Event marketing

Event marketing is a mode of marketing focused on creating events to promote a brand, service or product.^{[1] [2]} It typically involves direct contact with a brand's representatives, allowing for more direct interaction. Events are also a way to develop a relationship with media outlets, and work as an alternative for direct marketing. They may also be classified as an internal communication tool within a certain company. Event management should not be identified with event marketing. The former is a process of creating and conducting the event while the latter is recognized as a tool designed to promote brands or products with events.

Event marketing is also considered to be a part of experiential marketing and content marketing. Experiential marketing follows the process of corporate storytelling, and aims to further engage the audience. Experiential follows a simple formula of combining a brand's message and interactive components^[3]. This mode of marketing places the target audience in a live environment that will encourage the desired outcome^[3].

Event marketing mostly relies on emotions and the activity of the human brain. Event marketing uses emotions and is based on the fact that people remember what they are experiencing. Emotional stimulus significantly affects the image of the offered service or product. Psychologists proved that while stimulated by emotions, the brain remembers certain facts and pieces of information better. Experiencing something makes it more memorable.^[4] In this conditions it is more probable that the brand will stay in the receiver's mind and create a long-lasting image.^[5]

In a thesis for the International Business and Economics Programme at the Luleå University of Technology, Jessica Eriksson and Anna Hjälmsson wrote:

Event Marketing is marketing through events, where marketing is seen as central and the event is considered the actual marketing tool. Event marketing is focusing on a target group and involves high contact intensity. It turns a message into an event that can be experienced by the audience. Several senses are engaged, which increases the chances to remember the experience and thereby also the message.^[6]

A completely different kind of event marketing is defined by B2B. The emotions involved are no longer a representation of the event, but rather, it is a possibility to make business contacts and networking which can only exist through a face-to-face meeting.

Misconception of the Term

Event marketing was often misunderstood in the terms of its definition.^[7] The Cambridge Dictionary^[8] serves two definitions to this entry:

1. The job of advertising products by selling or providing them at events in order to gain new customers.
2. The job of advertising different events so that people will go to them.

The term itself became a very important area of studies on German, American, British and Canadian markets. For a long time, event marketing was considered equal to the promotion of an event in order to increase the sales of the tickets, and was forgotten as a form of marketing.^[9]

This conception changed with excessive studies in the late-20th and early-21st century. Philip Kotler’s Marketing, which was published at the beginning of the century, is regarded as the first step to a clear definition of the term.^[10] It was later followed by a Danish publication Events as a strategic marketing tool written by Dorothe Gerritsen and Ronald van Olderen. Event marketing became recognised as a marketing tool, especially in Poland^[11] when it was introduced in the early 2000s. (Jaworowicz P., Jaworowicz M., Event marketing w Zintegrowanej Komunikacji Marketingowej, Warszawa 2016.) Polish academics mostly relied on Western studies and managed to build up the whole concept.

Event Marketing Worldwide

Recently, event marketing has been gaining attention globally as its definition is acknowledged by a larger group of people.

According to The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the event industry will grow by 44% from 2010 to 2020^[12]. A majority of marketers (31%) believes event marketing to be the single-most effective marketing channel, with 27% voting on Content Marketing, and 25% on Email Marketing.^[13]

HubSpot has listed 11 experiential marketing campaigns from worldwide renowned brands like Facebook, Google, Zappo and Guinness, who have hosted or created events as an innovative way of advertising a product.^[14] Each of them were successful and attracted thousands of new customers. Marketing Insider Group has also listed 5 event marketing examples that are still being talked about. Among them, The Kia Dream Chute is mentioned as one of the best ideas. All of those events are considered one of the best marketing campaigns in the world.^[15]

A study made by Jack Morton Worldwide shows that 11 out of 14 consumers prefer to get to know new products or services by experiencing them personally^[16].

Moreover, 74% of consumers say that connecting with branded event marketing experiences is making them more likely to buy the products which are being promoted^[17]. That’s a statistic from the report by The Event Marketing Institute and Mosaic.

Event Marketing Strategy

Due to the misunderstanding in regards to event marketing, its strategy has become recognised as a strategy of promoting a certain event. In the light of the right definition, event marketing strategy should be understood as a tailor-made plan to promote a brand/product with events as an advertising tool. The whole strategy should include an in-depth analysis of the plans of brand’s presence on events. One of the only sources in this topic: eventory.cc highlights the importance of identifying the role in the event. This step includes answers whenever someone should actually participate in the event (conferences, fairs or exhibitors, participants), sponsor it or organise it. Such an analysis would take place while taking all other possible factors into the account. Further studies are required in this topic.

In order to measure the success of event marketing, the brand impact has to be verified. Based on Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) made in March 2006, Engagement is "turning on a prospect to a brand idea enhanced by the surrounding context"^[18]. There was also created a function showing the impact on a brand: Engagement + Trust x Targeted Group = Brand Impact.

Types of events

According to thebalance.com events can be sorted out into nine different groups:

1. Seminars and conferences - for educational purposes.
2. Trade shows - lead generation activity.
3. Executive retreats and incentive programs - enjoyable activities mixed with business development.
4. Golf events - relationship management.
5. Appreciation Events - building a rapport in informal environment.
6. Company or organisation milestones - the opportunity to celebrate company’s achievements.
7. Team building events - build upon a company’s strengths.
8. Product launch events - creating a ‘’buzz’’ around new product.
9. Board meetings and shareholder meetings - meeting & reviewing business’s performances.^[19]

References

Further reading

• Jaworowicz P., Jaworowicz M., Event marketing w Zintegrowanej Komunikacji Marketingowej, Warszawa 2016.
• Event Marketing jako nowa forma organizacji procesów komunikacyjnych, pod red. A. Grzegorczyka, Warszawa 2009.
• ERIKSSON, Jessica a Anna HJÄLMSSON. Event marketing as a promotional tool: a case study of four companies. University essay from Luleå/Industriell ekonomi och samhällsvetenskap. 2000.
• Volker Hillme, Event-Marketing: Definition, Konzepte, Ausblick, GRIN Verlag GmbH, Norderstedt 2005.
• Catherwood D.W., R.L. Van Kirk, The Complete Guide To Event Management, Ernst&Young Publication, New York, 1992.
• C. A. Preston, Event Marketing: How To Successfully Promote Events, Festivals, Conventions, And Expositions (The Wiley Event Management Series), New Jersey 2012.
• Ph. Kotler, K. L. Keller, Marketing ISBN 9788375106169.
• Petr Šindler, Event marketing. Jak využít emoce v marketingové komunikakaci, Grada, 2003.
• Gerritsen, R. van Olderen, Events as a strategic marketing tool, CAB International, London 2014.
• D. Getz, Event studies. Theory, Research and Policy for Planned Events, Routledge, London – New York, 2012.
• HESKOVÁ, M., ŠTARCHOŇ, P.Marketingová komunikace a moderní trendy v marketingu. 1. vydání. Praha: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, Nakladatelství Oeconomica, 2009. ISBN 978-80-245-1520-5.
• ERBER, S. Eventmarketing: Erlebnisstrategien für Marken. Landsbergam Lech: miFachverlag, RedlineGmbH, 2005. ISBN 3-636-03051-5.
• KARLÍČEK M., KRÁL P., Marketingová komunikace: Jak komunikovat na našem trhu. 1.vydání. Praha: Grada Publishing, a.s., 2011. ISBN 978-80-247-3541-2.
• K. Gordon, Make Live Events Part of Your Marketing. Retrieved March 1, 2016.