Here’s why you should be activating your brand outdoors this summer – and how to do it

Now that lockdown is over and we are in the middle of summer, everyone is out and about ready to experience everything they can. As the city begins to make its way back to normalcy, the usual boom in outdoor shopping precincts, beaches and other communal areas will be the perfect setting to strengthen relationships with your customers, get your brand recognised and create that ripple effect of leads to customers that every brand manager is after.

The current outdoor landscape
Outdoor events have changed a lot over the last two years. Open-air environments have been one of the key ways a brand can connect and interact with their consumers.

Whilst large events are continuing to recover, there is an even greater opportunity for brands to incorporate outdoor experiences into their marketing activations for 2022.

This year, we can expect to see a rise in localised events and experiences. For businesses who know their audience is still feeling a little hesitant about travel, it’s time to take the activation to them. Local partnerships and collaborations with the community are going to drive success for your brand – plus give you a lot of credibility in the local market.

DisplayWise Business Development Manager – Sales, Rory Burton says, “There are many benefits of brand activations and they are noticeable as soon as the process is in full effect. Being able to obtain user feedback in real-time is one of the most important benefits of a brand activation as it can lead to better performance once the feedback is used in a productive way, which can then lead your brand to reach new audiences that have yet to engage with your brand and its message.”

Tips and tricks

There’s a misconception in the world of brand marketing that activations and experiential campaigns are expensive or not worth the hassle. This is entirely not true. Pop ups and transformations don’t need to be a huge line item in the budget. A little creativity and resourcefulness can go a long way. Ultimately, people love experiences – they can change their perception of a brand and alter their purchasing decisions.

At DisplayWise, we work with brands to provide their customers with a unique and shareable experience. We can help you brainstorm campaign ideas, discuss trends and advise how to get the best results. Delivering these experiences will generate conversations, traffic, engagement, and when executed effectively, the sales come through.

“Our top tip would be to focus on creating connections that are meaningful enough to build long-term relationships with your clients. Gaining an understanding of the purpose that a client has will allow you to build and develop content that is relevant to them, which eventually will help them build trust in you,” Rory Burton said.

Prove it

Now, the next mission – your brand needs to stand out. It’s best to work with the natural surroundings of your environment, with the product or service you’re offering, and marry them together. Here are some of the most successful outdoor brand activations that we have worked on:

Sprite

Activated on a beach, ‘Sprite’ constructed a fully-branded large outdoor shower for beach-goers to cool off after a swim or day in the sun. Imitating the refreshing nature of a Sprite on a hot summer’s day, the brand was able to leave a lasting impression on their consumers’ minds.