{"id":181735,"date":"2021-02-25T21:38:08","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T19:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=99478"},"modified":"2021-02-25T21:38:08","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T19:38:08","slug":"how-to-construct-winning-activations-in-a-covid-constrained-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/how-to-construct-winning-activations-in-a-covid-constrained-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Construct Winning Activations In A COVID-Constrained Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Andreas Smit believes when the economy opens up the activations industry will be more important than ever before.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last year saw a focus on digital and television advertising with an understandably cautious approach to below the line marketing. Due to social distancing, sanitising, and the barrier of mask-wearing, in-store promotions and activations suffered. Yet there were brands who took up the challenge to innovate by using physically distanced flash mobs and hyper-sanitised in-store sampling \u2013 which goes to prove how creative the industry can get when the tried-and-tested solutions are no longer available! This is the opinion of Business Alchemist, Andreas Smit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese innovative brands drove the COVID sanitisation and physical distancing message more noticeably than those using the typical channels. Engaging with the brand was conceivably like a reward for complying with the safety regulations. Perhaps more brands should do this to create better habit loops and memory structures. A brand activation should make being safe a pleasurable and rewarding experience rather than a forced one,\u201d says Smit.<\/p>\n

He goes on to add that for activations to be a success, brands must appoint a strategic partner to conceptualise a cohesive brand story that resonates with their audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 13 odd years in the industry, I have compiled a solid checklist that sparks the right conversations when it comes to selecting a partner agency. The building blocks of any great activation or promotional strategy includes the right channel, mechanic, resources, activation equipment and consumer incentive, and finally the right client service and operations team.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are Smit\u2019s non-negotiables every brand manager must check before committing to an agency:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Strategic approach<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAll too often, agencies try to solve a brand\u2019s problem with their preferred solution. Digital agencies punt an online solution; OOH agencies will push billboards and building wraps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smit recommends that an assessment should be done to confirm if the agency has taken a true, unbiased view of the pain points in question and recommended an approach that\u2019s most suited to solving specific brand challenges. He says: \u201cStrategy before tactics; start with the why before the how.<\/p>\n

2. Cost Obsession<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIs your activation agency cost-obsessed? Their focus should not only be on investment strategies that generate the best returns, but on ways to maximise your budget \u2013 no matter how big or small.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smit says that an agency must do everything in its power to make sure the budget works hard and the bulk of it is spent on activities that directly influence the consumer [rather than agency time], all the while making sure the deliverables are tangible and useful. He adds, \u201cIf your agency is white labeling services \u2013 are the suppliers offering competitive costings that are in step with their results?\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to be cost-obsessed but quite another to know when an obsession with quality is what will make all the difference. Activations agencies may at times be guilty of incidental wastage, but clients are often guilty of doing things on the cheap. A company\u2019s swag speaks volumes about its culture and selecting the cheapest promotional item, venue, or incentive to save a buck, ultimately damages the brand,\u201d says Smit.<\/p>\n

He believes a good agency is able to discern what elements require big investment versus those that are nice to have \u2013 or even gimmicky.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgree on items that are considered kites and those that are considered Boeings. Don\u2019t be stingy on collateral that lifts and drives brand equity, after all, a branded Boeing is like painting your brand\u2019s name across the sky!\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Creativity, distribution and connection<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smit says, \u201cIf your activations are not creating deep emotional connections with consumers, you\u2019re wasting your time. It\u2019s key that your engagement creates or strengthens a positive neural connection in the mind of your audience, otherwise you\u2019ll be lost in an already overcrowded market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding to this he says that this doesn\u2019t mean the client brief always has to start with \u201ccreate a disruptive and innovative campaign\u201d. It needs to start with \u201cdrive results \u2013 by creating an emotional reaction within the hearts and minds of the target audience \u2013 by using basic drivers and good old-fashioned thinking outside the box\u201d.<\/p>\n

Smit believes a well-trained, well placed promoter, who has passion for the brand and a conviction for the product, will win over a consumer far more readily than the latest greatest technology can. \u201cThis ultimately is how you win on the ground, one consumer at a time. Don\u2019t get fancy with bells and whistles if you\u2019re not getting this right. This may require a review (and overhaul) of your agency\u2019s recruitment, training and brand ambassador process.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Test. Learn. Prove. Report the results \u2013 be analytical<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cModern agencies are a unique blend of science and creative talent and when your brand is ready to push boundaries \u2013 demand innovation and disruptive ideas backed by strategic thinking. Take on ideas never rolled out before and back the ideas and bring the vision to life. Use a little budget, trial the idea and measure the impact based on pre-determined KPI\u2019s that will matter to the C-Suite \u2013 and impact the bottom line,\u201d says Smit. \u201cEvery campaign that a brand gives an agency should be run from an outcomes-based agreement with actual data to prove results. So evaluate reporting software and how data is used to improve future campaigns; actionable insights should always be fed into the next brand plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experience over Product<\/strong><\/p>\n

Commenting on the country\u2019s monetary crisis Smit says, \u201cRegardless of our circumstances, and the deepening economic crisis, the power of activations will be more important than ever once the economy full opens up again. Quite simply because it\u2019s human nature to crave interaction and experience and South Africa remains a nation that craves connection and appreciates physical rewards. This bodes well for the promotional and activation space,\u201d says Smit.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no getting away from the fact that consumers admit paying as much attention to how brands treat them as on the product they sell. To that point \u2013 according to an article in Forbes Magazine this figure is as high as 83%. \u201cIf that\u2019s to be believed, companies should be reviewing every touchpoint a consumer has with their brand and delivering an experienced-based emotional connection. Actively building purpose-led brands matters now more than ever. Experience over product!\u201d<\/p>\n

In closing, Smit says, \u201cIn exchange for their loyalty, consumers expect to be delighted and their attention needs to be earned. Your agency must humanise your brand and create a complete brand experience that helps form deeper connections \u2013 using and integrating multiple channels. The experience must add value to the consumer\u2019s life in a way that\u2019s naturally meaningful and personal and to do so they need to tick all these boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pages: Page <\/span>1<\/span> Page <\/span>2<\/a><\/div>\n

Source: MyPR.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andreas Smit believes when the economy opens up the activations industry will be more important than ever before. Last year saw a focus on digital and television advertising with an understandably cautious approach to below the line marketing. Due to social distancing, sanitising, and the barrier of mask-wearing, in-store promotions and activations suffered. Yet there […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":181736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9021,1],"tags":[3257],"class_list":{"0":"post-181735","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mypr","8":"category-south-africa","9":"tag-mypr","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/how-to-construct-winning-activations-in-a-covid-constrained-economy.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}