Live events vs Advertising campaigns

There is no doubt about the importance of marketing experiences as a tool for communication and sales, but there are many ways of achieving the business and strategic objectives of a company, and the key is knowing how to employ the right types and channels of communication according to each one of these objectives.

Any channel that allows us to contact and connect with the end consumer or the target public is valid. We just have to take into account that we have to invest in those actions that help us to achieve our aims in the most efficient manner. Sometimes the best way will be to launch an advertising campaign or generate content online, but at other times the best way will be to organise a convention, fair or training event.

In this article, we will see some of the pros and cons of events and live communication compared to advertising.

Clearly, we should be present in multiple channels, with various formats and reaching the target audience in different ways, however, it is impossible to be everywhere or at least, to obtain the same impact via all channels, whether this be due to limited resources or because of the type of public we are trying to reach.

It is very important to define where we need to be and how much importance we give to each channel or action.

On the contrary to what occurs with Ads, many companies don’t really understand the impact that can be achieved with an event or the benefits it can bring to the company. Other times they do understand, but do not know how to obtain optimal benefit because they have not taken into consideration some important aspects.

To begin, we are going to define what an event is, but from our point of view.

Event: a unique opportunity to gather a certain audience with common interests, voluntarily and that is open to actively interacting with a company or various companies for a limited time period.

This means that it is one of the few ways that exist where a company can get their target audience together, in the same place, voluntarily and that this audience is also open to active participation with the intention of being informed about a product, service or brand.

And so, we can see that it is vitally important to make the most of this opportunity to obtain maximum benefits and achieve the greatest possible returns. Undoubtedly, organising an event has many advantages over launching Ads, one of which is the level of interaction with the public and the ability to generate lasting memories. On the other hand, advertising has other advantages, and so we have created this comparison with 22 essential points.

LIVE EVENTS

1. Usually a unique, one-off exprience
2. It is an ephemeral experience
3. A unique channel as attendance is necessary
4. There are few alternatives for those who do not attend
5. The audience is adapted to the format and language
6. The audience attends voluntarly
7. The public is predisposed to interaction
8. The public travels to the event
9. The public’s attention will be captured in an exclusive way
10. The budget is directed at a single impact
11. Once underway, there is no possibility to make changes
12. Greater risk of unforeseen circumstances
13. The result depends greatly on third parties
14. Great coordination and supplier management is required
15. Usually creates a greater memories
16. It is more sensory and emotional experience
17. Facilitates the generation of leads
18. More time and resources for communication
19. The audience can watch demos and test products
20. The public has to absorb more information
21. Generating sales in situ is more complex
22. Follow up is necessary to close sales

 

ADVERTISING

1. The same campaign can be repeated
2. The campaign length can be extended
3. Distribution over various channels
4. Multiple means of contacting with the public
5. Adaptable to individual markets and languages
6. Impact is not usually received voluntarily
7. There is no predisposition to interaction
8. Impacts can be generated at any time or in any place
9. There are factors which prevent full attention being captured
10. The budget is aimed at various impacts
11. A campaign can be stopped or changed
12. Less risk of unforeseen circumstances
13. Less dependence on third parties
14. Less coordination with suppliers is required
15. To generate memories, a greater number of impacts are required
16. Limitations at sensory and emotional levels
17. More difficult to generate leads, especially in offline supports
18. Time / space for communication very limited
19. More difficult to watch a demo or try the product
20. The information is greatly simplified
21. Online campaigns generate direct sales instantly
22. Follow up with online campaigns is complicated

We hope this article has helped you understand, or at least shown you some aspects that perhaps you had not previously contemplated, or may be of help when you have to discuss a proposal with a client or your team. We would be delighted to hear from you if you have any further suggestions to make, and we are sure that the MICE community would be grateful for any comments you may wish to leave.