Behold Brand Activation
Updated: Apr 14, 2023
Have you ever heard the saying “People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel? – Maya Angelou” Well this is the basic premise behind brand activation. Particularly, the process of strengthening brand perception with customers through experience.
Different brands have different strategies for activating their brand. The one common denominator is the experience. Companies craft experiences that they take to their customers to introduce them to the brand and build a connection.
Where Does Brand Activation Fit Into Strategy?
Brand activation is part of a marketing and brand strategy. Although it focuses specifically on the catalyst that sparks the connection people make to a brand. To create an effective activation campaign, companies need to be clear on the underlying values that they want to express.
In this article, we will explore three different brand activation avenues. Take a look at 10 great examples of brand activations from this year’s SXSW. Want to understand omni-channel marketing, check out this article on Design Rush.
Experiential Marketing
If you had a minute to check out the activations from SXSW you will notice some brands invest heavily on creating an experience that takes people from the world and brings them into their own little universe. Experiential marketing helps shape a three dimensional view of the brand and can definitely leave a lasting impression.
For large organizations, they can be quite immersive and expensive. However, smaller brands can leverage creativity and resourcefulness to create unique experiences that will help them gain market share and build a group of core customers.
Product and Service Samples
Another great way to introduce people to a brand is by giving them a taste of what kind of value your business delivers. For product-based companies, this can be a low-risk way to gather feedback and attract new customers. Look at a company like Costco – they always have samples of products while walking throughout the store to help activate the brands they carry. Service-based companies can benefit from investing time, especially early on. Whether it is organizing a group workout for a personal trainer, or holding an open house for a real estate agent. These are ways to get people familiar with the experience you can provide.
Digital Engagement Campaigns
A lot of brands have been creating digital experiences to launch brand activation campaigns. Nike’s dream crazy campaign was initiated online and was the viral introduction to their new way of thinking of their vision. Immediately the video blew up and sparked discussion across all generations of consumers. Some were not a fan and criticized the company, and stocks initially took a dive.
Nike proved how well they understand their consumers, withstanding the first wave of criticism, the company experienced a 31% growth in online sales from the people most loyal to the brand – those that understand the vision.
Other platforms, like Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) and Quora Sessions where influencers and industry experts open up to questions from anyone around the internet.
This is a great way for people to activate their brand in the minds of people.
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