Experiences In Live Event Marketing:Verizon FIOS FEST!

FIOS FEST Rolls out across the US

As a live event marketing professional, I’ve been honored to be a part of some amazing live event marketing campaigns. When Verizon began to enable FIOS in the major US markets, I was selected to be a part the live event marketing group for one the largest fiber-optic roll outs of the new millennium. At the time, FIOS was a new entity, and our job was introducing it to folks that weren’t familiar with all it’s intricacies. This was a live event campaign across the country hitting all the major cities in states such as New York, Florida, Texas and California. We created a campaign that encompassed all key elements to execute a flawless marketing campaign. We named it FIOS FESTS. The following were elements that we implemented to ensure the best outcome possible for the client.

How we did it – by the numbers!

1. Pre-promote. Letting the local consumer base know where, when, what, and why in fun, creative ways to motivate consumers and drive interest for the live marketing event. For FIOS, we would set up in front of local businesses and speak to consumers one on one and offer fun incentives for their time. We also incorporated music by offering free music downloads from our site. For this campaign, pre-promotion was a key target for creating a great, well attended event.

2. Location. Finding a centralized location was another key factor in the overall execution of the FIOS events. With the FIOS FEST, we needed a football field-sized area that would hold several 20 foot x 20 foot tents, a fully loaded event stage and a footprint for vendors. Permits and approvals had to be obtained well in advance to avoid any last minute snafus that might have arisen. The idea was to make the event as accessible to as many of the locals as possible without having them make a major trek from end of the city to the other.

3. Production. For the FIOS FEST, and for every other event I’ve been a part of, the final and most critical element is incorporating the right production equipment. This will enhance and make sure your event comes across as professional endeavor and not some thrown together, last minute after thought. The stage is the focal point of any live event as it features the entertainment and contests going on throughout the day. For FIOS FEST, we used a SAM 550 mobile stage at each of our locations. This StageLine SAM550 model is the flagship of the StageLine fleet with a deck size of 50 feet x 38 feet and a load bearing rooftop capable of supporting 44,000 lbs. With flown Line Array, state of the art lighting, and (of course) FIOS banners, it made an impressive centerpiece to the FIOS FEST.

From FIOS to Production Experience, Inc.

My experience with the FIOS FEST campaign, as well as several other live event marketing promotions, has made me a valuable addition in my current position as Live Event Marketing Manager at Production Experience, Inc. The main keys as listed above are my steps to executing a flawless event anywhere from a few hundred, to thousands of participants. As always, “Go big or go home”! Your target consumers are worth it and they deserve the best in execution with the right production pieces at the core.

Hopefully this blog has been informative for our event planner clients! For more information on In Depth Events and our event production capabilities, please Ask Us a Question today. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you on your event!

Tips and Tricks for Stepping Up in the Live Event Marketing Game

In the business of live event marketing, the key is reaching the most people as effectively as possible. Live events continue to evolve each year, incorporating more and more social media elements along with keeping the things that worked in the past. How can you step up your event game and have the greatest impact on the consumer?

Size DOES matter in live events!

Footprint size and location of said footprint is a great place to start. Size does matter in this instance. If you can be outside you really get more visibility and foot traffic than an indoor space. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more on a larger sized section. The extra investment always pays off with increased overall numbers and interactions.

Impressions, Interactions and Interactives

Location goes hand in hand with your footprint. Where do you need to set up to give your team the best opportunity to make the most impressions? Normally, if you’re just going for impressions; you should secure a spot near one of the entrances or exits. However, if you need interactions this may backfire on you as consumers are usually rushing in or rushing out – making it more difficult to engage your key demographic. I would suggest somewhere in the thick of the event at a corner where there is plenty of foot traffic coming from all directions.

The next element to step up your event game would be your interactives. Consumers love sweepstakes and an opportunity to win no matter what the prize. Make it a trip, shopping spree or even cold hard cash. Anything that drives the consumer to your footprint and initiates conversation with the promotional professional.

Bring the A Game with technology

Once the consumer is captivated by the scope of your footprint and giveaway; now is your chance to impress with technology. Take your product or service to the next level with techno enhancement. LED walls, professional sound, lighting and staging are all tools to bring foot traffic, and ultimately, close the deal. Be ready for the all the accolades to come pouring in from your live event marketing attendees – and from your end client!

