Guest post by Elizabeth Raw from R+R Packaging

The commercial success of any event is based on its marketing - after all, it’s your promotional strategy that creates hype and subsequently drives ticket sales. With that in mind, today our friends over at R+R Packaging are taking a closer look at how you can effectively adapt your event marketing campaign to properly reflect your brand, communicating a particular image and ethos to create the desired event experience for each and every one of your attendees.

Boost your strategy with social media

Social media has become one of the most popular weapons in any event marketer’s arsenal, and for good reason! From generating that initial buzz to shifting those last few tickets, social media provides the perfect opportunity to communicate directly with your target audience, and can say much more about your brand than you may originally perceive.

One of the main appeals of social media marketing is the ability to target a specific demographic through filtered advertisements and sponsored posts. Utilising this feature to establish your target audience is not only an efficient way to spend your advertising budget, but is also an effective way of communicating what your brand is all about. For example, if you’re a music festival showcasing the latest in chart-topping talent, targeting your posts at a young demographic will quickly create a buzz amongst the age group and, in turn, present you as a cool and contemporary brand. The beauty of social media is that the more people interact, the wider your organic reach, so look to present your brand image through the tone of your posts and your approach to engagement.

While a good social media presence encourages a sense of interaction from brand to consumer, remember your primary purpose is to promote. As such, regularly use calls-to-action in your content to drive sign-ups, queries and ticket sales. Look to make this process as simple as possible by using a hassle-free booking software like Bookitbee. Not only will this improve the event experience by ensuring ticket purchasing and event management is as seamless as possible, but in doing so you will legitimise your event and, subsequently, your brand.

Remain consistent for recognisability

Of course, that’s not to say social media is your only promotional tool. On the contrary, traditional methods such as postering and flyering still serve a distinctive purpose, but in order to utilise these to their full capability, you need to ensure you have consistent branding across all your promotional mediums.

Whether it’s an instantly recognisable name, a memorable colour and font or an eye-catching logo, ensuring there’s a consistency across all platforms not only legitimises your brand, but also can be a subtle yet effective way to communicate more about your event. For example, the use of bright colours and unique fonts is a great way of portraying your brand as fun - making it a perfect option for charity fundraisers. However, that’s not to say this branding is solely restricted to promotional material. Keep it consistent on the day with branding wherever possible, from bespoke food and drink packaging to custom merchandise. Whatever your event, whatever your marketing strategy, look to utilise consistent branding that communicates more about your event and brand than perhaps first meets the eye.

Promote ethical choices

With a collective eco-consciousness becoming an increasingly prominent influencer in day-to-day life, looking to incorporate environmental practices into your event can be the perfect way to ensure and promote a positive brand image through communicating ethical integrity.

When it comes to environmentalism, there really is no down side. As environmental impact becomes an increasingly influential factor in consumer choices, promoting your event’s eco-friendliness and your brand’s subsequent ethical image is both a great promotional tool and, more importantly, will help you do your bit for the planet! Though this may sound easier said than done, the success of Glastobury’s increased focus on going green this year is proof of a

consumer desire for green practice. Everything from eco-friendly food packaging and recycling schemes, to car-share programmes at work can make a difference, so look to implement whatever you can as a way of promoting an ethical brand to the benefit of both your event and its attendees alike.

The way you market your next event may say more about your brand than you think. Follow these tips to ensure you’re effectively communicating what your brand is all about, ensuring the best event experience for your attendees in the process.

This is a guest blog post from Elizabeth Raw at R+R Packaging, providers of biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging materials for businesses within a wide variety of industries.

Photo by danny howe on Unsplash