B-to-C Events

Experiential marketing plays a big role in what History vp Chris Meador does to promote the many shows he handles at the network. Last spring, for example, he put a Cajun food-themed “Taste of the Bayou” truck on the streets of Manhattan to drive tune-in for the second season of “Swamp People,” a series that explores the heritage of the Cajun community.

To promote its all-new 2012 Impreza, Subaru visited companies that have been recognized for valuing a healthy work/life balance, such as Sheetz stores and Starbucks, to treat their employees to a few hours of play. The Subaru Work Play Love tour (March 1-May 18) made several stops through the Midwest, East and West coasts with its active lifestyle partners, including KEEN Footwear and Yakima and Trek, that helped support a series of outdoor experiences at each stop.

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive, Film and Music Festival, hosted each year in Austin, Texas, is one of the biggest and most sought-after live marketing opportunities all year, thanks largely to the 50,000 attendees who are members of a hip, trend-seeking and mostly well-funded demographic.

As part of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Road to London celebration, which was presented by Hilton HHonors and took place in New York City’s Times Square on April 18, Olympic sponsors including Samsung, Hilton HHonors and Chobani engaged fans in interactive experiences to promote the games and the athletes. The day marked the 100-day countdown to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and transformed Times Square into an Olympic Village with sports demos, giveaways, autograph sessions and a touch of London.

Kellogg’s is sponsoring the Walmart FLW Tour, the prestigious outdoors bass fishing tournament that’s making 11 stops nationwide until October. Next stop will be Potomac River in National Harbor, MD from May 17 to 20.