How to engage your audience at an event

Summer 2023 was splashed with Barbie pink! Pink is just all over the place wherever you go & however you turn your gaze. A good marketing campaign in place? Indeed. Countless brands were equipped to push for the cultural Barbie craze across industries. F&B dipped in some buns & feminized their shakes with cotton candy pink shakes.  The fashion industry (especially renowned luxury brands) started introducing pink gradients almost a year in advance, unintentionally? We think not!  The big umbrella is an, engaging marketing approach through:  On Ground Activations Partnerships Collaborations  The above were smoothly injected in the mainstream media & cultural collective subconscious mind with Barbie PINK.  Barbie successfully transcended from a mere entertainment (temporary story) to an official cultural hype. Targeted & non targeted audience across age groups related to the nostalgia that the movie has depicted. Smart & short snippets were released every now & their ripple effect on how excited people were was very obvious with an increase in pink inspired lifestyle trends.  Barbie pink in stores, on shelves, PINK simply took over!  The list of pink inspired lifestyle elements around us just goes on & on and to name a few: Pink wardrobes Pink flavored food & candies Pink funky furniture Barbie themed parties & events  *ps: this even applies to adults more than the kids & youth  If you are wondering what marketing activations, pop ups & practices led to this smooth Pink overtake?  We will list a few: Massive Pink Billboards Nostalgic pink billboards amidst giant towers, hovering above highways, hinting at an iconic comeback. Mattel’s beloved creation graces toy shops once again, announcing a strong comeback that will take over the Big Screens too!  Unboxing Real Humans?  Crazy (but cool) life-sized Barbie Doll package display – clever marketing! Those sought after Pink packages appealed to people of all ages & genders to step into it & snap a cool photo. A great marketing Step into the pink box, snap a Barbie pic. Millions shared, bridging real to digital.  Pinkarpet anyone? The invasion of PINK houses  No one could have missed the Pink Malibu Pink mansion (an Airbnb collaboration obviously)! An irresistible ocean-view mansion that took over the internet Airbnb listing smartly advertised to boost both the mansion and the Barbie lifestyle & movie at once.   Warmer seats on the streets There is no slight chance that any moving human being would have missed the splash of pink on the sidewalks as waiting areas & benches were dipped in Barbie hue alongside the main movie characters & Barbie logo. Barbie lifestyle & colors just gently swayed into the passers’ subconscious minds. Barbie lifestyle taking over the city, one seat at a time (literally).  Insurance Ken be Impactful  An unexpected, yet witty, clever movie set partnership with Progressive Insurance. The teaser revealed a secret client Ken, adding excitement to the upcoming film release. A perfect approach to brand awareness & movie teaser. They see me Rollin’ (Impala Skate collab)  Barbie-themed neon skates by Impala Skate. Gen Z and Old Generation (aka OG) unite, embracing a new community potential! Skaters! Seemed like a long lost street phenomenon or a community from the past. Skaters, existing & to be will just embrace this trend, hoping it injects lazy societies with a more active lifestyle.  Finally, seriously, whoever thought that traditional (on ground) marketing has retired, was slightly wrong or inaccurate. There will always be the place, space, budget and chance to inject insert witty campaigns in mundane situations & locations. People are glued to their screens all day long, this is a fact, but, deep down they miss an actual on-ground live experience that reconnects them with their surroundings.  So next time your marketing team pitches a crazy marketing campaign, just take that leap of faith, and execute it.

