Market Insights

Experiential marketing activations can be risky, but sometimes the risk is worth the payoff. For example, the SXSW Conference & Festival is celebrated for its experiential displays, and the intersection of arts and digital experiences that it offers attendees. But not every activation is vetted and approved like the ones seen at SXSW. Sometimes marketers are willing to roll the dice for the sake of profit and promotion, and sometimes it backfires. Just ask these 5 organizations who launched experiential activations that didn’t exactly go as planned.

Customer activation is an important part of the marketing mix, where all forms of communication come together to motivate consumers to perform a desired action.

Recent reports predict that in 2018, brand activation revenues are expected to reach $357 billion, so it comes as no surprise that customer activation spending is expected to reach $740 billion U.S. dollars by 2020. Brands are putting more effort than ever before into developing creative activation strategies. Although not every organization has the resources to launch expensive activations, it may surprise you to discover that some of the most successful campaigns were executed on a modest budget. The key to a winning activation is engaging and incentivizing consumers to action.  So, if you’ve yet to devise a brand activation strategy or looking for new inspiration, then you’ve come to the right place.

WILY is honoured to be chosen as one of four companies to exhibit at Flourish Conference 2018. The conference will take place from April 9-11th at the Hyatt Centric in Chicago and includes three days of education and insight into the world of branded currency. This year’s theme, Innovations in Branded Currency (i.e. gift cards, loyalty points, coupons, promotional codes, credits or anything that allows a customer to exchange something for a retailer’s goods/services) was chosen out of the ever-pressing need for more personal experiences with incentives, and how technology is reshaping the industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet WILY in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #8) and learn how to plug-in and layer-on smarter, faster incentive programs with engagement and gamification mechanics.