Oh…and don’t forget to have fun. This always creates a more welcoming environment for consumers when they see your team enjoying the moment.

Image of Marketing Event Activation on College Campus

Choosing the Right Marketing Campaign Production Vendor

How important is the marketing campaign production vendor? A touring marketing campaign can be made or broken depending on the choices the marketing firm makes in the planning and during the entire run of the campaign. In today’s live event and experiential touring campaigns, production rental is a huge part of the event. Choosing the right vendor for audio, lighting, video and staging rentals can make (or break) your activation. The number one key element for a smooth running program is having the right production support.

Production elements such as sound system needs, LED Video Walls and décor lighting – can make or break your touring campaign. You are literally moving a footprint from one side of the country to the other with pitfalls waiting for you at every turn. It sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Why would any sane person even attempt this Barnum and Bailey circus?

Get the attention your brand deserves – engage the consumer!

Simply put – it’s the most effective way to communicate a brand to the consumer. Live event marketing allows a company to communicate directly to the consumer in a one on one dialogue. This has far more impact than a radio ad, print ad or billboard. Consumers want to feel special and unique – not just a number in an overpopulated society trying to step over each other to get noticed. To get this attention, you’ve got to have a marketing campaign production vendor providing the technical requirements that make a live event possible. None of this could be possible without the right production support.

In Depth Events to the rescue! With over 10 years of experience as a marketing campaign production vendor, we know how to get the circus from point A to point B in the most effective and efficient way possible while having your campaign stand out from the crowd. You have enough to worry about. Leave the logistics to In Depth Events and sit back and enjoy the show while clients rave about how well the campaign is running. Staging, lighting, audio and promo vehicles are just a few elements we do best. You can’t have a successful campaign when you can’t communicate to your target audience. They need to be able to hear, see and experience the brand in a seamless fashion so they walk away with an experience they’ll remember for a lifetime. Get the right production support and take your marketing campaign to the next level.

Experiential Marketing – Cost Effectiveness for your Brand

Quality Interaction with Potential Consumers

In this day and age of media bombardment, one on one interaction is becoming increasingly more essential to get your product or service in front of consumers. As the consumer interacts with a real person in a branded setting, the consumer gets the opportunity to ‘touch and feel’ – which increases brand loyalty. The need for this type of quality interaction has never been more important than it is today.

The average attention span in 2012 was 8 seconds. I’m sure it’s gone down this year. Companies need to get in front of consumers. What is the best way to accomplish that? In my opinion, it’s Experiential Marketing – creating a memorable experience for the consumer in a short window. The days of billboards being effective as they once were are gone. Radio and TV ads are not even remotely as effective as they once were. Where does a company go to truly affect their bottom line instantaneously? Experiential Marketing, along with social media, can support a brand like no other marketing strategy.

Cost effectiveness is one of the first thing companies look for when sourcing ways to promote and Experiential Marketing comes in at far less than ‘traditional’ marketing. According to On Board Experiential Marketing; the average cost per impression was $.04 compared to $.033 for a national magazine ad and $.19 for prime time TV ads. Clearly Experiential Marketing is the more cost effective way to go while getting in front of the consumer and maximizing that 8 second window.

Choosing your Marketing Firm and your Production Company

How does one go about securing the right marketing agency? Seek out those with experience, knowledge, and the right production company to support the campaign. Whether you’re looking to promote the latest razor or introduce the newest blockbuster movie, you need a marketing team that will work with you from start to finish. You must check references and do your due diligence when sourcing a marketing firm. How long have they been in business and what campaigns have they worked on in the past? These are just two of the crucial elements in selecting the right agency for you.

Having the proper production support, including the audio system, staging needs, and generator rentals is critical to making any marketing campaign work. The staff at In Depth Events has been doing this for awhile and know their stuff. Based in the great state of Texas with a logistics team that goes all over the nation, the good people at In Depth Events have been supporting events and marketing campaigns for years – proving that they’re among the best at what they do with state of the art components.

At the end of the day, an Experiential Marketing campaign, coupled with the resources of a top notch Marketing Firm and Production Company will help market and promote your next hot product or service for the best return on investment. Sit back and see the impact on your bottom line.