FOLO Fear of Leaving Them Out  Events’ success is not solely tied to the glitz and glamor. That, any organizer / occasion is capable of executing. Events, afar from their initial reason to be held, can be evaluated by the moral impact they leave behind. It is all in the details and logistics behind coordinating and arranging to set up any kind of event, and that is inclusive of taking consideration of every single person that might be attending it. It is a no brainer here that we are mentioning the people of determination.  Did We Just Question What Has Been Socially Normalized? The HELL we did!    Every single BODY is the phrase I will put emphasis on to tap into the neglected reality of the importance of events that foster equal experiences for everyone.  There is no doubt that a wide variety of physical and non-physical challenges are linked to many individuals out there, but does this give everyone else the right to segment the audience and restrict the experiences and access to events to an unreasonably culturally normalized category?  The Least We Can Do (aka, it is not even acceptable if we don’t)   I will not, just right now, delve into who, when and why is everything around us built for the ease of a certain category (definitely not the people of determination category). Yet, what we are capable of, is nurturing and cultivating the culture of inclusion by taking into consideration the wide spectrum of challenges that many of us face. How? From an events’ organization POV, taking care of the details is the right way to tackle this, and below is the basic list that should be ticked to maximize inclusion to ensure no individual is left out.    Buckle up, adjust your eyeglasses, lean closer to your screen and take notes!  Where do I halt those wheels!?  Scene One (let’s treat this as a scenario)  Parking Matters   Your event is today and one of the attendees, an individual with determination just arrived. Will he or she find an adequate spot to park their vehicle? Is the parking spot designated to their needs available? Accessibility requires a wider parking space with vertical clearance to fit the wheelchairs.  Scene one CUT – Part 2!  Ramp – Pedestrian Crossing    Same attendee, all parked and ready, is he or she ready to safely hit the road? is there a ramp or even better, a pedestrian passage that guarantees a safe and sooth move from point A to point B?  Push – Pull (maybe just open automatically)  Doors that can actually be opened   Post parking & heading to the door, check out that door. Is it automatic within an easy handle reach? Accessible features within an event start with a door that is customed suit all needs. A clear sign on where it is located, a reachable handle and a small ramp for individuals on wheelchairs.  In, What’s Next?  Level Up – Elevator in Need  Scene three, guest is in, for any given reason he / she cannot take the stairs and your event is not accessible via a flat ground floor track. Is an elevator around? If an elevator does exist, is it big enough to accommodate a wheelchair? Good question. Another transportation element to ensure is in place for a smooth visitor journey.  Battery Low – Socket Hunt on!  Importance of electrical plugs, cable extensions & sockets   We are definitely not tackling a phone battery concern here but an electrical wheelchair that might need recharging. It would be very considerate and professional to have a cable extension at hand.  All Ears, All Eyes!  Importance of Transcripts & Captions for Videos Played  It is of no doubt how crucial and critical it is to facilitate attendees’ engagement at all levels in any event. Providing captioned videos and sign language interpretations. Every human being despite of any lack of senses functionality, deserve to be immersed and comprehend what content is being shared throughout any event.  Nature Calls, We Respect the Call!  Handle support as needed   It might be a detail that does not come across your mind as often, but as much as setting restrooms / making sure restrooms exist in any venue is important, as much as it is crucial to ensure at least one restroom is spacious enough with a handle support is available.  Move Away to Get Together  Mind your Space  Extra space is required around people of determination, whatever their condition is. Especially ones using wheelchairs. Providing a considerate space between seats, pathways and platforms will ease their attendance and spare them the confusion and embarrassment of having to ask people around them to move away so they adjust their positions.  Is it a Bon Appetit Situation?  Clear Menus, Clear Consciousness   Licking those plates clean will be more satisfying when the organizers and attendees alike are aware of the dishes’ components & ingredients. Checking post event on the confirmed attendees’ allergies and food preferences will definitely raise your events’ game a notch (or 2). Always mention the presence of any allergens in your plates / kitchen so you are guilt free and extremely mindful.  Season Finale’? My list will go on and on and on Will have to put an end to the list above as the traditional challenges that usually are overlooked were listed already. The latter and much more are crucial as enhancers of diversity which enriches the essence of any society. When we dedicate our efforts during organizing events towards inclusiveness, we don’t just meet the physical needs of people with determination, we also allow real magic to take place. Inclusion and accessibility open up a world of potential by removing day to day obstacles to enrich a sense of community which serves everyone without any fail.

