The Importance of Branding your Corporate Event
The How, Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Event Branding
How
How do I plan a successful brand specific event?
Consider yourself for a moment, at your desk, working hard for your organization, with a to-do list that gets longer by the minute, and then you’re tasked with planning a corporate event. “GREAT!” you think, but, How does one start this process? Who should attend? What does event branding entail? Where should we focus the branding? When should we start planning? and ultimately, Why is this important for my company to host a Corporate Branded Event?
Why indeed…
Well, for starters, Brand Awareness, Customer Retention, Client Loyalty, New Clients and Increased Revenue all come to mind.
Ok, your company has a strong established brand, and now it is time to plan an event. Maybe it’s a new product launch, maybe you are generating momentum for a fundraising campaign, or hosting a client appreciation gala. Whatever the cause or end-goal, we’re here to shed a little light on the (5-W’s), share a few insider tips, photo examples and highlight the importance and benefits of Branding your Corporate Event.
The 5-W’s: Who, What, Where, When and Why
Who
Who are the major players when considering Branding a corporate event?
There are generally two sides to take into account when considering the Who in Branding for an event: your organization and the demographic of your guests. A full understanding of both parties will help streamline your planning decisions.
It is beneficial for guests to know exactly Who should attend your event, how they will benefit from your event and why they won’t want to miss it. Statistics, data analytics and polling within your industry can help to define the appropriate target audience. When you have the right group, that audience is eager to hear what you have to share and your conversion rate is much more likely to increase! It is important to keep sight of the impact your guests can have. The guests’ experience can make or break an event. Spend the necessary time working with your event planner and marketing team on curating the guest list.
What
What should Branding look like in my event?
Event Branding is much more than a corporate logo. Essential elements include: Color Themes, Font Style, Writing Style, Imagery, Illustration and Taglines for any specific program.
Perhaps your Event objective is to highlight a service or a product, or perhaps your “product” is a lifestyle, a cause, or even a state of mind. No matter what your brand represents, remaining consistent in your messaging and visual aesthetic strengthens your Brand Recognition. Consistency is key.
Working with a graphic designer for your event may seem like an unnecessary expense. Rest assured, it’s worth it! One of the biggest mistakes when considering event Branding is to not give your existing corporate Branding the priority and budget required to incorporate it into a unique targeted event brand. Staying consistent with brand colors and font style help the customer to recognize your brand. Repetition is a powerful tool when it comes to branding. When your Branding is cohesive across all media channels and print collateral, you are sending the message to your customers that you are well organized and have thoroughly spent the time to define who you are as a company, and the message you intend to share at your event.
Where
Where should I focus the Branded elements of my event?
Defining factors like client, scale, budget, target market and venue location, help to inform the critical decisions when planning the Where. You can include numerous additional branded elements within these categories, but the list below represents the three main areas where Branding can elevate your event. There are countless creative opportunities for innovative Branding, and working with an event planner will help you strategically prioritize to create a visual foundation and concise message within your event.
When
When should I start thinking about Branding?
Simply put, ASAP.
Your overall brand aesthetic and company message provides a great jumping-off point for Branding your event. This existing platform gives you the opportunity to create a unique event specific brand within the Company Brand, allowing you to focus on the event identity. Start by considering, what are the ultimate goals of the event? What is the primary message of the event and who is your target market for this message?
Secondly, the When should dictate the parameters of the event. When do you start to advertise for the event? This should be strategically planned. The months and weeks leading up to the event are crucial. Strategically schedule social media posts, teaser videos, sizzle reels, speaker names and content announcements. When branded thoughtfully, they will generate momentum and create interest in your event. Event reminders are extremely important to the success of an event, but oversaturation of communication can be a turn off for attendees, resulting in poor attendance. Working closely with a marketing team will help event organizers address all the essential elements for success.
Why
Why is having a corporate Branded event important?
Corporate Branded events are a great opportunity to speak to a curated group of attendees with a custom-tailored message, such as launching a new product or creating a call to action amongst your audience. Allowing your corporate team and your customers to engage one on one creates a feeling of inclusivity, making the experience unique from any other. When you facilitate face to face conversations with your customers, you allow for a deeper emotional experience between the customer and your brand. A connection that is more difficult to secure with online-only marketing.
Hosting a corporate branded event can elevate your brand’s effectiveness and relevance in the industry. Consider what you want people to say, think and feel about your brand. Live events create a great environment for real-time feedback. What better way to understand the effectiveness of your Branding than seeing it happen right in front of you.
So, for your next Corporate Branded Event, take the time to consider the Who, What, Where, When and Why of Event Branding and then sit back and enjoy the show.
