B-to-C Events

Independent music and film festivals like South by Southwest and the Sundance Film Festival are unique engagement platforms with a seemingly unstoppable trajectory for growth. They attract an eclectic mix of A-list and emerging artists musicians filmmakers and actors. They provide hip and unconventional backdrops for media coverage. And they lure trendsetting consumers VIPs and industry […]

MORE THAN EVER people are connected 24/7 via text messaging and the web. Still nothing beats an old fashioned house party for sharing meaningful conversations among friends. As a result more companies are joining the conversation by organizing consumer house parties centered around their brand.

Ross Burton credits media training with giving him confidence whether he’s working behind the scenes at awards shows like the Academy Awards hosting a consumer make-up event or fielding a reporter’s questions. And although he comes across as self-assured and comfortable with the press Burton says that wasn’t always the case.

Some companies only pay lip service to event marketing seeing it more as an add-on than a key part of the marketing strategy. Others see it as a tool to be used sparingly because they don’t know how to measure the ROI. Then there’s Bliss. The spa brand (owned by the Starwood Hotels chain which also owns the W Hotels brand) dedicates about 25 percent of its entire marketing budget (including sampling) to you guessed it experiential marketing.

Some of the biggest marketing breakthroughs have come from brands that made new connections with unexpected demographics. Consider Nintendo Wii and its raging success with trendsetting moms for example. Who knew right? Following Nintendo’s lead brands once considered long shots with certain market segments are finding success by targeting tastemakers at niche events. The key to bringing together these odd couplings: connecting the dots through creative and relevant experiences.