Branding – it can be really hard. As I went through the process with our rebrand, what I wanted became more clear. I also had help though. If I were to do it on my own, I wouldn’t have gotten the result that I did. I would have kept getting in my own way. This is why you hire an expert.
When I’m branding events on the other hand – it’s a bit easier. Why you might ask? For starters, when you hire a company to create your brand for an event, they aren’t emotionally attached to it as you are. They ask the hard questions and can help you visualize your options. I personally love illustrating ways a companies messaging will be integrated into the signage, catering, gifts, decor – heck, even the staff uniforms.
I found this infographic the other day and thought it tied in nicely with branding events. (I’ve broken it up since the original image is really long.) These 6 ideas, I feel are the 6 Laws of Events.
LAW No. 1: Awesome Customer Service
From the moment your website goes live to the final event survey is received, the customer needs to feel loved. Social media can be a blessing and a curse and if your customer service isn’t great, guess what – lots of people will find out about it and you’ll have a negative mark on your event. You definitely don’t want to see #fail in any social media channel when customers are talking about your event.
LAW No. 2: A Great Website or Invitation
This is one of the first touch points for your customer or guest. In the case of websites, your site needs to be user friendly, easy on the eyes, have a call to action and be informative. For both the web and printed invitations, the look and feel must be established before customers or guests see it. Consistency and theme are key here and shouldn’t be changed midstream. If the visuals on your website are showcasing a nautical theme and then you walk into the meeting space and everything is space age, you might get some questions and guests thinking they are in the wrong place.
LAW No. 3: Brilliant Content
Another way your event is going to shine is with the content you’re delivering. From speakers to peers to keynotes; creating the content that is going to assist your customers and prospects to do their job more efficiently, elevate their position within their company, or increase their knowledge all speak volumes to your event.
Something to keep in mind though; content has many faces. It’s not always written in a flyer or powerpoint and doesn’t always involve a speaker. I was just at an industry vendor fair that had no speakers or powerpoint, but physical ideas that I could touch, take pictures of, taste and see. I walked away with so many ideas on how I could enhance events that I work on.
LAW No. 4: Stir Up Emotion
Emotion starts the moment the guest walks into the space. How are they greeted at the registration desk to sitting in the general session to entering a dinner party to walking onto a tradeshow floor. Remember people want to feel special and a great way to do that is to incorporate all of their senses (site, sound, touch, smell, taste).
LAW No. 5: Under Promise/Over Deliver
There are essential elements that are required for any event, conference, wedding or party. I call these elements the “Under Promise.” All of the elements you layer in and the unexpected the surprises – well, those are the “Over Deliver.” It’s the over deliver that sets your event apart from everyone else, makes it memorable and keeps customers and guests coming back for more.
LAW No. 6: Encourage Feedback & Listen
Feedback can be hard to receive, especially when you are personally invested in your event. But it’s that feedback that is going to set your event apart from the rest. If your customers know that they can talk to you, you’re going to listen and will do something, don’t you think they will be back? And if this is a quarterly or annual event, it will be even better in years to come.
image via, infographic created by One Deep Design