Your event date has been set, invitations sent out & even better, you have received attendance confirmations! BUT… several elements will seal an events’ deal & make it outstanding. Let us rewind for a bit to check that list together (or make sure you do not miss out on it).  Aside from taking care of the flowers’ colors, arrangements, seating plans, cuisine of choice, fresh sourcing and catering of international and local delicacies, time management, welcome banners’ printing, decorating the desired location and much more (of-coarse the later fall under our offered services) we do advise you do attend to the following elements and factors that will definitely contribute to the success of your event in whatever format it will be.   Before we list the marketing, online and offline creative fundamentals, we would like to disclose that we do provide every single one of them in case your in-house team is hands full or even maybe if you do not have one to start with.  Our creative services include, but not limited to (yes, a pretty much used phrase) includes the following and you can choose them all or mix & match them in a package depending on what you believe your event requires to increase its effectiveness offline and online:   Your Event Yoda   Event Consultancy   You can consult us on the event you have in mind even before you go ahead and start planning it and booking us to help you execute it. You might be pouring this excitement  in a slightly (irrelevant) direction. If you are not sure about what your audience prefers and what might spark their interest. Once we sort this out together we are good to proceed with the conceptualization, planning and execution of your event.   Points we assist you with:  Market study  Audience understanding  Concepts (pitching new and classical concepts that suit your business for you to choose from)  Turning your dream event into reality ( no need to pitch you a concept in this case but plan out the execution for a concept you highly believe in & at the same time advising you on what works with your budget and your market to make your concept more impactful)   Eye Catching  Offline Brochures, Backdrops & Posters  An on-ground event is not limited to attendees, food catering, music, setting up decoration and the rest of the elements we all are aware of. An event will be more impactful if it gets well prepared prior to its date especially if introduced professionally online and offline.   We assist you in hooking your audience in an appealing manner by creatively designing your offline announcement & on-ground appearance and much more: Teasers offline  Reaching out to data base  Designing brochures that align with the chosen concept  Out of the box ideas & approaches that appeal to the audience  Instagrammable posters  Perfect backdrops & non-cringe imagery   Making Memories  Photography & Videography   Definitely an out question necessity, whether you choose us or outsource this vital step. A memorable evidence of your successful event is a must for your portfolio and outreach.  Your guests would love to share their remarkable presence and post about the event. We have just the right talents, tools and experiences to handle it and much more:  Professional visual content in various formats that works well on YT , website & social media platforms  Smart editing of the videos and photos taken  Appealing to attract more audience / push existing ones to share  Videography that is aesthetic & best representative of your values & brand positioning  Take me Home   Takeaways & Souvenirs  We make sure that they keep thinking of you months after the event. How ? An all time favorite (yet tricky) trick (takeaways). But, not any takeaways that might come across as boring or lame. Our takeaways suggestions & sourcing will always be relevant, purposeful and unique. We will assist you by:  Discussing with you the latest market trends when it comes to gadgets, souvenirs and takeaways Advising on what works best for your audience  What impact and uses will this choice have Making sure you do not offer any useless or repetitive items   Online Matters  Landing Pages, Web Design, Ads & Much more   Just like your offline appealing presence that will be displayed via posters, leaflets and much more, we do take care of your online presence prior and post the event by making sure that you reach the right audience through the exquisite messaging, content design and distribution. We will assist you by: Preparing a suitable messaging that best represents your event  Eye capturing design that will make the viewer scroll down / book / reserve  Bilingual copy that will cover your audience Interactive & user friendly pages  Effective ads to boost your event  Paid media budgeting & plans. Driving traffic to your website   Enhanced Search Engines   SEO & SEM  Your online presence will not be seamless without mastering the art of proper SEO and SEM to boost its existence on the search engines. You will rank better when we embed the impactful and most researched for terms in your ads copy, landing pages and meta descriptions. We can assist you with: Organic & paid copy that enhances your SERP (Search Engine Ranking Page)  Incorporating links & keywords that are searchable for your event / industry   Conclusion  Not turning a blind eye to all that was mentioned above will assist you in standing out from the rest. Every event eventually comes to an end but the impact it leaves and the preparations that buildup to its occurrence are of a high importance.  Our creative solutions are results driven in both the short and long run. Whether you decide to handle it yourself or hand this torch to our experts, make sure you do not limit any event you are willing to organize to on-ground presence between the timelines of starting time and closing time. Any event needs a proper positioning offline and online that has to be aligned with your brand, objectives, values and purpose.