A new era
Gone are the days when the customer can be expected to come to you. Today’s buyer can shop anywhere, any time, and any way they like, so you have to work that little bit harder in order to reach them. With the focus shifting away from brands and onto consumers, you need opportunities for consumers to engage with your brand in a memorable and relevant manner. Teddy Roosevelt noted that “People don’t care how much you know ’til they know how much you care.”
What it is and what it isn’t
While still seeking new ideas to get shoppers to notice you, brand activation is more than just grabbing shoppers’ attention. Ultimately, you want to create an enthusiastic emotional connection with your prospects that motivates them to take specific actions.
Brand activation is not a smoke and mirrors promotion. To be successful, it delves into the core of the brand to find the magic that makes your brand unique. By telling your brand’s story in a compelling way, you can establish lasting brand-consumer connections.
Here are three steps for brand activation programs that motivate consumers to act:
- Articulate what action you want your consumers to take. Your goals must be quantifiable. You need to be able to determine how you will know your audience actually cares.
- Once you’ve determined the why, formulate the activation how. Anticipate how your activation strategy can inspire consumers to take action and create a lasting impression. Design activities that facilitate a connection that meaningfully relates to who you are and to your brand promise. Taking brands out-of-store – and into forecourts, nightclubs, street corners, shebeens, and taxi ranks – has transformed the activation landscape.
- Identify ways to extend your activation to generate additional customer touchpoints. Layer your channels – social, experiential, digital – to keep the conversation going. Work to leverage the one initiative or event to keep your brand visible and to fuel awareness and participation.
For more information on how we can get your launch off the ground without a hitch, please contact us today.