Planning a brand activation campaign? Here’s what NOT to do!

1. Planning a brand activation campaign? Here’s what NOT to do!

2. Brand activation is a major asset to many brands, as it allows brands to generate physical interaction and presence with their target audience. The result of brand activation is to increase awareness, spread the brand message and establish new relationships between customers and brands.

3. However there are some common misconceptions about brand activations that can be hazardous to the brand and the success of the brand activation.

4. #1. It is easy! Anyone can hand out free stuff and spread awareness. Not true, and its this type of attitude towards brand activation that can also greatly affect the bottom line of a company. Handing out free stuff is basically giving away money, with no assurance that the recipients will engage with the product let alone purchase the product.

5. Let’s face it; the main aim of any form of marketing whether it is brand activation or billboards is the bottom line. I can’t think of any company that would be impressed without knowing some kind of estimated return on investment, that investment being; marketing budget, production costs of the product, the hours of planning and preparation as well as the labour costs of the individual who are giving the product away.

6. For successful brand activation, the bottom line is always at the core of the purpose! A brand activation needs to be able to see a return on investment as that is one of the core measures of whether the brand is successful or not. The spreading of awareness needs to increase the brand positioning in the consumers mind, as well as communicate the message of the brand, to reinforce it continuously.

7. So with your next brand activation campaign ensure you do the research and develop the campaign with this end goal in mind. Its really not as easy as putting people in branded shirts handing out stuff in a high traffic areas, surely there is a better and more engaging way to activate your product or brand. 

8. #2. Don’t worry about the brand activation we can do that last. Brand activation is a strategic technique with a certain goal in mind. Thus it definitely needs to be planned and carefully thought through. Thinking it can be executed last minute is equivalent to thinking ‘we won’t advertise the Melbourne Cup and we’ll still get huge crowds’.

9. Wrong, wrong, wrong totally wrong! Brand activation has many elements to it. Not only do the activities need to convey the specific message, but also need to reflect the brand image and communicate the wider brand message. Ideally these activities and messages should be planned when you are developing the product or brand to get the best results and maximise ROI.

10. With considered brand activation planning at the conceptual stages your brand activation has the potential to shoot your product or brand smack bang in to the target market. Who knows you could potentially create a totally awesome viral campaign or create a new fad. As the say plan to plan ahead or plan to fail!

11. #3.  We don’t need a brand activation, people will see it on the shelves and buy it. Well you know what thought, thought? Thought, thought wrong. So many brands make this common mistake; they believe their brand can add a product to the range or handle a rebrand without reactivating it into the market. Big mistake.

12. Consumers who are not made aware of any kind of new branding or new product added to the range lose their trust and relationship with the brand they have come to know and love. Perfect example of this is the rebranding of Bulla.

13. They changed an iconic brand without activating the new branding. Consumer are confused, they don’t know if Bulla has sold out, if it’s the same trusted brand or if is a bad copy like a Louis Vuitton bag from Bali. Brand activation is a part of all marketing processes.

14. It is a technique that showcases the product to the consumers, through interaction and engagement. Unless your brand has no marketing what so ever for the product or service, brand activation will always be incorporated. It generally occurs after the product has been researched and developed and is ready to go to market.

15. So when planning your next brand activation campaign don’t risk making these common mistakes. It is important to understand brand activation encompasses so much more than you may realize. It is suitable for all brands and companies, and needs to be thoroughly thought through and planned. Good luck! http://www.engageatdisegno.com.au/