B-to-C Events

Burger King is on a roll and not the sesame seed variety.

The fast-food chain is enjoying its fourth consecutive year of same-store sales growth. Driving that success—along with product a few healthy menu items and that quirky King mascot—is a whopper of a marketing program that for the past three years has put events and sponsorship marketing on the front burner.

Marketers spend billions of dollars each year marketing to kids—on TV in school even on TV in school—touting toys soft drinks cell phones credit cards you name it. After all who doesn’t want to reach this influential market?

Looking for a way to spice up content at your next show? Think Pecha Kucha (pronounced peh-chak-cha). It may sound more Pokémon than PowerPoint but it could be just the thing to spice up a stale session.

Here’s the skinny: Each presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds each resulting in an overall presentation that lasts less than seven minutes.

They’re opinionated they’re socially connected and they’re on the cusp of gaining a ton of new purchasing power (just as soon as they graduate from college). It’s no surprise then that marketers go out of their way to provide memorable experiences each year at spring break where thousands of these influential young adults congregate. But with economic doom and gloom in the air many companies are cutting back.

“See me. Feel me. Touch me. Heal me.” These words sung by The Who at Woodstock in 1969 and later in the rock opera “Tommy” are becoming the mantra of event marketers looking to engage consumers with sensory experiences. Events have traditionally tapped into our sense of sight hearing and taste with arresting visuals catchy tunes and tasty product samples. Now they are adding new sensations especially touch and smell to facilitate a deeper connection.