Via Ad Age by Kevin Gray
Featuring GTPro ComplexCon Live Show Production, Production Management, Show Design, Equipment Package
The most successful experiential campaigns are intentional, meaningful and geared toward the audiences they're serving. Rather than isolated events hoping to drum up buzz, brands are producing layered activations that are interesting, organic and authentic. They’re harnessing the power of technology, music and art to create multi-sensory experiences. They’re considering the social consciousness of fleeting events and integrating philanthropic elements to leave a lasting legacy. And they’re embracing media and live-streaming to include the broader public in the conversation. Successful efforts lead to even deeper relationships between brands and their customers, creating a bond that’s measured more by loyalty and community than by clicks and views. “Instagrammable moments are great,” says Badamo, “but at the end of the day, it's more about connecting with audiences while being authentic to brand culture.” In just the past few weeks a challenge greater than the perception of peak experiential marketing has emerged: the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Every day brings news of brands and companies pulling out of conferences, and events being canceled. According to a recent Agency EA blog post, the Global Business Travel Association has estimated the coronavirus outbreak could cost the industry up to $47 billion a month. “As brands continue building, and now shifting, their 2020 marketing strategies, it’s more important than ever to connect with audiences in authentic and meaningful ways,” Agency EA writes. “Virtual or streaming events have always offered significant benefits, most notably amplifying reach to a wider audience. Amid COVID-19 concerns, it’s critical to consider how to leverage both live and virtual event formats to deliver the biggest impact.” Indeed, rather than cancel their conferences completely, some of the biggest events—including the upcoming Adobe Summit, Google Cloud Next, Facebook F8 and Google I/O—have elected to cancel the “live components” and instead will live-stream the proceedings online. As the world at large adjusts to current, and unforeseen, realities in the coming months, it's more important than ever to amplify the marketing strategies that stood out from the pack so that the industry can adapt to the changing times. Here are the top 10 experiential moments of the past year. Winners were selected by Ad Age Studio 30 in partnership with Agency EA. Given the wide variety of activations and events, the winners are presented unranked.
Best Streetwear Summit
COMPLEXCON
Dates: July 20-21, 2019 // Location: Chicago
Dates: November 2-3, 2019 // Location: Long Beach, CA
ComplexCon merges the best parts of trade shows, music festivals and food festivals into one comprehensive, can’t-miss event. Returning to Long Beach, California, for the fourth straight year, and expanding into a new market, Chicago, ComplexCon hosted more than 80,000 attendees in 2019.“We recognized this desire for audiences to go beyond their digital connections, meet in real life and discover and celebrate everything Complex has been obsessed with since 2002,” says Isis Arias Clermont, executive producer of ComplexCon at Complex Networks. “The things that were once fringe culture are now mainstream, from hip-hop and sneakers to streetwear and art.” ComplexCon is an opportunity for the brand to connect directly with its fans, giving them exclusive access to the top trends in food and fashion, as well as forward-thinking conversation via its panel discussions. Last year also saw the launch of a new initiative called Complex Connect, which allowed attendees to connect with influential members of the Complex family in an intimate setting to discuss everything from philanthropy to entrepreneurship. For brand partners, ComplexCon means unparalleled access to coveted and influential consumers, who not only drive commerce, but can provide immediate feedback and insights. It’s the definition of win-win.For the first time in 2019, Complex also leveraged its food brand, First We Feast, and brought hundreds of the country's hottest food vendors to ComplexCon—an experience that is now spinning off into a new food-focused festival launching later this year. “We know that attendees want to walk away with more than shared memories and products,” says Clermont. “We hope to also offer new resources, skills and insights as takeaways, and in turn gain more insight into our audience.”
