Introduction
In order to boost brand awareness and sales activation, brand activation is the
provision of a distinctive, memorable experience. A good brand activation gives a
multi-touch brand experience with a number of interactive and unexpected aspects,
making the process more memorable.
Using internet technologies, brand activation can be an event or a product sample
campaign. It depends greatly on the brand’s products and services. Brand activation
seeks to attract more loyal customers and provide the audience or participants with a
memorable brand experience.
What Is The Definition Of Brand Activation?
The activation of a brand is any event, campaign, or encounter through which a firm
influences customer behavior. This strategy attempts to increase brand recognition
and sales activation, cultivate long-lasting relationships with the target demographic,
and foster customer loyalty. It increases client engagement by facilitating direct
communication with a company.
Unique brand experiences can be created at a huge, fashion-inspired event at an
expensive hotel or restaurant, or in a more targeted manner by sending the appropriate
samples to the appropriate individuals.
In a brand activation campaign, creative ideas give a multi-touch brand experience in
order to engage a new local or even online company with its intended audience.
Brand activation is useful when introducing a new product line or business, and it
always requires a distinctive interactive experience to attract loyal customers.
Numerous firms use brand activation campaigns to separate themselves from their
rivals, employing a variety of techniques such as in-store or virtual events, influencer
marketing, product sampling, and freebies.
Typically, a brand activation event resembles a party where people have a good time
and share their thoughts and experiences with the company.
During brand activation events, participants frequently connect with the brand or its
products or services and, in most instances, appreciate obtaining free samples and
presents. Brand activation campaigns are typically one-time activities on a set day,
distinguishing them from continuous branding initiatives.
Why Is Brand Activation So Crucial?
Brand activation is vital for creating a lasting impression in the minds of consumers.
There are numerous instances in which a brand may need to refresh the memory of its
users. Still, the most prevalent circumstances include the introduction of a new brand,
a new product line, rebranding, and market competition.
In the age of digital marketing, it is incredibly difficult to stand out among the
thousands of brands that strive to reach their objectives. To make a brand distinctive,
marketers seek engaging and successful means of reaching their target audience.
Brand activation, guerrilla marketing, ambient marketing, and ambush marketing are
some forms of experiential marketing that come to the rescue.
If you are just establishing a business, you know your audience well, but they are
unfamiliar with you. Business activation is a fantastic opportunity to introduce your
brand and establish emotional bonds with prospective customers. Experiential
marketing enables you to develop something engaging and relevant to your brand that
will pique the interest of even strangers.
It’s time to study more about this technique now that you’re aware of the reasons why
businesses frequently host a variety of events, develop distinctive campaigns, and
communicate directly with customers.
Types Of Brand Activation
Various methods of brand activation are popular with both new and existing firms,
depending on the size of the business and its target demographic. In order to raise
brand awareness or introduce a new product, or demonstrate their unique, interactive
designs at concerts or festivals, prestigious brands with significant budgets frequently
employ experimental marketing. Smaller brands typically choose for more cost-
effective strategies.
1.Marketing Experimentation For Brand Activation
Well-known firms typically utilize experimental marketing to communicate with
customers face-to-face. Experimental marketing gives a multi-touch impression of the
brand and a unique interactive experience with the brand or product.
From Contour’s adult-sized baby strollers to Sonic’s square milkshakes sold only in
exchange for Instagram pictures, experimental marketing is where innovative brand-
sponsored experiences are produced.
In contemporary examples of experimental marketing, internet and offline brand
activation efforts are frequently combined.
From having an influencer in-store or at a party to internet streaming, social media
live streams and giveaway promotions, as well as live contests. These solutions
facilitate millions of global impressions for marketers.
2.Marketing Promotion For Brand Activation
Using digital marketing applications and social media campaigns, new firms and
startups utilize promotional marketing to gain customers and even enter new
industries.
Modern brands use promotional marketing strategies such as social media campaigns
and influencer marketing to achieve significant brand activation objectives.
Through incentive loyalty programs, free sample giveaways, contests, social media
freebies, special offers, etc., promotional marketing aids in acquiring a consumer base
that is devoted to the company.
Promotional marketing is essentially an umbrella term for all efforts that result in
brand promotion.
3. Engagement On Social Media For Brand Activation
New brands employ this capacity to attain unthinkable targets with their brand
activation efforts on trendy social media networks with a huge number of subscribers.
Typically, social media influencer campaigns are curated by brands that hand-select a
group of celebrities or influencers for their events in order to have them broadcast to
their network of followers and enhance brand awareness.
Influencers on social media host contests that result in a great deal of user
engagement, and sometimes brands provide their followers with free samples or
discount vouchers.
4.Retail In-Store Brand Activation
The grand opening of local businesses and stores of well-known companies is another
instance in which new ideas and unusual experiences can be displayed.
In-store spaces are utilized by brands to communicate with customers in novel and
inventive ways. Inviting a few well-known influencers to a store’s grand opening
boosts public awareness and impressions.
In-store social media interactions are a trendy trend in brand activation that provides
customers with a unique marketing experience.
5.Pop-up Brand Store Activation
Several advantages of in-store marketing make it profitable for brands to undertake
pop-up store brand activation campaigns. People find pop-up stores amusing and
unexpected, and they are particularly effective in attracting social media users’
attention.
Pop-up stores are utilized by prominent technology firms such as Google and local tea
and coffee beverage brands in various cities to reach their respective target groups.
Some pop-up store brand activation utilizes modern technology, such as robotics and
virtual reality experiences, to increase attention.
Sample distribution is frequent in pop-up store brand activation efforts, and numerous
sorts of local retailers use public transportation stations to give or sell their product
samples.
