Health and wellbeing isn’t something you would naturally associate with the festivals scene.  But it’s an emerging trend and forward-thinking brands are already jumping on board, with tooth brushing stations and pampering zones challenging the whole festival concept of staying dirty for three days.

 

Looking good could also be part of the latest live streaming and ongoing festival selfie trend.  In fact, Glastonbury’s official technology partner, EE predicts that this weekend’s festival will be the most shared live event of 2017.  Offering on site wireless charging for the first time, in addition to phone charging, EE are expecting 40 terabytes of data to be used, equating to 400 million festival selfies.

 

Targeted Brand Partnerships

 

There’s plenty of scope for targeted promotions or brand partnerships with other established events too.  Bestival and Latitude now feature relaxation zones where festival-goers can take a break from loud music and partying to enjoy a bit of peace, yoga and meditation. For hardcore fitness fans there are festivals like BeFit and Balance, which focus on health and wellbeing, with a heady mix of music (and, often, non-alcoholic smoothies) to enjoy after a day of workout demonstrations and classes.

 

“For lifestyle brands, these festivals present an exciting opportunity to connect with audiences in a way which resonates with what they value – their health and happiness.”

 

 

 

“These festivals are mirroring a cultural trend towards health and well-being, and combine being fit and healthy with having fun, two things which are very important to Millennials” says NDL Senior Account Manager, Latoya Kessie.

“Brands wanting to connect with young people in particular can create incredible incentive campaigns by linking themselves with these events and tapping into the ultimate feel-good experience.”

 

The power of association

 

For brands looking to benefit from the power of association with festivals and a wellbeing element, the key to success lies, as always, with careful targeting. At NDL, we seek to match brands to the right events to give clients maximum ROI.

“If you’re marketing a pure fitness product and want to tap into an audience which is hardcore about health and fitness, there might be better ways to reach your audience,” says Latoya. “These festivals are more for people who want to be fit and healthy, but in a fun way, with music and crowds and good food all part of the mix. So that’s a great opportunity for lifestyle brands, like those connected with technology, entertainment, food, fashion or beauty.”

 

Promotions with widespread impact

 

Of course, a promotion can have wide-scale appeal, but there can only be a handful of actual winners. This is when our expert winner fulfilment team works hard to extend the reach of each campaign through social media amplification.

Even with a small number of winners, pictures and feedback from a well-planned campaign can be used to capture the imagination of a much wider section of your target audience, prompting high participation and ongoing engagement levels. Simply offering your audience the chance to do something that would ordinarily be out of their reach, like VIP tickets or the chance to meet their favourite DJs or musicians, can build long-lasting affinity with a brand, as well as giving winners material worth sharing across their own network.

 

 

“We all feel more attached to brands which have given us an amazing experience, so simply giving your audience the opportunity to win tickets or enjoy a VIP experience at an event which combines everything they enjoy – music, fitness, wellbeing – is going to have a lasting impact.”

 

Focus on ROI

 

Experiential marketing like this always comes with a question mark over ROI. The key is to determine your KPIs at the outset, and to think laterally about how the promotion fits into your overall marketing goals.

“We work with all of our clients to set specific KPIs which enable them to measure the outcome of a promotional campaign, and experiential marketing of this type is no different. We tailor activity to achieve specific objectives, so results can be measured. This may take account of awareness factors such as number of entrants, website visits, social engagement or app downloads, if that’s part of your campaign. It can also be measured through direct sales, of course.”

 

Creating unforgettable experiences – on budget

 

One of the great things about using festivals as the basis of your promotion is that they can work for almost any budget. From relatively simple ticket give-aways, to complete VIP packages, a festival promotion has plenty of scope for imaginative marketing.

Recently, we’ve created money-can’t-buy experiences for a number of household brands, giving winners backstage access to their favourite bands and stars as well as memorable add-ons like luxury travel and unusual accommodation. With our Unmissable® experiences brand, we can extend the synergy between a brand and an incredible experience, offering prizes such as this wellbeing yoga beach retreat in Thailand.

 

Attention to detail

 

Our prize winner management team knows only too well that when it comes to working with winners, attention to detail counts.

“Any hassle will soon take away the positive feelings a winner may have about your brand,” says Latoya.

“Even if you’re doing a simple ticket give-away, every prize element is important to your winner, and needs to be communicated properly to ensure they receive their tickets and any supporting information without having to ask. It’s really important to do the groundwork to make sure everything goes to plan. Of course, if the promotion is more complex and you’re providing transport, accommodation, food and other goodies, there will need to be more detailed liaison.

“This isn’t just good practice – we help lots of brands extend the reach of their promotion by generating further social media engagement, helping them get their message across to more than just a handful of winners – so it pays to do the prize management bit well!” adds Latoya.

 

Creating the perfect promotion for your brand

 

If you would like help in creating the perfect promotional campaign for your brand, please get in touch with our expert team on 020 7428 3090.

We offer a complete, end-to-end promotion and incentive service, including promotional campaign management, prize winner management and campaign idea creation. We manage all aspects of the promotional mechanics and build bespoke promotional platforms to enable your campaign to run smoothly, helping you achieve your business goals.