When customers imagine your company events in their minds, what do they think of? There will likely be certain colors, designs, and services that spring to mind, but what else? Personality. Aesthetic. Attitude. Your relationship to your prospects, customers, employees, and partners. All of these factors combine to create your event’s brand. Here’s our guide to why your next corporate event needs branding.
Branding for Corporate Events
You should always try to integrate your company’s brand into your commercial events. This may be as simple as incorporating your logo or as complex as your full-blown corporate identity. Event branding helps emphasize your image. Companies that already boast a strong brand can use these events to help solidify their image in a potential customer’s mind. Lesser known brands, on the other hand, can use events to introduce themselves.
One of the most successful companies in history when it comes to branding is Apple. They exemplify the importance of consistency in branding both in their digital and physical products, as well as during real-world events. Think of the iconic image of Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone in his black turtleneck in front of a giant Apple logo. The Apple brand lives across all of its products (as well as through its software) and Jobs insisted that this brand extend also to the company’s events.
So, why does you need to make sure your next corporate event is branded?
Increase Your Company’s Visibility with Branded Events
Hosting an event for the launch of a new service or product is an excellent way to publicize what’s new and exciting with your brand. Real-world, physical events are great for generating a ton of buzz and creating visibility in a way that a digital launch cannot match.
Another possibility is to organize an event aimed at a very restricted and exclusive audience. It’s the age-old “large audience broad scope vs. small audience narrow scope” debate. The answer is dependent on your product and company. If, for example, Rolls Royce were throwing a branded corporate event, it wouldn’t make sense for them to invite every Joe Briefcase in town. Their event should be specifically aimed at those in the tax bracket necessary to afford one of their cars.
Branded Events Help Generate Buy-Ins
Events are a great chance to get to know your customers. They provide an opportunity to engage your customers through extended interactions and discussions about their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. Branded events are also a great way to get attendees involved in a common-project and allow them to them feel like they are truly part of it. Face-to-face connections between you, your employees, and the guests at your event can consolidate buy-in and help people remember your brand.
This will help generate buy-ins from those involved and will have a noticeable impact on customer loyalty.
Branded Events Consolidate and Engage Customers
Those attending your branded event will organically connect with each other and form an informal community which may, in turn, help them connect and engage better with your brand. Employees, customers, and potential clients attending the event may even become voluntary brand advocates and evangelists. You can attempt to accomplish this by adding photo booth areas with your brand’s message visible in products, banners, or other elements.
You should keep your company’s social media information and relevant hashtags visible so that people can easily share information about, and pictures of, your event, as well as engage with both the company and each other during and after the event.
If someone makes the decision to attend your event, you’re already halfway there. Offering people something enticing enough to get them to show up is the hardest part. People want to attend events that make them feel welcome and like they belong. When they do, they feel an unmistakable connection with your company: “These are my people. These are my issues. This is relevant to me, right now.”
Branded Events Can Help Your Bottom Line
Yes, properly branded company events will help your bottom line. They can help you get to the top of your customer’s mind and remember you before they make their next purchase. Branded events and meetings are one of the best ways to develop long-term relationships with customers and stakeholders. The benefits only develop from there.
Branded events can increase your company’s overall visibility as well as raise awareness about new and specific products and services. Further, they forge important connections with both customers and potential partners.
There you have it: our guide to why your next corporate event needs branding. If you need help with your next party or event, check out our branding services at LA Photo Party.
