So what is brand activation?
Brand activation: An increasingly curious term actively touted by two familiar parties; clients – who more often than not use it to define the activity they’re spending their Ad-pounds on; and also by some agencies, who use it as a positioning statement when asked ‘so what does your agency do?’
But what does the term actually mean in a world that is experiencing media convergence at a rate of knots and with many brands struggling to execute truly integrated campaigns, based upon a singular, insightful, organising thought?
We’ve found ourselves in a world cluttered with meaningless content. Tactical experiential activity that lacks any strategic consideration and endless social media campaigns that are still finding their way, picking up the occasional ‘like’ or ‘re-tweet’.
Where is the commercial return and what is this contributing towards the equity of the brands they represent?
As advocates of multi-channel marketing, we must get back to the basic values of understanding data (which is critical in the ideation process), insight, timeliness, relevance and creativity to ensure any activation activity is effective and memorable.
It can be done.
It’s also essential to understand the importance of a seamless, joined-up approach to activation; rather than a series of disconnected, tactical executions. Either one agency needs to manage all elements of activation or agencies need to work collaboratively and stop protecting their ownership of the client for the benefit of the wider brand activity. The answer ultimately lies in the ambition of the brand combined with the insight, expertise and planning unearthed by agencies from a strategic, data and creative point of view. Only these components coupled with collaboration will deliver engaging activity that captures consumers’ hearts and minds.
Brand Activation rallies around activity that brings brands to life and encourages positive participation – physically or digitally. Regardless of how we deploy this activity, let’s get the basics right. This will in turn deliver tangible and mutually beneficial value to clients, brands and customers alike.
Russell Perry is a managing partner at MWorks, McCann London
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Business Learning Terms
It is becoming a difficult issue to be evasive about branding. We live, eat and drink brands. Some one has said that brands constitute the organizing mechanism that helps us navigate through each day. We are all branded even though we may not want to agree with that. Brand perceptions are result of mixed stimuli of interactions that an individual has with a given brand. This fact accounts for why brand managers as well as activators must work hard to ensure that the perceptions of various stimuli are resonating with brands character, behavior among others.
Brand activation demands that brand managers intensely ignite the passion of a big idea that customer will appreciate in all the processes. Effort must be made to connect the brand emotionally with the clients who eventually owned the brand. Brand managers need to create strong believe in the offering through all the stages of brand activation. Brand experiences by the consumers must also create a deep relationship through education, interaction, motivation as well as communication that builds closer rapport.
Brand activation process must evolve and be able to change with time or remain in the present tense as a friend once asserted. Brand activation that will work must listen to and study the clients preferences per time, the influencing factors in their decision making process.
A great brand activation effort must support, encourages customer awareness of the brand, good knowledge of the brand, promote liking, conviction and eventual purchase and re-purchase. I am also convinced that brand activation process must begin with what the brand stands for and proper identification of who the audience is. Brand activation process must show vividly the step by step guide on what to do at any point in time. It should guide the brands communication channels, designs, creativity among many other vital indices. Brand activation is an expression of how a brand will approach brand management activities from within the organization. Be sure that as brand manager, one is looking deeper behind every possibility in the brand and find out vital assets that have relevant consequences for the entire organization or brand. Brand position must be clearly elucidated. Brand activation that is wholly controlled by external consultants is bound to fail because the employees are major actors in making brand activation process successful.
Great brand activation meets with customers demand and challenges. Let me conclude today by saying that when brand activation is done right, the followings can be an advantage.
1. It enhances effectiveness of brand communication
2. It serves as a rational and impactful means to advertising campaign process, design
3. It helps to build strong emotional tie with clients
4. It aids brands repurchase.
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