Consumers are bombarded with an overwhelming influx of marketing messages throughout their day. This makes it challenging for brands to cut through the noise and forge genuine connections with their target audiences. This is where brand activations come in. But once pack down is complete, how can you determine if it was a success and worth the investment?

What is a brand activation?

In a nutshell, brand activation refers to interactive and impactful experiences that engage consumers with a brand. Typically, they offer a tangible experience, inviting people to physically interact with a brand, although they can also be online or virtual.

Types of brand activations

For this article, we’ll focus on two main types of brand activations:

• In-store brand activation: These activations occur within a retail setting and often utilise eye-catching displays, interactive elements, and engaging product demonstrations to attract shoppers. These activations are effective in increasing foot traffic, encouraging impulse purchases, and generating buzz around a brand.

• Event brand activation: These activations take place during events like trade shows, festivals, and conferences, offering various immersive experiences under one roof. As you’re likely to be competing with other brands for the attention of attendees, it’s essential to think outside the box to create a memorable, lasting impression.

Measuring experiential ROI

Measuring the effectiveness of experiential marketing campaigns can prove more challenging than traditional or digital marketing. Many meaningful indicators, like smiles and enthusiasm, are hard to quantify. However, with careful planning and clearly defined objectives, there is plenty of valuable data you can harness.

Defining objectives

To accurately gauge your activation’s success, it’s crucial to establish clear objectives during the planning phase. We recommend picking 2-3 objectives rather than trying to tackle too many at once. Common goals might include:

• Increasing brand awareness among new demographics
• Enhancing or shifting brand sentiment
• Capturing leads
• Strengthening customer relationships
• Encouraging product interaction
• Boosting social media engagement 

It’s important to be specific with your objectives, like a target number of social media posts, to create a solid benchmark for assessment post-event.

8 signs of a successful brand activation

1. Acquisition

Evaluating actual acquisition provides the clearest insight into the activation’s success, especially at events with multiple experiences. Comparing pre-event registrations to actual attendance helps identify gaps in appeal or marketing effectiveness. Identify if there is a disparity between foot traffic and attendees at your stand. If so, this will raise important questions about why attendees chose to visit competitors instead, helping inform your future events.

2. Social media activity

Choose a simple hashtag for your campaign that doesn’t already have a lot of existing posts. Make sure it’s visible at the activation and brand ambassadors are actively encouraging its use. This will allow you to measure the volume of posts tagged, the reach of those sharing and the level of engagement these posts received.

3. Conversations

Brand ambassadors are pivotal to your activation’s success. Train them to note the number and nature of conversations they engage in, as well as any noteworthy feedback. This data can provide insights into brand sentiment and long-term engagement. 

4. Surveys

Numbers reflect quantity but surveys provide quality insights. Onsite surveys can yield a higher response rate while memories are fresh, but they might detract from the experience. Post-event surveys, although generally receiving fewer responses, can reveal lasting impressions of the experience. Use open-ended questions to garner deeper insights. Rather than asking, “Did you enjoy this event?” ask, “What aspects of the event did you find most enjoyable?” If applicable, be sure to conduct similar surveys for clients or sponsors post-event.

5. Media coverage

Before your activation, reach out to media representatives and social media influencers to invite them for an exclusive preview. Once the activation is underway, monitor the coverage it generates. Since media are inundated with invitations, it’s essential that your activation stands out to capture their interest. Offering them the opportunity to bring a guest can further boost attendance and engagement.

6. Sales generated

Revenue becomes a key metric when your activation includes a point of sale. If direct sales aren’t involved, track online sales related to the event by using unique campaign codes distributed during the activation or included in follow-up marketing. A noticeable spike in product sales in the days following the event can reflect the activation’s success.

7. New database sign-ups

Monitoring new email sign-ups is a popular way to measure the effectiveness of an activation. Ensure you have proper attribution funnels set up before the event to accurately evaluate which leads were generated from the activation.

8. Volunteer management 

Efficiently managed volunteers are often an overlooked indicator of event success. A smoothly operating team points to effective planning and execution.

At RD, we specialise in creating brand activations that leave a mark. Talk to us today about bringing your next event to life.