Scaling Event Marketing Activations

We are often asked by our clients about scaling event marketing activations. As an event staffing agency we understand the importance of flexibility and reliability when executing a nationwide experiential marketing activation. This blog will discuss the challenges of scaling event marketing and some strategies for smart growth.

We know that even modest event marketing campaigns can be very complicated affairs. To say that there are many moving parts is an understatement. As a brand manager, you must consider the objectives and concerns of the Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams; then develop an effective program that satisfies all their requirements. Let’s consider some ideas about how to manage these concerns.

Marketing is becoming more complex every day. When dealing with the complexity of multi-generational markets, increasing globalization, and digital consumption habits, you have more than enough on your table. However, face-to-face experiential marketing remains an effective strategy to spread your message and build brand advocacy reliably. Following are five tips for managing the process of scaling up your event marketing.

Prioritize Event Marketing Goals:

What event marketing goals are most important to your brand? It might sound simple, but prioritizing your event marketing goals is vital when you bring your activation to life. In order to take care of everything in advance of your event activation, you need to rank your marketing goals. As an event staffing agency, there are multiple ways we can build an event based on your specific goals. Consider interactions, lead capture, brand awareness, message amplification, product distribution, placement, and many other event goals. As your scale the event, the strategy and activation can evolve based on brand priorities.

Of course, plans change. When they do, you’ll need a capable agency to re-organize event activation details on the fly. Consider a program transitioning from a brand awareness campaign to a sales and lead collection strategy. The staffing required for each type of event action might change. While many event staff are multi-talented, we specialize in finding the perfect brand ambassador for your experiential marketing needs. Knowing brand event goals helps us provide staff that will meet your needs as the goals transition.

Scaling Event Marketing Activations Partner:

Finding the right agencies to help you to build your program and to staff your activations is very important. You need people who are experienced with your markets, with your target demographics, and with the kinds of experiential storytelling techniques that will be effective at engaging your potential customers. Garret Carr shares that Ford has a small team and they work with agencies. In order to do this, “the skillset you need is the ability to talk to the sales team, the product team and the brand teams, and to be able to tease out the messages we’re trying to say.” Selecting the right agencies and managing the process is critical to succeeding with event marketing partnerships.

Prepare For Event Launch:

Before you commit to any specific activation experience, you will want to ensure you are ready. This means ensuring that your event budget is clear, the chain of command is in place, agree on event reporting expectations, and the field team is equipped with the resources to succeed. For example, as a chef prepares all the ingredients before beginning to cook, we prepare the event details and logistics so your event activation will go smoothly. Therefore, agencies help keep the bigger picture in mind when your event marketing efforts reach a particular scale.

“Some larger companies might have so many events going on in so many geographies that they rely on their agencies to be the connective tissue and to know what’s going on across the company,” Event Marketer states.

Expect Conflict:

Be ready to mediate effectively. Your team is passionate about getting the desired results, but they may not all agree on the best event activation strategy. Each team has valid concerns and experiential activation marketing goals. Prioritizing these goals early will help diffuse conflict later. Consequently, working with an agency provides the advantage of an outside point of view. Consider the event agency as a voice to provide guidance when things get in the weeds.

Activate, Assess, Adjust, and Evolve:

By bringing together the right talent, equipped with adequate resources, and following a clear plan your event marketing can happen in multiple cities and create a powerful impact. Even the best-planned events need adjustments. During the planned activations takes notes and consider improvements. In conclusion, the best and the worst part of event activations is they are unpredictable. Be ready for change and ensure your agency partners are capable of scaling your event marketing activations.

2023-2024 is looking even more exciting for event marketing. As you scale your marketing efforts and increase your experiential marketing activations, remember that agencies are a critical component of managing this growth.

Choosing an agency like Encore, with our vast pool of talent, our proprietary software with extensive search criteria, and our experience scaling up marketing is a time-saving decision.