As broad as the variety of corporate events is, as a tool for enhancing a brand, so is the range of options for its promotion. And if you want to know how to effectively promote your corporate event, you'll need to pay close attention to your target audience and the ways in which they consume information.
In this article, we're going to review the most common and effective promotion channels, both off- and online, so that you keep them in mind when designing your strategy and campaign briefing. Needless to say, a good promotion strategy should include a combination of several channels to achieve maximum impact.
And one thing before we start. Brand events can be generally divided into two groups. Those where the promotion is aimed at a massive audience turnout. And those where the focus is on a specific group of assistants. Depending on this, we’ll choose one set of channels or another.
Radio & TV
Let's start with these traditional mass media. They are expensive, and to a certain extent, increasingly obsolete. Why? Younger generations prefer the interactivity of the online communication over the passive role of spectator that conventional advertising imposes on us.
And yet, in some cases, radio can be quite effective when it comes to providing concentrated information about an event. Dates, location, ticket sales, etc. We're not just talking about radio ads, as this information can be presented through advertising integrations arranged with the hosts of programs aimed at the audiences that interest us the most.
As for television, the current economic reality leaves most brands with little room in their budgets to promote their corporate events through television commercials. The exception are mainly related to the world of entertainment.
Outdoor advertising & street marketing
These can work separately or as complementary tools. Outdoor advertising in this case encompasses a wide variety of supports and urban furniture that allow creativity to run wild. OPPI’s, public transport shelters, banners, screens of all types and sizes, and so on. They help to significantly increase the visibility of your brand event and reach a diverse audience, especially if you pick strategic locations with high footfall.
Outdoor advertising can be enhanced by street marketing actions such as activations, performances, guerrilla tactics, etc. They engage the public and make information about your brand event more tangible. But what's even more interesting, they offer infinite possibilities for creative differentiation. It's something much needed in an environment cluttered with all sorts of information.
Furthermore, street marketing actions are the most direct and cost-efficient way to hand over brand merchandise (such as wristbands, t-shirts, badges, tote bags, etc.) to your audiences, a complementary promotion tool that proves highly effective, particularly for fast-moving consumer goods brands.
Corporate event by Chanel
Press kit & direct invitation
When it comes to a more limited audience, there's nothing like a direct and personalized invitation. Exclusive launches and presentations, or formal institutional events, whatever the reason for the gathering, a personalized invitation, whether physical or via email, ensures at least a plus of attention from the recipient.
And furthermore, if our goal is to make the media spread the word about our event, a press kit is a great way to communicate creatively the messages we want to be heard. Alongside the invitation and the press release, it usually includes a gift or a special merchandise item that adds the necessary nuances to the tone we want to convey.
Influencer marketing
A tool that serves both for mass gatherings and for more targeted communication. It hasn't been long since this relational model burst onto the scene as a top marketing tool. But undoubtedly, it's taken the lead due to its effectiveness, as well as the levels of trust and appeal it generates with the audience. The only thing you need to do is find the right approach, which means identifying the influencer profile that can best engage your audience. And if you struggle with it, you can always turn to one of the agencies specialized in influencer marketing. There are plenty of them on the market to meet the growing demand for this service.
This type of outreach works particularly well for corporate events that fall under the category of 'entertainment'. Also for those with a touch of exclusivity or novelty, such as product launches, presentations, pop-ups, temporary activations, parties, festivals, concerts, etc.
Podcasts
And last but not least we have the podcasts. A format that's no longer so new, but certainly remains relatively unexplored as a promotional channel. If a few years ago we used to say that if something wasn't on Instagram, it didn't exist, today we can assert, "If you don't have a podcast, hop off the bandwagon of history." Just kidding. What's entirely serious is that this format, a sort of blend between traditional radio and audiobooks, or influencer radio, boasts constantly growing audiences and allows for precise targeting and a friendly communication that instills trust.
