Experiential marketing events are hosted in many different venues, but music festivals are one of the most popular choices. Music festivals typically attract thousands of people, so brands that plan activations at these events have the opportunity to engage with thousands of potential customers.

However, it’s important to note that choosing a music festival as your venue does not guarantee that the event will be a success. Marketers still need to put in the hard work in order to plan and host a memorable event for their target audience. Here’s how:

Research the Audience

There are usually countless music festivals planned for the summer, but some of them are better venue options for your brand’s event than others. Why? The audience. It’s important to ask the festival organizer for information about their audience so you can find an event that will attract your target audience.

For example, Nielsen data reveals people who attend Bonnaroo are 59% more likely to buy liquid coffee than the average person. On the other hand, people who attend Coachella are 32% more likely to purchase lipstick than the average person. Therefore, a coffee company should host their event at Bonnaroo, whereas a cosmetic company would find greater success at Coachella. Data like this can help brands determine which event their target audience is more likely to attend.

Create Insta-Worthy Moments

Festivalgoers are typically young and tech-savvy, so they usually document their experience at the festival by uploading photos and videos to Instagram. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 98% of consumers create digital or social content while attending memorable events. They will snap dozens of photos before the event is over, but some of these photos may not make it to their Instagram.

Make sure your event is featured in festivalgoers’ photos and videos by creating Insta-worthy moments within your activation. Invite guests at your event to pose on the red carpet or in front of a flower wall. You can also provide guests with fun props to encourage them to snap more photos with their friends. Creating photo opportunities like these will ensure that everyone who attends your event feels compelled to stop and take a picture so they can share the experience with their followers. Having guests create and share content featuring your brand is free publicity–so don’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of it.

Partner With A Non-Profit

Research has shown that today’s consumers are drawn to brands that take a strong stance on social issues. A recent survey showed that 53% of young consumers have purchased products from a brand simply to show their support for the social issues that are also supported by the brand. Furthermore, another 23% of young consumers said they have at least considered purchasing a product because of the brand’s position on important social issues. Based on this data, it’s clear that connecting to a social cause can help brands build meaningful relationships with the young consumers in their target audience.

There’s no better place to highlight your connection to a cause than a music festival attended by thousands of young people. Identify the cause that you would like to support, and then contact non-profit organizations that support this cause. It should not be hard to find a non-profit that is willing to partner with you at the event in order to draw attention to the cause. Even if the non-profit does not want to be heavily involved in the event, simply donating a portion of proceeds from the event to the non-profit is a powerful statement that young consumers will appreciate.

Give Guests the VIP Experience

Most music festivals sell VIP passes that give guests access to exclusive events and perks. However, these passes are not cheap, so the majority of festivalgoers cannot afford them. This is your chance to give festivalgoers without VIP passes the opportunity to feel like a VIP. Make your guests feel as if they are sneaking away from the festival and entering an exclusive event. You can also pamper them with tasty snacks, relaxing treatments, and other activities that are typically only found in VIP-only areas. Guests may not remember who was on stage that day, but they will remember the way that you made them feel while they were at your event.

Provide Guests With Useful Promotional Items

It’s common for brands to hand out promotional items at experiential marketing events. Many brands hand out traditional promotional items such as pens or stress balls, but instead of taking this route, marketers should make an effort to provide guests with useful promotional items.

For example, a hand soap brand recently hosted an experiential marketing event at Coachella. Since Coachella takes place in the middle of the desert, many festivalgoers end up covered in dirt, sweat, and debris. Instead of handing out useless promotional items, the hand soap company chose to provide festivalgoers with branded moist towelettes so they could clean themselves off.

Think about what the festivalgoers will want while they’re at the event, and then see if there’s a way to provide it in the form of a promotional item. For instance, branded water bottles or hats would be ideal for events scheduled in the middle of the summer. A useful item will be much more memorable than a traditional promotional item that will end up in the trash.

Hosting an experiential marketing event at a music festival is not easy–especially if you’ve never planned an event for this type of venue. If you’re interested in hosting an experiential marketing event at an upcoming music festival, contact Factory 360 today. Let our team of experiential marketing professionals plan the perfect event for your target audience.