Society is ever-evolving and one aspect that changes faster than you can think of is the marketplace. Consumer behavior is always changing as new trends evolve but one behavior that is prevalent these days is the need to feel connected to brands (products or services). This experience-driven consumer behavior therefore means that a brand cannot just be a slogan or logo, they have to come alive as a story unfolding in the minds if their clients (prospective and existing).
This cannot be achieved just by advertising and the traditional marketing. Companies, businesses or organizations have to employ brand activation strategies to bring their stories to life through interactions that are both engaging and memorable so that they can build awareness and loyalty. This site www.activateexp.com/brand-activation explains this in full details. However, this article will also give you some pertinent information.
While we have hinted at the fact that it is important to activate your company/organization’s identity, there is more to the process than just creativity. It requires strategic planning, proper and complete understanding of the market and then seamless execution. This can only be carried out by experts. That is why this article focuses on helping you make informed decisions in your selection process.
Table of Contents
Tips for Choosing the Right Agency for Brand Activation
The following are tips that will help you in your selection process: –
Understand the Concept
Before you even start looking for an agency to work with, you must first understand the concept you want to engage. Unlike conventional marketing, this concept focuses mainly on engaging directly with the target audience. Digital experiences, live events, immersive contents or sampling campaigns are used to create that emotional connection that ultimately inspires action. The ultimate goal is to turn awareness to participation.
Some agencies are specialists in one aspect of brand activation such as experiential marketing or the other while others offer a wide range of services that also cover pop-up installations, influencer campaigns or guerrilla stunts.
With this understanding therefore, you know that your choice of agency must be premised on the end result you expect.
Define Your Objectives Clearly
The starting point of success in any endeavor is clarity, you must be clear in what you want to achieve with the process. Clarifying your objectives will determine the kind of firm that will work best for you.
The following are some pertinent questions to ask yourself: –
- Who is your target audience?
- What is your Call-to-action?
- What is your budget?
- What is your success metric?
Answering these questions will enable you to define what you want in the interview process with prospective hires.
Look for Relevant Experience
Different agencies have different expertise; there are those who specialize in niche sectors while others are better at large-scale public campaign or tech-driven initiatives. That is why it is important to find out the industry your prospective hire excels in and the audience they have experiences with.
Check out their past projects, talk to past clients if possible and read reviews. Click here for tips on how to spot fake reviews.
Evaluate Creative Thinking and Strategic Depth
Any brand activation agency that is worth their salt should be display great strategic insight and creative innovation. These are characteristics that you must ascertain in the first stage of discussions. Ensure that they bring substance to the table and not just flashy ideas.
Consider Technical Capabilities and Resources
There is almost nothing in today’s business world that doesn’t involve technology. That is why is vital to ascertain the technical capabilities of the agency you want to hire. Also confirm that they have all the necessary resources to carry out the project.
Align on Culture and Communication
Note that any firm you choose to work with becomes a partner not just someone you transact with one-time. It is therefore important that they align with you culturally and they communicate openly at all times. Ensure that the team really listens to your concerns and collaborates with all honesty, treating your business as one of theirs.
Always trust your gut feelings when discussing with the team, evaluate how they respond, share progress report, give suggestions or flag potential risks. Make sure you choose a team that you can develop a great relationship with so that the process will be seamless.
Ask About Metrics and ROI Tracking
Although brand activations are experiential, they must also be accountable. Choose an agency that will help you to define your KPIs and also measure impact. Find out the analytic platforms and measurement tools that they use/intend to use and whether they can give you real-time reports in the middle of campaigns.
It is also important to know whether there will be debriefs before and after the campaigns with insights on actions that can be taken for improvement. Bear in mind that decisions made based on verified data is what ensures that there is continuous improvement.
Conclusion
It is important that you choose the right agency to for brand activation and we have shared tips to help you in this regard. Make sure you take your time to vet the prospects and also communicate your goals and objectives clearly. Always trust your guts and never work with a team that you do not feel comfortable with or about.