Brand Activation - Bridging the gap between brand and consumer
Have you ever wondered why some brands become so iconic in nature that the product itself is identified by the brand name? Jeep, Xerox, Colgate are just a few examples of how companies have created a niche for themselves in the market. These brands have bridged the gap between the brand and the consumer and have developed a bond with their target group. With consistent user-engagement strategies, the brand creates an emotional connection with the end user. Nostalgia associated with the brand results in fierce brand loyalty and a strong foothold in the market.
In this day and age, when an average consumer is exposed to a zillion products on a daily basis, how can you, as a brand stand out from the rest? Brand Activation is the answer you’ve been looking for!
Brand activation blurs the line between consumer and brand to bring the brand in the midst of the market. It helps the brand to connect with the consumer on a personal level. Brand activation drives brand engagement, enabling brands to form a strong and long-term relationship with the consumer.
What exactly is brand activation?
Simply put brand activation means the process of ‘activating’ a brand’s presence in the market. It provides an opportunity, along with a favorable environment, for the brand to interact with their audience.
The main goal is to drive consumers to ‘act’. It is an ongoing and consistent process. To experience the full effects of brand activation you need to be consistent with your promotional activities. You needn’t necessarily indulge in same activities but the key here is to stay relevant and persistent. Your promotional strategies can vary between digital campaigns, retail merchandising, experiential marketing or sampling promotions; brand activation has a wide spectrum, which brands can explore for their benefit.
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Salient features of Brand Activation
Brand activation is unlike any other marketing platform. You needn’t create a print ad or a television commercial to advertise your product. Brand activation ideas are deviation from the regular forms of marketing. It’s experimental yet powerful at the same time. Like, the confectionery giant M&M incorporated augmented reality in their brand promotion activities in Times Square, New York in 2017. This spiked the curiosity of the audience and created an unforgettable impression on them. Activation is all about subconsciously creating a powerful niche for the brand in the psyche of the consumers.
The concept of brand activation is very different from blatant advertising. The brand, here, focuses on creating an experience for its audience rather than just indulging in one-way communication. The aim is to provide the target audience with something of value. Something that they can take back with them and that which subconsciously connects your brand with the experience.
In 2015, lifestyle brand Refinery29 launched the concept of 29 Rooms. Wherein 29 brands such as, Cadillac, Dunkin Donuts, were allotted a room each. The brands created an experiential space, within their rooms, with their brand as an underlying theme. 29 Rooms is considered one of the most powerful experiential marketing experiences as it not only promoted the brand but it blurred the line between the brand and the buyer and helped the brand to create an emotional connection with its audience.
Contradictory to above the line media such as broadcasts, television commercials etc; brand activation is targeted brand promotions! Brands specifically conduct activities in the areas populated with their target group thereby saving time and resources. This helps the brand to avoid the irrelevant audience and engage their main target group. For example; brands such as P&G that deal with FMCG products often conduct society activation where they can address families as a whole and promote their range of household products.
Effective activation, encourages the audience to participate in the promotional activities. It stimulates a response from the consumer, consequently making brand activation a two-way communication between the brand and the buyer. A two-way communication is way more memorable and effective than a one-way communication. It helps to increase brand recall value and helps to associate the positive experience of the activation with the brand.
In 2017, cruelty-free cosmetics brand Lush conducted Lush Creative Showcase, wherein participants could test out the products themselves and even create their own sample size soaps. Such activities encourage the audience to engage with the brand and thereby associate the brand with the experience.
A creative and interactive promotional activity creates a memorable experience for the consumer. A consumer is likely to forget an advertisement but it is unlikely that he/she will forget an experience; especially the one in which the consumer is an active participant. Such experiences help to form a long-term relationship between the brand and the consumer evoking emotions like loyalty towards the brand and the company.
Types of Brand Activation
Brand activation can be broadly classified into two types, activity based and venue based activation.
Activity based brand activation:
- Sampling campaigns
- Experimental marketing
- In-store brand activation
Venue based brand activation:
- Mall activation
- Society activation
- Corporate activation
- Campus activation
- Dealer activation
Activity based brand activation
Sampling campaigns
Often consumers are skeptical about trying new products. The risk of buying a product, they might or might not like, discourages many buyers. In sampling campaigns, the brand hands over free sample products to the consumers, giving them a chance to experience the product first-hand. Sampling campaigns literally, give the audience a taste of the product, resting the fate of the product on its quality rather than on some marketing gimmick. A widely popular form of marketing, sampling campaign is practiced by FMCG brands, cosmetic industry among many others. At sampling counters, consumers get to try out the product live and immediately, which gives impetus to sales.
Effective sampling campaigns are conducted in the ‘right location’. For example, the right location for a brand selling health supplements would be fitness centers. Conducting sampling campaigns in the right location will give you direct access to your target group, which helps to boost sales.
