ACTIVATING TRUE POTENTIAL
To understand how brand activation, materializes in the real world, it helps to have a case study to examine. Based out of Surprise, Arizona, Catch a Wave Vacations helps plan everything from family vacations to destination weddings. The company described its use of car wraps as a kind of “moving billboard,” with people noticing how colorful and creative the wrap was from day one. And that appeal had real-world effects: As much as 65 percent of the company’s subsequent inbound calls came from people responding to the wrap. It just goes to show that this simple but effective approach can significantly increase a brand’s exposure, and that ultimately boosts its ability to close deals with customers.
Brand activation means that people recognize and trust companies more readily. But how does that awareness impact an organization directly? Once a brand enters the public, how does a company benefit in a way that matters to their bottom line or place in the larger marketplace?
At the most basic level, proper brand activation means you can better engage with the market, and that’s important not only for higher sales but an understanding of the latest trends and traffic within a given industry. Brands can also experience a greater level of media exposure, and it’s these newspapers, magazines or web shows that can assist an organization with effective outreach and generating added business. Finally, all of this attention is crucial for building a long-lasting relationship with clients and consumers. Happy customers can help further promote a company through a ripple effect, meaning more referrals with less overall effort.
Examining another case study better illustrates this point: In the mid-2000s, 91.3 Jack FM – a radio station out of Los Angeles known for playing classic rock – launched a car wrap campaign to help promote its afternoon “Jack Show.” The wrap, which featured the station’s logo as well as several brightly colored guitars, was a perfect choice: As audience numbers tend to peak during periods of high traffic, it made sense to employ a car-centric form of exposure to reach a target audience. And the move worked, as Jack FM was able to transform a simple decision into a noticeable bump in listeners. This decal was a prime example of awareness of your audience, which is a centerpiece of any meaningful activation.
