B-to-C Events

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.

September is a month typically associated with Fashion Week and fall fashion magazines. This year however it also included Fashion’s Night Out an event held on Sept. 10 from 5 to 11 p.m. designed to boost the ailing fashion and design industries. More than 700 retailers across New York’s five boroughs from massive department stores like Macy’s

When the economy hit the ground like Joe Frazier didn’t like its face event marketers could have fallen right down with it and hugged the canvas. But you didn’t. You took the left hook from accounting about your budgets and most recently the uppercut from the media and the public about your sponsorships and meetings. And you’re still standing.