Event Activation – Why all the fuss?

What is an event activation?

Unfortunately, it’s not so simple to just lay it out there. Perhaps it’s best to start by explaining what it should do. It’s all about creating the excitement to participate, to want to be involved or to know more. The purpose is to draw people in and get them excited! It could be something as simple as a clever feature wall or mural that makes a great backdrop for selfies; user generated content can take you a long way through a person’s social media network! Larger, more complex activations might involve a flash mob, surprise singer or pop-up market.

The strategy behind event activation – why do it?

It can be hard to grab people’s attention away from their phones in this digital age. Event activation has the advantage of delivering that extra WOW factor in the moment that gets your brand, product or cause noticed. When done correctly, the audience or attendees of the activation will leave with a strong, positive association with the brand or intended message and will feel impressed and engaged. Depending on the depth and engagement level of the activation, they may even be talking about it amongst themselves and with others for days to come!

Event activation is essentially fun. It’s bound only by the imagination as to what you can do to engage an audience. Virtual Reality technology, free giveaways, sensory stimulation, sound, taste, robot races, literal beer gardens, it all boils down to one thing. Being remembered!

Often an event activation is about providing information or a sample of something you might want more of. In simple terms, “try this for free, we think it’s great and hope you will too”! If they have a great time while consuming this product, have fun and feel engaged, now they will remember how much they enjoyed it as well! As a communications and marketing agency, this is where creating the event activation link between the product or cause and the audience becomes essential. At C7EVEN, our goal is to create an activation with a high enough engagement level that the event attendees go from having a passive to an active experience. What do we mean by that? Well, basically we want to create a dialogue with the person and inform them about the product which will then in turn cause them to behave in a certain way.

The real key to the event activation jumping castle

The key to a successful event activation is knowing your audience. Who are you talking to? What do they want from you? Is what you’re trying to tell them relevant? Is the way you’re trying to tell them relevant? Retirees may be the perfect audience for campervans but you won’t get anywhere trying to convince them onto a jumping castle. Making sure the message is going to the right people and being activated in the right way is vital to campaign success!

C7EVEN loves the flexible nature of event activations and have been keeping busy this month from line-dancing in Sydney’s Martin Place to flipping free samples of Dare at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns. We’re an imagination and ideas emporium with a specialty in event activations. Contact us today to find out how we can help you level up your cause awareness, campaign or brand. We know everything there is to know about running a successful event.