A recent article in the Sunday Business Post on the removal of likes on Instagram served as a timely reminder of the importance creating truly integrated campaigns and activities. For a brand to live solely on social or dedicate the lion’s share of its marketing budget to social channels - which ultimately it doesn’t own – is a dangerous position.

For many brands, experiential activity is where it’s at. Experiences shouldn’t be viewed as one-offs… even a one-day activation should be a micro campaign that’s driven by other comms (advertising, PR &/or social), amplified and maximised, however at the essence of the activity is creating a face-to-face experience. In this data-driven and knowledge overload society, developing memorable moments that stand out for consumers is where it’s at.

Social has its place for sure, and it plays a vital role in all brands’ communications, however surely a consumer tasting your product and potentially becoming a brand advocate is of more value than a like or competition entry (one of many that the same consumer may have entered on that day).

The sky’s the limit with experiential activity and we’ve been lucky enough to work on some seriously cool activations - including floating 200,000 cranberries in the beautiful pool at The Merrion Hotel, creating a number of award-winning show gardens at Bloom, brand activations on Culture Night and working with clients on maximising their sponsorships both online and offline, with experiential activity always at the forefront.

Regardless of your budget, if you’re a food or drink brand, getting your product into the hands of your customers - current, lapsed or new – is crucial. This summer, we’ve sampled thousands of products at events and festivals across Ireland. This low cost activity has helped to secure increased distribution for a number of clients, delivered new ‘real world’ fans, maximised partnerships and created original content for social.

And we’re not finished…we’ve a tasty little project coming up at the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival…wish us luck 😊