February 2022

Stay Ahead of the Curve: 3 Emerging Trends in Face-to-Face Activations You Can't Afford to Miss

Stay Ahead of the Curve: 3 Emerging Trends in Face-to-Face Activations You Can’t Afford to Miss.

The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the way we engage with youth audiences. In recent years, digital marketing has become increasingly popular, but the value of face-to-face activations must be considered. With face-to-face events such as Festivals, Prides and University on-campus events being a prime opportunity to connect with youth audiences, keeping up with emerging trends and strategies for effective face-to-face activations is essential. This blog post will explore the future of face-to-face activations and how brands can successfully market to youth via face-to-face experiential activations.

Trend #1: Immersive Experiences

One of the emerging trends in face-to-face activations is the move towards immersive experiences. Youth audiences are looking for more than just a product or service – they want to be fully immersed in a brand experience. Brands can achieve this by creating interactive installations or pop-up activations that allow youth audiences to engage with their products or services in a memorable and meaningful way.

Trend #2: Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Sustainability and social responsibility are becoming increasingly crucial to youth audiences, and brands demonstrating a commitment to these values are more likely to connect with them. Brands can incorporate sustainable materials or practices into their face-to-face activations or partner with charities or non-profit organisations to positively impact and appeal to youth audiences who care about social issues.

Trend #3: Personalisation and Customisation

Youth audiences are looking for personalised experiences that cater to their individual needs and preferences. Brands can achieve this by offering customised products or services or using technology such as augmented reality to create unique and interactive experiences.

Stay Ahead of the Curve: 3 Emerging Trends in Face-to-Face Activations You Can't Afford to Miss

Strategy #1: Engaging Youth Influencers

Youth influencers can play a crucial role in face-to-face activations by helping to promote the brand and drive engagement. Brands can partner with popular youth influencers or create youth ambassador programmes to connect with their target audience and create a buzz around their products or services.

Strategy #2: Creating Shareable Moments

Experiential events provide the perfect opportunity to create shareable moments that can be captured and shared on social media. Brands can create unique and memorable activations that are visually appealing and encourage youth audiences to take photos and share them on their social media accounts.

Strategy #3: Integrating Technology

Technology can play a significant role in face-to-face activations, and brands can leverage it to create engaging and interactive experiences for youth audiences. This can include everything from virtual reality experiences to interactive photo booths that allow youth audiences to share their brand experiences on social media.

Stay Ahead of the Curve: 3 Emerging Trends in Face-to-Face Activations You Can't Afford to Miss

Face-to-face activations remain a valuable marketing tool for connecting with youth audiences at festivals and pride events. By keeping up with emerging trends and strategies, brands can create immersive experiences that resonate with youth audiences and drive engagement and loyalty. Whether it’s through immersive experiences, social responsibility, personalisation, or integrating technology, brands that prioritise face-to-face activations are sure to stand out in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

10 Unbelievable Hacks to Skyrocket Your Brand’s Impact on the Youth Market: Revealing the Wagamama Success Strategy.

10 Unbelievable Hacks to Skyrocket Your Brand's Impact on the Youth Market: Revealing the Wagamama Success Strateg

Wondering how to level up your brand’s presence and create a lasting impression on the coveted youth market? Look no further! We’re about to dive into the Wagamama experiential campaign that took the UK by storm and share the top 10 tips and insights for a successful marketing campaign in the university sphere.

10 Unbelievable Hacks to Skyrocket Your Brand's Impact on the Youth Market: Revealing the Wagamama Success Strateg

Wagamama approached BAM for their expertise in youth experiential marketing to raise brand equity and boost restaurant student custom. Here’s how they did it and how you can do it too:

Look Beyond Freshers Fairs: While Freshers Fairs can provide excellent opportunities for brand exposure, they can be costly and overcrowded. Wagamama decided to conduct an experiential campaign during the critical first 100 days to gain the full attention of its target market.
Bring the Experience to Them: BAM developed a fully branded sampling vehicle with a functional kitchen, allowing Wagamama chefs to impress students with their tasty cuisine on campus.
Think Big and Bold: With extra space on campus outside Freshers, BAM opted for 3m tall feather flags and an oversized armchair for selfie-loving students to enjoy, creating a unique and memorable experience.
Opt for On-the-Go Solutions: Knowing that students prefer to eat on the go, Wagamama’s sampling vehicle focused on providing quick, easy, and delicious food samples rather than setting up seating and dining areas.
Cater to the Health-Conscious Youth Market: Wagamama offered a vegan yakisoba noodle dish that catered to the increasingly health-conscious student demographic, making their brand even more appealing.
Plan a Nationwide Tour: The “Teppvanyaki Tour” visited 17 university campuses across the UK, maximising the brand’s reach and impact on the student market.
Leverage Sampling for Higher Engagement: Students love freebies and like to try them before they buy. Sampling is the most effective way to encourage students to try something new and increase your consumer base.
Offer Exclusive Discounts and Incentives: Wagamama distributed vouchers offering a buy one get one free deal on main meals to encourage students to visit their nearest restaurant.
Track Your Campaign’s Success: Wagamama’s in-house team tracked redeemable voucher redemptions to gather quantifiable results on the campaign’s success, ensuring data-driven insights for future marketing efforts.
Create Lasting Impressions for Long-term Consumers: A successful campaign, like Wagamama’s, leaves a lasting impression on young consumers, turning them into future life-long customers.

10 Unbelievable Hacks to Skyrocket Your Brand's Impact on the Youth Market: Revealing the Wagamama Success Strateg

The Wagamama experiential campaign serves as a shining example of how to create a lasting impact on the youth market. By following these ten unbelievable hacks, you, too, can skyrocket your brand’s presence and success in the UK university sphere. So, go ahead and make your mark in the student market – the sky’s the limit!