When you have something to sell to locals, the best solution is to open one or more
pop-up stores in bustling urban areas.
6. Sample Products for Brand Activation
After the covid-19 pandemic, various types of product sampling underwent structural
adjustments due to hygiene concerns in shared in-store product samplings,
particularly for beauty and skincare items.
Individual, ready-to-use product samples are currently the most common approach for
end consumers to interact with a brand and its products.
Brands may target the relevant individuals for product sampling and execute a
successful brand activation campaign by utilizing both physical and digital solutions.
As brand activation is both an art and a science, the line between the various forms is
typically somewhat hazy. A great brand activation campaign combines multiple
categories. Each brand requires its own brand activation strategy.
How To Launch Your Brand
A lacklustre and inappropriate strategy will not draw more customers to your brand. A
brand activation strategy is a terrific answer if you wish to generate buzz around your
firm. Determine your brand’s core values. Determine what you want to be known for
and what you value first and foremost. More important than how you position your
brand is what consumers think of it. Therefore, you must ensure the clarity of your
brand’s messaging.
Define your audience. Attempting to satisfy the requirements and desires of your
audience without first evaluating and segmenting it is not a good idea. 72% of
customers prefer marketing communications suited to their interests, according to the
report. Therefore, you must understand the demographics, interests, and
characteristics of your ideal customers. You should seek customers who will value
your goods or services the greatest. Consider developing buyer personas for this
objective.
Conduct a SWOT analysis. Before preparing various events, campaigns, and
installations, you must understand the brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats. Do not forget that some brand activation initiatives can demand a
substantial amount of resources, but others can be simple and inexpensive. However,
you do not absolutely need a large budget to launch a campaign since even a unique
booth placement can draw a large audience.
Examine the methods for reaching your audience. Keep in mind that there are
numerous approaches to appeal to your prospects, such as product demonstration
installations, mobile vans, games, and many more. Choose an appropriate way to
effectively convey your message to your intended audience.
Consider management. The final stage is to unite the preceding steps and establish a
formidable team to bring everything to life. Assign the appropriate responsibilities in
order to engage every member of your team.
Activation Features Of A Brand
As we’ve just discussed, brand activation is a unique experience, yet they all have
some characteristics.
These factors are among the most powerful brand activation features:
1.Surprise
All brand activation strategies incorporate the use of shocking aspects to attract the
intended audience. Numerous brands, notably the Lipton tea firm in London, which
created a pop-up yellow water slide in the midst of the city one morning, and Google
Play, which distributed cupcakes, use this strategy to stand out. When your mind
observes components that are out of place but nice, it creates a great brand experience.
2. Imagining And Sharing
Another prevalent aspect of brand activation efforts is the creation of a fantasizing
experience that the target audience loves to share. Brands must understand the needs
and aspirations of their target consumers in order to attract the correct customers and
gain their attention. Over 40 “hosts” (actors from the television series Westworld)
directed and entertained Westworld fans at a real-life HBO event in Austin, Texas, in
2018.
The Durango Boots company accomplished this by utilizing El Diablo, a mechanical
bull that its target demographic enjoys riding and sharing the experience with others.
3. Offers Of Freebies
The majority of brand activation initiatives exchange free samples or products for user
feedback. Different forms of giveaways, ranging from free samples to promotions,
may be used by brands to engage and entertain their target audience. Brand activation
events can vary greatly, but they all aim to raise brand recognition and engage the
target audience.
Why is Brand Activation Necessary?
Brand activation is important for rebranding, product/service launches, and brand
launches. To win client trust and fulfil their branding goals, new firms must
differentiate themselves from their thousands, or at least hundreds, of competitors. To
flourish in the marketplace, brands must engage their customers with their uniqueness
and core values; brand activation is the public presentation of these characteristics.
Some examples of brand activation include opening a shop or local branch of a chain
business, operating a new line of products/services, and even reconstructing brand
image and identity.
Numerous well-known examples of brand activation events also occur on social
media, including social media giveaways, influencer marketing, and online
sweepstakes. These marketing and branding actions are extremely beneficial among
online users and can be utilized to increase a brand’s impressions and make an event
go viral.
Sample distribution is another sort of brand activation for which there are online
solutions that offer the opportunity to communicate directly with the target audience
via the use of artificial intelligence algorithms. Providing social media users with a
unique brand experience through sample distribution and free giveaways is a well-
known kind of brand activation.
How Can Brand Ambassadors Help in Launching a Brand?
Brand ambassadors play a crucial role in launching a brand. With their influence and charisma, they promote brand awareness, engage with potential customers, and enhance brand credibility. The role of brand ambassadors extends to creating a positive brand image, generating buzz, and driving sales through their endorsement. Their endorsement and genuine support can significantly impact a brand’s success during its initial phase.
How Does Brand Activation Help in Launching a New Brand?
Brand and sales activation importance is crucial in successfully launching a new brand. It helps create awareness and buzz around the brand, attracting the attention of potential customers. Through strategic marketing activities and campaigns, brand activation increases brand visibility and engagement, driving sales and fostering brand loyalty. It creates an impactful first impression, establishing the brand’s identity in the market.
Conclusion
Brand activation is a sort of branding that employs various interactive components to
engage clients and develop a long-lasting emotional bond. An effective brand
activation campaign includes unexpected and amusing features that engage people in
unique ways.
Unique brand impressions and experiences provided by a brand activation frequently
go viral on social media, hence increasing brand awareness.
Local and multinational brands frequently mix pop-up store and product sample
campaigns as the most popular methods of brand activation for unique events.
While pop-up stores are a trendy experimental marketing strategy for huge brands,
small and medium-sized enterprises can obtain an adequate return on investment with
digital solutions.