Top 3 tips for outdoor event marketing
When it comes to positioning your brand front and centre among new potential customers, there are few better opportunities than outdoor events, especially in the run up to, and during the summer months.
From music festivals, visual arts or crafts fayres, sports games, holiday celebrations, film events and a wide variety of other types of activities, there are a plethora of outdoor events, all of which draw large crowds of participants and supporters who can be positively exposed to your brand for the first time.
Expertly designed outdoor marketing campaigns and displays can give businesses of all sizes a unique chance to align their brand with an already popular event, as well as build awareness and create direct, in-person experiences with existing and potential customers.
Outdoor marketing does bring a unique set of challenges when coming up with effective campaigns. Wind, weather, and traffic play a huge part in how effective you are at getting your message out, but the return on investment from a highly visible and interacted with outdoor marketing campaign can pay huge dividends for your brand.
Whether you’re considering sponsoring an event or simply advertising your brand, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Here are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind if you want to put together a highly effective outdoor event marketing strategy…
Visibility
Outdoor marketing is a highly effective means of increasing visibility for local businesses, or businesses with products that resonate with the audience/participants. Ensuring your brand is highly visible and stands out is a sure-fire way to attract the attention you’re aiming for.
With options suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, our versatile pop-up and pop-out banners are always popular promotional tools for outdoor, and indoor, events. From sporting and charity events, trade shows, festivals and more, an eye-catching, well-constructed banner stand, or pop-up banner, is a great way to get noticed and trigger introductory conversations with potential customers. Lightweight, easy to assemble and highly portable – this type of marketing tool is perfect for raising awareness on a budget.
Ideal for use as a photo backdrop or large format display at outdoor events, the Impact Outdoor Backdrop is a great flexible option that is sure to generate interest at your next outdoor event. With water filled feet for extra stability, telescopic poles accepting graphics up to 2500 x 2000cm, and supplied with a full colour printed single side banner, this outdoor advertising backdrop gives you large, eye-catching visuals that can be used again and again throughout the summer months.
Portability
The versatility of various forms of outdoor marketing is exemplified by their portability. This feature allows for greater flexibility in terms of advertisement placement and a unique ability to be reused in several different environments over a period. Flags, banners, tents and gazebos are easily transportable and can attract the attention of passers-by without being too intrusive. With a unique ability to be repositioned dependent on where potential customers are gathering makes this type of outdoor marketing tool particularly effective versus traditional billboards and static marketing tools.
The Haven Gazebo is an essential investment that works two in one: functioning as powerful signage for your brand while providing a sturdy shelter from the elements. This gazebo is fully waterproof, flameproof and comes with a UV resistant 600 denier polyester top, so come rain or shine you can feel confident knowing that your goods and team are protected. It’s also supplied with reinforced roller wheel carry bag for great portability.
The Tornado Portable Flag is a superb portable outdoor flag system that delivers maximum impact at any outdoor event. Sturdy in the most challenging of weather conditions with a portable, water-filled base and telescopic aluminium pole, the 4.15m or 5.3m flag stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Full colour printed flag can be single, or double sided for maximum visibility.
Creativity
Giving away branded merchandise at an outdoor event, especially if there is a creative link from your product to the event, can be a fantastic way to ensure your brand lives long in the memory of the attendees. These types of promotional giveaways are extremely popular at trade shows. That’s because potential customers will see your business name each time they use the item.
Branded notepads and pens are all traditional promotional items that can be a staple of your marketing efforts, however outdoor marketing items can be a little more creative.
Promotional items that provide value to potential customers and a creative link to the event are much more likely to be a big hit. For summer events, these could include branded water bottles, bags, cups or umbrellas, or more active items such as branded balls or a unique sports towel in a water bottle holder.
Usefulness is the major key to ensuring your promotional items are effective, that’s why water bottles are always popular freebies. Similarly, travel mugs, hats, sunglasses and branded t shirts are all extremely useful to potential customers in summer months. They’re used often and highly visible to both the user and the people they come into contact with!
In summary, outdoor events can be a fantastic opportunity to build new followers and engage with your current customers. Ensuring you remain visible, can move with the crowds, and with a little creativity, you’re likely to discover that outdoor marketing can bring a breath of fresh air to your business.
If you’re going to an exhibition or event this year and are looking for extra tips on what items are going to help your brand stand out amongst the crowd, you can check out our “Top 10 Promo Items for your Exhibition Stand” blog here