Somerset House has launched the results of its insight paper into the motivations behind brand activations and what today’s attendee expects.
Tribe and Trusted: brand activations looking to drive a deeper connection and lasting loyalty was carried out in Autumn 2023.
The research set out to interrogate what brands and creative agencies are looking to achieve from an activation, and what the biggest drivers for attendance are in a world where consumers are “overwhelmed” with digital ads from brands.
Key findings include:
- Organisations are prioritising face-to-face marketing and live experiences in order to widen their outreach, and to develop a deeper understanding of how their customers behave and interact with their brand.
- The economy and “uneasy consumer outlook” is being mitigated by brands who seek to amplify deeper and more enduring customer relationships. Consumers also value authentic experiences and the opportunity to build a relationship with a brand they can trust.
- Attendees want to be part of a “dynamic and exclusive experience” with a likeminded collection of consumers, drawn by shared values and outlooks.
- Sustainability and diversity are key considerations across the board. The focus is just as much on the purpose behind a brand as the product itself.
Luci Sorrell, head of sales, commercial events at Somerset House, commented: “Today’s successful brand activations are no longer solely about getting a group together with the objective of ticking the ‘tried and tested’ product sampling box. They are instead about ‘tribe and trusted’, bringing likeminded followers together to drive a deeper connection and lasting loyalty through an authentic experience.”
