Increasingly critical consumers make it impossible for businesses to use old promotional strategies such as television advertisements or billboards. Consumers need something unique to attract attention. Therefore, brand activation is one of the right strategies to reach consumers.
In a brand activation strategy, businesses must bring their products closer to consumers through relevance, so that the brand can become part of the needs and even the lives of consumers.
So, what are the basic principles and forms of brand activation? Understand more below.
What is Brand Activation?
Brand activation is a strategy to encourage consumers to do something (for example, a purchase) after interacting with a business or brand. Brand activation can also be called a way to "bring to life" a brand through consumer experience and form long-term relationships.
Brand activation, according to Smart Company, is realized through various marketing campaigns that directly involve users and potential consumers. On the one hand, brand activation maintains the loyalty of old consumers. On the other hand, trying to convince potential consumers that your product is the solution to the problems they face.
However, returning to the initial explanation, brand activation is about making a business or brand more relevant to the lives of consumers. Therefore, strategies and their implementation can change at any time, based on changes in trends, consumer habits, consumer needs, and product developments.
Brand Activation Principles
Apply these three principles to your brand activation strategy:
- Data-based ideas and plans: use consumer input and complaints as considerations during the planning or campaign idea creation process until its implementation.
- Determine the right time and place: the location in question is the area or city where most of your consumers live. The right time is of course during a red date or national holiday.
- Encourage participation: in every session or event in your campaign, make sure consumers participate or are involved. For example, during Q&A or playing games.
Benefits of Brand Activation
Some of the benefits of brand activation for business include:
- Getting relevant data and information about consumers.
- Receiving consumer input and complaints directly during interactions with the brand.
- Reaching new audiences or potential consumers who are not yet familiar with your brand.
- Restoring or strengthening your brand's position in the market.
- Making your brand more relevant and looking up to date.
Forms of Brand Activation
According to Customer Think, here are six forms of brand activation that are commonly found today.
Experiential marketing
Abbreviated as XM, this form of brand activation is used to embrace consumers and grow emotional relationships with them through personal experiences.
In XM, brands can create experiment centers that allow users to see, use, and utilize products directly. In the event, you can also present experts related to the product to discuss with consumers so that they feel closer to the brand.
Example: experiential marketing conducted by T-Mobile, where they presented the experience of playing the Angry Bird game directly using a smartphone that was showcased at their event. The event provided consumers with a direct experience in using a smartphone.
Digital marketing campaigns
If face-to-face or offline activities are not included in your budget, a digital marketing campaign can be another form of brand activation. By utilizing social media and meeting applications, you can reach more consumers.
The cost of a digital marketing campaign is certainly cheaper, but can still provide almost the same experience as face-to-face activities.
Example: Apple's campaign inviting photographers to use their iPhone 7 product. Photographers were asked to photograph dark objects and locations. The results were then published on Apple's social media and the photographers themselves. They showed that the iPhone has a camera that is just as good as a professional camera, especially in dark conditions.
Sampling campaigns
Sampling campaigns prioritize direct customers on the main products sold by the brand. In this form of brand activation, you must be able to select prospective buyers with the right profile or according to the product's function. This is to encourage sales.
Example: IKEA's sampling campaign, where they invited 100 consumers to stay at the IKEA warehouse. These consumers get the chance to try various IKEA products (mattresses, chairs, cabinets, and others) for one night.
During their stay, consumers are given maximum service, starting from food and drinks, massages, a viewing room, and even artists who read stories until they fall asleep.
In-store events
This form of brand activation is often carried out by retail brands or retailers. The goal is to promote a specific product or brand as a whole in one or more stores. The goal is to introduce the product, especially if the brand is new.
Example: a clothing brand that has just released a special product for religious events promotes their products in several stores. They will create special displays or exhibitions for their products at strategic points in the store.
Promotions
Promotional marketing aims to increase awareness of the brand and product in order to increase sales and increase consumer loyalty. Examples of promotions in question are product packages or product bundling, discounts with minimum purchases, collecting points (membership), loyalty programs, giveaways/competitions, and reseller programs.
Social media engagements
The last is how your brand interacts with consumers and audiences on social media. Engagements or interactions in question are likes, comments, share numbers, to DM (direct messages) responses. Currently, brands are also creating special personas that represent their brands to create trends or types of content that match the characteristics of the brand/product.
Brand activation is a strategy to help relationships with consumers through interaction and direct product use experiences. This certainly further convinces consumers that your product is the solution to their problems.
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