It’s that time of year — festivals and conferences are just around the corner. As the weather starts to warm up so do the marketing activations. From the start of the festival season to tech conferences, the coming months are some of the biggest opportunities for marketers to engage consumers and build brand recognition. This year, events like SXSW and Coachella will feature even more interactive opportunities for brands to connect with consumers. In today’s post, we’re sharing the coolest events happening in festivals, conferences, and stadium, and sharing our top merchandise picks to create curated swag bags for each one. Check it out!
Outdoor Music Festivals
Outdoor music festivals like SXSW, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Burning Man, etc. (the list could go on and on) attract millions of people from around the country. In fact, a recent study by Digital Music News found 32 million people attend music festivals every year; and of these, 46% of attendees are between the highly coveted 18-34 demographic. For brands looking to associate themselves with Millennials and young working professionals, music festivals are a great way to forge a relationship.
What’s Cool Now?
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- Coachella: Marketing activations from huge brands like Disney, H&M, and Lacoste focus on creating interactive immersive experiences for festival goers. Previous exhibitions include the use of 360-video technology to create the ultimate #squadgoals for groups of concertgoers to share videos on social platforms. Expect even more interactive events for this year’s festival!
- Bonnaroo: While Coachella is seen as the hip older sister of Bonnaroo, the latter is arguably edgier and cooler. Previous activations at Bonnaroo include Angry Orchard, the hard cider company, who created an interactive event where festival-goers peddled stationary bikes to grind apples into juice for homemade cider.
- Lollapalooza: Located in Chicago, Lollapalooza is a great festival option for people living on the East Coast who might not be as inclined to camp a la Coachella-style. Toyota featured live intimate recording sessions with top performing acts, allowing guests to have a more intimate experience with their favorite artists.
What’s in the Merch Bag?
Ready to plan your brand activation at a festival this year? Let Brand+Aid help! We work with clients, both large and small, to create the perfect promotional swag bags to connect with your target audiences.
For full product information, contact: Brand+Aid via happy@brandaiding.com
Tech Conferences
The line between the tech industry and the rest of the global economy is increasingly blurring. What happens in tech largely affects society as a whole; which is why tech conferences like SXSW are becoming much more than just an opportunity for web developers to geek out together. Today tech conferences feature tech, music, video, culture, social commentary, unique opportunities like startup seed competitions. In terms of audience appeal, brands have a huge opportunity to connect with conference attendees who tend to be highly educated with at least a bachelor’s level education, mid-to-high income earners. Additionally, attendees usually have significant spending power at work.
What’s Cool Now?
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- SXSW: Brands are taking full advantage of the opportunities to interact with the large crowds. One such company is American Greetings, (you know, the card company). At an activation in 2016, the company allowed DIY printmaking, pop-up cards, and even a print version of a GIF.
- Dublin Tech Summit: With Ireland’s lenient corporate tax laws many tech companies like Facebook and Google have offices based in Dublin. So, it’s no surprise Dublin’s Tech Summit is becoming one of the biggest in the world. Brands like Salesforce, Accenture, and Oracle all have sponsorships with the summit.
What’s in the Merch Bag?
If you’re showcasing your brand at an upcoming conference, you’ll want to have specifically crafted merch bags to connect with the movers and shakers in the tech world. Let Brand+Aid help!
For full product information, contact: Brand+Aid via happy@brandaiding.com
Let’s Start a Project
Ready to create unique promotional items for your big event? Give our team a shout to help you curate the perfect premium ideas for your activation. Shoot us an email at happy@brandaiding.com, or give us a ring at 323-800-2241.
Brand+Aid is a promotional marketing agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. We turn ideas into tangible, fun experiences through experiential advertising. Have an idea you’d like to make happen? Contact our rescue team for a free consultation today at 323-800-2241 or shoot us an email at happy@brandaiding.com. For more information, check out our website: www.brandaiding.com.