Key attributes:
- Gives an opportunity to the consumer to test the products, first-hand
- Free sampling gives the brand tremendous exposure
- Initiates the buying process, by offering a free sample of the product
Experiential marketing
Also referred to as engagement marketing. Experiential marketing aims to eliminate the gap between brand and the user. Experiential marketing is all about creating an experience for the consumer so that the consumer associates the (positive) experience with the brand. It provides an immersive marketing experience in order to connect with the target audience on an interpersonal level.
One of the best examples of experiential marketing is Oreo’s 3D Printer. Mondelez International, Oreo’s parent company installed 3D printers that customized the flavors of the Oreo cookies according to the user. Mondelez International synchronized the 3D printer data to its social media feed, thereby publishing the most trending flavors on their Twitter account. The 3D printer helped to engage consumers by giving them access to create their very own personalized Oreo cookies.
Key attributes:
- Creates an experience that the consumer can connect with the brand
- Has a powerful impact on the consumer
- Grabs the attention of bloggers and influencers
In-store brand activation
In-store activation is a form of marketing wherein you use the point- of-sale platform to market your product. The point-of-sale platform could be a store, showroom or even a supermarket. In-store activation is an advantageous marketing medium, since it influences the buyer at a lucrative time and platform. It affects the buying decision of the audience and indirectly results in increased sales and higher brand recall value. Be it a kiosk or a display stand in store; it has a much greater impact than other marketing tactics because it influences the buyer at the perfect time and place. That being said, in-store activation is suitable only for certain types of products and services.
Key attributes:
- Creates a clear distinction between your brand and the competitors
- In-store compels consumer for impulse purchase, hence driving consumer action
- Gives the consumer an opportunity to touch and feel your products
Venue based brand activation
Creating experiential spaces for
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How brand activation can help your business?
“Today it's important to be present, be relevant and add value."
– Nick Besbeas
Tips to bear in mind for an effective campaign
Study your target audience
The first step of any campaign is studying your target group. Understand your demography and the psyche of your consumer before you chalk out BTL campaign ideas. A thorough understanding of the market will help you plan out an effective campaign.
Determining a definite goal
Before you plunge yourself into brand promotions, you need to be clear about what is it that you seek to achieve. Whether it is building your brand’s credibility, reaching out to the untapped market or spreading brand awareness; once you are clear about your goal, you can chalk out an effective plan to achieve it.
Determining a definite goal
Before you plunge yourself into brand promotions, you need to be clear about what is it that you seek to achieve. Whether it is building your brand’s credibility, reaching out to the untapped market or spreading brand awareness; once you are clear about your goal, you can chalk out an effective plan to achieve it.
Brining something new to the table
In order to cut the competition, you need a novel idea and concept. Aping your competitors can do more harm than good. The audience subconsciously might associate your product with that of your competitor’s. This is why creating a new concept is extremely important. Not only will it give your brand an identity of its own by it will also increase brand recall value.
Brining something new to the table
In order to cut the competition, you need a novel idea and concept. Aping your competitors can do more harm than good. The audience subconsciously might associate your product with that of your competitor’s. This is why creating a new concept is extremely important. Not only will it give your brand an identity of its own by it will also increase brand recall value.
Consistency is key
Activation is not a one-time activity. You cannot organize one campaign and expect to reap full benefits at one way. With brand activation consistency is key. To leverage your investment you need to be consistent and persistent with your brand promotions. With consistent promotional activities you can imprint on the minds of the consumers and create a positive brand image.
Consistency is key
Activation is not a one-time activity. You cannot organize one campaign and expect to reap full benefits at one way. With brand activation consistency is key. To leverage your investment you need to be consistent and persistent with your brand promotions. With consistent promotional activities you can imprint on the minds of the consumers and create a positive brand image.
Leave it to the experts
Conducting a country wide activation campaign requires adequate resources and expertise. There are plenty of BTL services providers in the country you can partner with. Collaborating with a talented company will ensure that you have an effective campaign in place. The activation company will also provide you with tool to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.
Leave it to the experts
Conducting a country wide activation campaign requires adequate resources and expertise. There are plenty of BTL services providers in the country you can partner with. Collaborating with a talented company will ensure that you have an effective campaign in place. The activation company will also provide you with tool to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.
An innovative brand activation concept requires a befitting stage
Insta Brand Activation designs, develops and delivers premium brand promotion setups in India. Our expertly designed setups are scalable, portable and easy to assemble and dismantle.
From concept development, setup designing, production to logistics and on-ground installation; we will handle it all for you. Insta is the ideal choice for PAN India executions. We will deliver and assist you with installation and dismantling anywhere you exhibit in the country. We have offices in 7 cities in India to ensure smooth project execution.
Why choose us?
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