Planning a brand activation campaign? Here’s what NOT to do!

Planning a brand activation campaign?
Here’s what NOT to do!
Brand activation is a major asset to many brands, as it allows brands to generate physical
interaction and presence with their target audience. The result of brand activation is to increase
awareness, spread the brand message and establish new relationships between customers and
brands. However there are some common misconceptions about brand activations that can be
hazardous to the brand and the success of the brand activation.
#1. It is easy! Anyone can hand out free stuff and spread awareness.
Not true, and its this type of attitude towards brand activation that can also greatly affect the
bottom line of a company. Handing out free stuff is basically giving away money, with no
assurance that the recipients will engage with the product let alone purchase the product. Let’s
face it; the main aim of any form of marketing whether it is brand activation or billboards is the
bottom line. I can’t think of any company that would be impressed without knowing some kind
of estimated return on investment, that investment being; marketing budget, production costs of
the product, the hours of planning and preparation as well as the labour costs of the individual
who are giving the product away. For successful brand activation, the bottom line is always at
the core of the purpose! A brand activation needs to be able to see a return on investment as that
is one of the core measures of whether the brand is successful or not. The spreading of awareness
needs to increase the brand positioning in the consumers mind, as well as communicate the
message of the brand, to reinforce it continuously. So with your next brand activation campaign
ensure you do the research and develop the campaign with this end goal in mind. Its really not as
easy as putting people in branded shirts handing out stuff in a high traffic areas, surely there is a
better and more engaging way to activate your product or brand.
#2. Don’t worry about the brand activation we can do that last.
Brand activation is a strategic technique with a certain goal in mind. Thus it definitely needs to
be planned and carefully thought through. Thinking it can be executed last minute is equivalent
to thinking ‘we won’t advertise the Melbourne Cup and we’ll still get huge crowds’. Wrong,
wrong, wrong totally wrong! Brand activation has many elements to it. Not only do the activities
need to convey the specific message, but also need to reflect the brand image and communicate
the wider brand message. Ideally these activities and messages should be planned when you are
developing the product or brand to get the best results and maximise ROI. With considered brand
activation planning at the conceptual stages your brand activation has the potential to shoot your
product or brand smack bang in to the target market. Who knows you could potentially create a
totally awesome viral campaign or create a new fad. As the say plan to plan ahead or plan to fail!

#3. We don’t need a brand activation, people will see it on the shelves and buy it.
Well you know what thought, thought? Thought, thought wrong. So many brands make this
common mistake; they believe their brand can add a product to the range or handle a rebrand
without reactivating it into the market. Big mistake. Consumers who are not made aware of any
kind of new branding or new product added to the range lose their trust and relationship with the
brand they have come to know and love. Perfect example of this is the rebranding of Bulla. They
changed an iconic brand without activating the new branding. Consumer are confused, they don’t
know if Bulla has sold out, if it’s the same trusted brand or if is a bad copy like a Louis Vuitton
bag from Bali. Brand activation is a part of all marketing processes. It is a technique that
showcases the product to the consumers, through interaction and engagement. Unless your brand
has no marketing what so ever for the product or service, brand activation will always be
incorporated. It generally occurs after the product has been researched and developed and is
ready to go to market.
So when planning your next brand activation campaign don’t risk making these common
mistakes. It is important to understand brand activation encompasses so much more than you
may realize. It is suitable for all brands and companies, and needs to be thoroughly thought
through and planned. Good luck!
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