Earning awareness in The City That Never Sleeps is no easy task. But while an attention-grabbing NYC event is great for your brand recognition, it doesn’t always translate into consumer action. As important as brand awareness is, nudging customers further along the sales journey towards purchase is the ultimate marketing goal. In this article, learn how to design NYC brand events that convert attention into action.
Define Your Brand Event’s Action Goals
Begin by defining what actions you want people to take at your event. Not everyone who attends your event will be ready to make a purchase. Rather, focus on multiple action goals that move attendees further along on the sales journey.
No matter where an attendee is in relation to the sales funnel when they enter your event, they should be at least two to three steps closer to making a purchase when they leave. So, your event’s action goals should align with your customers’ journey.
Every brand event should have several actions available to attendees that will nudge them closer to making a purchase. Depending on the nature of your brand event, desirable actions could be social media interactions, email list signups, lead information, product sales, and referrals.
Build Clarity Into Your Event
Communicate clearly with your attendees. For example, they should know what actions are available to them and what they will get in return. Provide incentives that are appropriate to your event and audience.
Your attendees should know where to go or what to do at every stage of the event. Make the event’s traffic flow intuitive. Provide signage and instructions. Train event staff to look for confused faces and step in to provide guidance.
Your brand should be evident throughout the event. Consistent branding can increase revenue by 33%. Logos, branded décor, swag bags, and merchandise all help turn attendees’ attention back to your brand.
Create an Experience That Guides Attendees to Action
There’s no better way to drive action at your event than through active participation. You can do this through live product demos, exclusive experiences, or personalized products. The possibilities are endless. Look to these brands for experiential inspiration:
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- Nike brings consumers into the creation process by letting them design their own shoes.
- Red Bull cements their reputation as a brand for adrenaline junkies by hosting extreme events.
- Gillette and Rifle Paper Co teamed up to provide passersby with free ice cream and beauty product samples in Lower Manhattan.
Ditch the Salesmanship and Get Personal
Consumers expect personalization in every stage of the customer journey. Netflix’s recommendations and Amazon’s homepage may have jump-started the trend towards personalization. But it’s consumers’ desire to feel seen in an increasingly digitized world that makes personalization a powerful marketing strategy.
That means you have to deliver personalization in a way that feels authentic and not a fill-in-the-name template. Look for ways to deliver personalized experiences that feel genuine to your attendees.
You can use RFID nametags to personalize every touchpoint. With attendee data, you can provide tailored product recommendations or send personalized event messages to attendees.
Don’t underestimate the power of human interaction to make your event feel personal. Train staff to use attendees’ names. Create personalized networking opportunities and small group experiences.
Measure and Analyze Your Conversion Metrics
Metrics such as attendance and participation are important. But they don’t necessarily tell the story of conversion. For that, look to measuring actions proven to lead to profits, the most obvious being sales. The data you collect can be used to make your next brand event even more successful.
Partner With EMRG Media for Brand Events That Convert
NYC brand events are marketing powerhouses that can achieve multiple goals. However, the ultimate marketing goal remains simple: increase conversions. To do that, your NYC brand event must inspire participants to take meaningful action.
To design a branded event that goes beyond being eye-catching, partner with the experienced event planning team at EMRG Media. We understand how to design brand events that connect with attendees and lead to conversions. Contact EMRG Media today.
