Annual spending on festival sponsorships continues to rise. This is because they are the best way to reach relevant audience: face-to-face as well as online. In order to manage a successful festival sponsorship, a brand’s marketing team fuses digital and experiential marketing strategies so that the two work together. These are the best strategies for a brand sponsor of a festival, and all depend on one essential tool – a strong and reliable WiFi connection.
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High-tech interactive exhibits are a win. At the Verizon Power House at Super Bowl XLIX, guests crowded to a virtual reality experience simulating what it feels like to be on the field of a football stadium: passing, crouching, and even performing a touchdown dance. Virtual reality experiences are a great way to attract attention – and also require a strong WiFi network in order to operate.
Live streaming and live blogging from the festival are essential.
Live streaming and live blogging from the festival are essential. Create digital content channels for your marketing team as well as your guests. This includes providing a twitter hashtag, photo opportunities, as well as the option of a full-on sponsored live stream of the event.
The live streaming option has worked out well for Ray Ban at SXSW. In 2013, this sponsorship generated 2,000 event attendees, 14,000 RSVPs, and over 287,000 live stream views. This is a perfect example of an event sponsorship and a digital marketing strategy supporting each other – just as long as that WiFi connection stays up and running.
