Brand activation is a relatively new term in the industry. It is the art of driving consumer action through brand interaction and experiences. In simple terms, the aim of the campaign is to get consumers to act. It is about bringing brands to life via experiences and forming long-term emotional connections.
It takes many forms, including consumer promotions, experiential marketing, digital campaigns, shopper marketing, and sampling.
According to a Lagos based experiential marketing expert, Ororo Azemhobor, best practice brand activation is strategically-led and delivers measurable results, with a focus on return on investment (ROI).
Nigerian market
Rarely would any brand in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), oil and gas, financial service, and telecommunication roll out marketing campaign without brand activation or experiential marketing. The space is becoming crowded.
Over 5,000 brand activations were executed across board in the first half of the year by Nigerian brands. However, very few served the purpose as they were poorly executed run.
The industry was largely road show driven prior to modern day activation where class art, video mapping, remotable LCD screen and other high octane fabricated materials are deployed to give international standard.
The mechanics have changed. Not only have the strategies changed, the industry has witnessed high level competition with the entry of other players in the past five years.
Research factor
The industry in the last decade recorded a high number of badly executed brand activation due to a lack of research. The essence of brand activation is to spur consumers to take positive action towards the brand, but in most cases, consumers are left frustrated.
For instance, engaging Olamide or Wizkid to perform at a brand event targeted at consumers in the age bracket of 55 to 70 years is a misnomer.
Budget issue
Budget is a major concern when planning brand activation. Some brands simply pick sales promotional activities to drive volume without consumers engaging with the brand.
While some agencies are ready to go the extra mile to achieve impactful activation, some organisations are not ready to commit fund to it. Azemhobor said at Oracle Experience it is not a function of budget but discipline and selflessness.
Impactful activations
Recently, the industry has been wowed with some hard but achievable activation. As in the past when MTN introduced half marathon the tide has turned to FMCGs.
One experiential marketing firm that is able to create memorable experiences for the brands is Oracle Experience, according to its Chief Executive Officer, Felix Eiremiokhae.
He said creating experience for the brand does not also mean the brand must have a hole in its pocket to achieve that but commonplace materials can be used to create a long lasting memorable for the brand.
Oracle magic crates
The recent relaunch of Gulder coincided with the unveiling of the 11th contestants for Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) in Anambra State. Unlike the previous activations that heralded the show, the 2014 edition was a spectacle.
Over 3,500 crates from Gulder were used to build a tunnel that led guests to the main arena. However, this artistic masterpiece generated discussions among consumers in and outside the venue more than the brand did.
A banker and Gulder consumer, Julius Akanimo said “I have never seen crates of beer being creatively used. This is so fantastic that the relaunch would linger on for a long time to come.”
Video mapping, another innovation, was first used to synchronise visuals across the hall. The deployment of an Egyptian born Dubai-based Tanoura Dancer with over 120 spinning held consumers spellbound.
The right type of musical artistes and chirographies were provided to suit the event. Even after the event, a remotable collapsible stage was set, giving the ambience of an upwardly mobile event that suits the brand Gulder.
Oracle Experience is also responsible for Gulder Club Ultimate party activation, which had been held in Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Enugu. The activation became the party experience away from the usual club setting where an ocean liner was built on land for the brand to engage consumers.
Another mouth watering brand activation campaign is the Nescafe Magic Mug balloon flight. The campaign, also the brain child of Oracle Experience, was unimaginable until the agency brought it to life.
But among students on campuses in Lagos, Kwara, Oyo States, and Abuja magic mug flight is recalled without Nescafe.
Who pays
Most consultants are not concerned about how their activations come out as long as they conform to client’s budget and expectations.
But at Oracle, Azemhobor said Eiremiokhae can spend his management fees to achieve what consumers need to see, and is ready to close its sister company to achieve what would make people talk about activation and the brand.
“It is not just because of the client, it is because of the brand and consumers because if you check well what brought all of us to that venue was brand and consumers. Because the brand wants to relate with its best friends – the consumers,” Azemhobor stressed.