Socks, coasters, mints, hand sanitizer, candy, usb drives, flashlights, backpacks, notebooks, pens, water bottles, tote, phone chargers, t-shirts, keychains, moleskins, phone cases, paper weights, sunglasses, bluetooth speakers, baseball hatsa��.
Those are just some of the items our CEO has collected at the 300+ conferences hea��s attended over the years.
How many socks, coasters, mints, hand sanitizers, usb drives, backpacksa�� have you collected from conferences? Do you still have them? Do you remember who gave them to you?
Can we really prove that typical conference swag impacts brand awareness and affinity? Can we really track that sale down to the tin of mints?
With over five hundred conferences under our teama��s belt, we cana��t say it does.
The NewA�Standard
Brands that are pushing past the plastic and engaging event attendees in experiences are creating lasting impressions in new ways. Tinder was thinking about an engaging experiences when they launched their Tinder VR gag at CES this year. Bumble upped their game at SXSW with the Bumble bus this year. Top brands and businesses are creating new standards for event marketing teams by utilizing experiences and engagement.
So how do brands move beyond conference swag into event experiences?
Top brands are creating digital experiences that attract potential users like Shopifya��s logo maker or accidentally creating an entire business because you had extra stock photos lying around.
In terms of inbound marketing methodology, the people utilizing these tools are top of funnel.
Conferences are the same top of funnel events for potential customers, just in the real world. That means brands need to attract customers with useful tools, resources, and content so when theya��re ready to make a purchasing decision, they have developed brand awareness and affinity.
Transitioning to event experiences over typical conference swag provides brands the opportunity to stand out, make lasting impressions, and create a new standard in event marketing. By taking the inbound methodology into the conference and event space, businesses can begin to stand out from the noise of socks, coasters, mints, hand sanitizer, candy, usb drives, flashlightsa��.
Think about Experiences
Event experiences like Tindera��s VR hoax or Bumblea��s bus can be time intensive and potentially expensive experiences, but they dona��t have to be. Here are a few ways brands can provide valuable event experiences instead of handing out traditional conference swag.
Snapchat Filters
Snapchat isna��t just for 13 year olds, in fact 38% of Snapchat users are between 25 and 54 and with the average user opening the app 18 times a day, ita��s a channel brands can utilize even more at events.
Seriouslya��This is probably one of the most underutilized mirco-moments at conferences. By creating a Snapchat geofilter that is both event and brand specific, companies can begin to capture and influence these personal moments.
Brands can use pre-made templates or hire a Snapchat artist like CyreneQ to create filters which can then be geo-targeted down to a specific building. We quickly went through the steps targeted the entire block of the Moscone Center in San Francisco for the four days of Marketing Nation Summit and the ad would cost $1,035.81. For reference, thata��s about 98.6485714 pairs of custom socks.
Yes, these snaps might disappear in Snaplandia, but the micro-moment that a user has of taking a selfie at this huge event, surrounded by thousands of peers doesna��t. Plus, they can always download the photo and post to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to make sure all their friends know theya��re at the event.
Going Live
With Facebook and Instagram Live, wea��re pretty certain authentic live video content is here to stay (and dominate) in 2017. Brands who can figure out ways to utilize live video in a way that excites both those actively participating and those watching are able to reach multiple audiences in one unique fell swoop.
Creating live content is all about representing your brand authentically. This means that big budgets are not required to create fun, entertaining, and unique live content opportunities. Set up a Q&A with attendees, interview a speaker or two live, or walk around the conference floor so people who couldna��t make it get to partake.
Product Giveaways
Dona��t pull a full on Oprah Winfrey when planning a product giveaway.But do look at ways to run giveaways that are engaging, memorable, and turn attendees into brand ambassadors.
Need a little inspiration? Run a raffle where the winner receives free lifetime product or access to a SaaS product. Give away free upgrades to those who sign-up at the event. Create a scavenger hunt with other companies where the winner receives an incredible grand prize.
Create experiences with your product giveaways to create lasting impressions while providing value. Product giveaways that provide real value mean more than a free t-shirt or pair of socks.
When planning for the next event or conference, transition to using inbound methodology. Attract customers by providing unique and valuable experiences that leave them wanting to learn more about your company and always remember this quote.
a�?Ia��ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.a�?a�Sa��a�SMaya Angelou