X Marks the Spot: Event Marketing

Every company has a goal or mission to accomplish, whether it's an immediate need, short-term goal or long-term vision. A well-organized event can be the missing link in your marking plan for reaching those goals. Here's why:

4 Reasons to utilize Event Marketing

Intersection: Events create the only opportunity for potential customers to directly interact with your company. What's more, outside of events your current customers can only encounter your company through your customer service department... and that usually happens under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Events allow you to create those opportunities for customers to connect with your company (not just the product or service). Plus, you are able to craft that experience to be positive, fun, and alive with the message of how you want your company to be perceived.

Just as intersections involve two paths, an effective event will engage attendees in two-way communication. It will encourage participation and feedback with which your company can better meet the needs of your customers - or better yet, start meeting the needs of potential customers.

X Factor: An X factor (no, not the television show) is defined as a hard-to-describe influence or quality, or an important element. Events provide that X-Factor in your business marketing plan. They give your company a personality as far as customers are concerned and enable you to create exciting WOW moments that leave lasting impressions.

Many companies have a mission statement or motto that includes something along the lines of "delighting the customer". But how often have you actually been delighted by a product or service? And what hope is there for a manufacturer of - let's say - dish soap, to inspire delight with their product? The odds are slim to none. Yet it's very easy, when done properly, to delight a crowd of people through an event. Events bring the allure that every business strives for.

Multiplication: In a study by Jack Morton Worldwide* 80% of the consumers surveyed said they are more likely to purchase after attending a company's live event. That could mean immediate profit return from your event marketing.

The same study reveals that 85% of participants of an event would tell others about the experience. This is huge since word-of-mouth is one of the most creditable forms of advertising you can get. So now you've enabled your message to spread further and with greater impact by making use of event marketing. 

Love: The last reason to incorporate events  into your marketing plan is... love. A well-designed event engages all of the senses and creates a memorable experience for the attendees. Through those sensory-laden moments you've formed an emotional connection between the customer and your company, and emotion is an undeniably powerful motivator.

It's this emotional connection that will change your brand-buyer relationship to a deeper relationship - which you can now nurture through frequent communication, excellent customer service, etc. It's that love that will keep those customers coming back to you, referring your brand and singing your praises.

To find out how your business can make use of event marketing, email me at Renatta@rc-creations.com. 

Photo sources: Getty Images.

*"2006 Experiential Marketing Study", Jack Morton Worldwide