When planning your next event, do you think about its personality and attitude? Do you pay attention to aesthetics, colours, imagery etc? All these factors go hand in hand with building a strong brand.
If you are in the middle of planning an event and unsure how to do all this, here’s what you need to know. In this guide, you will find some effective branding techniques to help you create your own like a professional.
Why is Event Branding Important?
Building a strong brand is imperative for every company and the event you’re planning should represent your business. It promotes who you are, helps you share your message, and finally, it helps you build a successful relationship with your audience.
Branding your event helps you gain exposure and trust. Therefore, you should think of your event as a person and create a personality that will connect with your audience.
Your Company’s Logo
Every organization has a unique brand. Since your event represents and promotes your brand and what you do, the logo of the organization or company should be visible. Make it part of the decor, make it visible. You can print out your logo on napkins, put it on the wall, on balloons, bunting, banners, etc. It’s up to you; the important thing is that it’s there.
Branded T-Shirts
This is not a new idea, but it is certainly one of the best and most popular ones for branding your event. Branded T-shirts don’t cost that much and they are an excellent way to promote the event as well as identify the staff. Think simple T-shirts with your organization’s logo or the event theme printed on them.
Branded Food
Lucky for us, anything that is edible can be branded as well. If you’re serving food, you might as well use the opportunity to promote your brand. You can serve a cake with your logo, cupcakes, cookies and anything else that comes to your mind. The added bonus is that people will likely take photos of the delicious treats and post them on social media, so it’s a win-win.
Event branding experts also suggest branding fruits such as apples and bananas by adding branded stickers to them. Simple but very effective.
Cups
Beverages can be customizable too, but if that is too expensive for your budget, you can go with plain simple branded cups. Usually, they don’t cost a lot and if it’s a small event, this will fit perfectly into your budget.
Event Apps
According to a case study on Event Manager Blog, event apps are increasing in popularity for large events and conferences. Why do people like using them? Because they can scroll through the schedule and connect with other attendees. Event apps are great for representing your brand; however, they are not always affordable depending on the app, of course. While some may cost very little, others will require thousands of dollars. If you are planning a small event, you can consider the cheaper options.
Conference Folders
If your budget does not allow for event apps, there is always the old-fashioned yet still very effective alternative: conference folders. If promotional conference folders don’t fit into your budget either, consider another, cheaper option: clear polyfiles with a cover sheet.
Hashtags
Let us not forget Instagram, Twitter, etc. Hashtags have a lot of potential in the social media world and if done properly, they can benefit you a lot. It makes it easier for people to spread the word about the event. Think of an enticing hashtag for your event that will help you gain exposure.
Other Branded Things
Besides cups and conference folders, you can have branded pens, stickers, wristbands, and paper bags. Depending on your budget, you can also have branded bunting, notepads, badges, and handouts. There are plenty of options, really, and it’s up to you to decide which ones you’ll use. Or even all of them!
An Entire Event to Brand
You can also turn your entire event into a night your guests are not likely to forget. By hosting a Strictly-themed event, for example (if that is relatable to your brand), you will surely make a lasting impression. Fundraising Events can help you out in that respect.
Create an Event Website
Finally, you have to build a great website for your event. Think about the fact that most people will search for something online before they buy a product or attend an event. This is why it is important to create a website where your audience can gather information and connect.
When creating a website, there are many factors to consider that will affect the final result such as colours, user experience, etc. Building a great website is not an easy task so you may want to hire a professional to save you lots of time, effort, and frustration.
By now, it is more than clear why event branding is necessary. By following these guidelines, you can master effective branding as well. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the number of possibilities, consulting a professional to help you with event branding may be a better choice.