: The TapSnap Photo Booth

Whether you’re putting together a small event, a corporate soiree or a lavish expo, a TapSnap photo booth can enhance your visitor experience. It focuses on the customer’s perspective, using today’s leading technology to offer customized digital photo options. It’s rentable, too. Powered by a well-trained staff, TapSnap is quickly becoming a leading photo booth rental option.

Four: Social Media Booths

Social media has become a popular photo booth tool, and brand are using Facebook and Twitter log-in prompts to capture online moments and build brand awareness. These photo booths still have in-depth photo options, and they still showcase a variety of digital snap options, but having social media accessibility has changed the game.

Five: Gif Booths

Gifs have been around for a while, but they’ve only just taken off in the photo booth world. Alongside slow-mo booths and g-force “wind booths,” gif booths are becoming a staple of mall-based marketing events. Once again, social media plays a part. Facebook’s introduction to short-looping video has only fueled the trend.

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into photo booth technology, customers will start expecting lavish displays. Online metrics, social media and even virtual reality have come a long way. Today, even small marketing campaigns benefit from unique photo booth ideas. Where do you stand?

Why Hitting the Pavement Still Works

Cross-country road trips are still excellent marketing approaches, even when they’re taken on by leading online retailers. The “Friends with Benefits” tour, powered by live music, pet adoptions and food, reached half a dozen United States cities. It took off in Texas, starting the new year with a slew of footwear and apparel presentations.

The Backyard Party Activation

Technically, the party setup took place in midtown parking lots. The location wasn’t difficult to capitalize on, however, as brands were given numerous opportunities to meet, interact and connect with their customers. Zappos brought its brand to life, rewarding its most loyal customers. Focusing on the Zappos pillars of excellence—charity, retail, community and culture—the brand gave attendees something to remember.

Guests were given iPads to engage digital spaces in physical pop-up storefronts. Zappos.com, of course, was the landing page transmitted via Bluetooth beacons to every device. Guests could read reviews, make purchases, take home items or engage eCommerce deals right on the spot.

Charity and Soles4Souls

The tour wasn’t all about product promotion. Guests were invited to donate their shoes, clothing and accessories to Zappos—which shipped them to Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls, a nonprofit, helps individuals in need around the world. The Zappos approach extended beyond customer service, promoting an atmosphere of interconnectivity on the global stage.

This approach was smart, as the road trip’s existence served to connect nationwide fans and bring Internet-based business into the streets. Zappos celebrated culture in its host cities, hanging out with brand partners, local vendors and fans alike. Free food, beverages, local musicians and entertainment were plentiful. At every stop, Zappos took charge with picnic tables, games, inflatables and artificial turf.

eCommerce Marketing in the Physical World

Zappos is expected to continue its tour, visiting three more cities in upcoming months. It’ll eventually visit Las Vegas, paying homage to its hometown. Zappos’s approach to real-world marketing might be clear-cut, but it’s certainly unique. By using shipping crates as pop-up shopping venues, the brand was able to present a research-heavy environment which was conducive to purchasing.

It also hosted a pet adoption event. Over 150 pets were adopted in Austin, TX, alone, and Zappos intends to keep the strategy alive as it travels to Nashville. Its backyard party activations are constantly adapted to meet new adventures head-on. Where intuitive branding, promotion and experiences are considered, Zappos may very well be an industry leader.

How to Wow Your Event Guests Even During Breaks

Long meetings, conventions, and expos all have one thing in common: They include breaks. All too often, the potential of these breaks is wasted as participants are left to find their own entertainment. A better option is to spice up your event's break time by providing your own diversions from the main topics. Here are some of the ways other companies have been successful at keeping people's attention during these times:

Use an Area-Themed Snack Display

Every area has foods and other items that are unique to it. For example, Florida is known for its citrus fruits and beaches. A citrus-based display with beach imagery will be a sure hit for an area-specific snack bar. There's no need to exclude all other food options, either. Just be sure to have some orange things prominently present to get the effect.

Touch on an Area's Cultural Cuisine

While Florida may be known for oranges, the city of Miami is known for its people. As a Florida city, it is a mix of both domestic and overseas immigrants. Southerners, Northerners, Cubans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans all share the space and eat each other's foods on a regular basis. Simply serve some of each of these cultural foods for a great all-around "taste of Miami" effect. You can also aim for whichever foods your audience will find exotic in order to present a daring atmosphere of trying new things.

Hire a Professional Chef

If your event caters to an upscale crowd, you'll definitely make the right impression by having a professional chef make up the offerings. Even so, resist the urge to go for full-course meals or large desserts. Remember that this will be for a relatively short break instead of the dinner hour, and specify foods that can be picked up and carried by people who'll want to walk around and network as they enjoy the food.

Don't Forget Desserts and Drinks

Desserts are always a hit, and what better way to say "Florida" than at least one Key lime pie stand? Drinks also tend to be regional. Here, you'd be remiss to forget sweet tea – the quintessential Southern staple. Of course, Florida orange juice is obligatory as well. Don't forget to offer coffee, too. It may not be regional, but it is still one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks on Earth and is very compelling for its fans.

These are just some of the ways you can set up food stands to make your event memorable even during the breaks. The other thing you need is a good venue. Check out Soho Studios in Miami for the perfect place to present your next Florida-based meeting, event, or expo.

SXSW 2017: Experiential Marketing of the Future

If there’s any marketing extravaganza industry leaders get hyped for, it’s South by Southwest. This year, SXSW rolled out a slew of hot experiential trends. The world’s leading conference in high-tech business, digital innovation and—of course—business promotion is back. Now, we’re here to bring you the highlights.

Neuroscience in Marketing

Yeah, it sounds ambitious. It’s surprisingly capable, however, and it was showcased as a live marketing art display. The brain-friendly experiential displays highlighted SXSW’s collection of high-tech displays, showcasing AI-powered neuroscience bots. Dubbed ‘pre-suasion,’ the event mashed up digital complexity and the average consumer’s daily wants and needs.

Sony’s Wow Factory

Above all brands, Sony’s tech display probably won. Its knock-out collection of ‘techsperiments’ revealed its global Wow brand campaign. Packed with sonic motion music entertainment, projection-mapped VR experiences and an encompassing ‘Wow Factory,’ Sony thrived in SXSW.

Amazon’s Delivery Drones

While Amazon’s high-tech delivery drone program might be old news, its live demos have been heavily anticipated. SXSW became Amazon’s platform for presentation, proving the delivery program’s existence. Until now, many have rightfully scoffed at the feasibility of such a program. Tested across the UK and Germany, Amazon’s drone fleet hasn’t seen many audiences—until now.

Xperia Touch

Consumers are knowledgeable about touchscreens, but Sony—again—surpassed all expectations. It presented the Android projector, the Xperia Touch, and let visitors test out its flat-surface projections. Useable on the wall, the floor or even on a table, the Xperia Touch promises to be one of today’s leading augmented display technologies.

Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket

The clothing brand, Levi’s, got its presentation as well. The brand has partnered with Google to make ‘smart clothes’ capable of integrating SMS, Google maps and more. Levi’s presented a live tech demo, letting users try out its Commuter Trucker Jacket. Capable of reading swipes, taps and a slew of other inputs, the Trucker Jacket was one of SXSW’s most hands-on displays.

The Fortis Exoskeleton

It’s about to get weird. While the rest of SXSW went crazy over self-driving cars, projectors and jackets, Lockheed Martin presented its Fortis exoskeleton. Strapped to the body, the exoskeleton adds skeletal support. It helps the frail walk, helps construction workers lift heavy objects and—well—exists as one of the event’s coolest pieces of technology.