B-to-C Events

When it comes to reaching a national audience it’s pretty hard to beat the raw power of television, with millions of eyeballs there for the buying. So why are the marketers at those valuable channels integrating more and more events into their marketing strategies to reach the consumers they need? Because, according to those networks doing it, the power of one-to-one engagement is the best way for them to get focused on key markets and demographics. TLC, Lifetime and WE tv lead the way this summer with a series of targeted tours.

With its new Hunt Across America Tour, which hits 27 GameStop and Cabela’s locations across the country this September and October, Activision is driving pre-orders and excitement for its new hunting-themed video game titles, Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 and Cabela’s North American Adventures for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Consumers that visit the tour will be among the first to play the new games.

On Sept. 11 and 12, recovery drink Code Blue returned to CollegeFest for a second year to reconnect with college students in the Boston area, a major market for the brand. The back-to-school event held at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center is organized by New York City-based youth marketing agency Mr. Youth, and attracts more than 15,000 students from nearly 100 New England-area schools with live performances, giveaways and prizes from more than 90 corporate sponsors.

To promote the Oct. 4 premiere of the new web series “Zombie Roadkill,” starring Thomas Haden Church, online network FEARnet is serving up undead treats at haunted houses in five markets as part of a partnership with the America Haunts network. The series is about college kids who get attacked by the reanimated corpses of recently killed roadside animals, and all does not go well.

Candy brand Tic Tac took advantage of the excitement surrounding the Emmy Awards on Aug. 30 to be the lead sponsor of a Luxury Gift Lounge at the SLS Beverly Hills Hotel two days prior to the show. Organized by Los Angeles-based GBK Productions, the gift lounge invited media and celebrities to interact with brands like Revitalash, MegaFood and Sega and learn more about participating charities.