Want your brand activation to make a big impact? It’s not all about length of time. Some of the best campaigns run for just a few days, using bold visuals and fun extras to drive customer engagement. But with many ways to 'go big', it can be hard to decide what to do – and that’s why we’ve made this guide!
Read on to see why going the extra mile can get your brand get ahead of the pack, even if it means shortening your campaign time.
Should you supercharge your brand activation?
Promotional vehicles are great for brand awareness and experiential events, but if you’re big on customer engagement, it may be worth taking things further.
Here’s why going bigger can be a great idea:
A maximised budget – Extended campaigns can be costly in terms of vehicle hire, logistics, staffing and venue hire. By shortening its length, you can use the money saved to make your activation even better! It could also make campaign support services easier to budget for.
A bigger buzz – A high-impact campaign will be less likely to burn out than a longer one that’s overly simple. Even a few small touches can help your campaign pack a much bigger punch, while the time-limited nature plays on the fear of missing out (FOMO).
More engagement – You want people to remember your campaign for years to come, and that comes down to customer engagement. This doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and in fact, many activities can be run affordably with some creative thinking.
Faster results – With a shorter brand activation, you won’t have to wait weeks or months to gauge reactions and judge what did or didn’t work. You can then decide how to do even better next time and get a higher return on investment.
How to go big with your activation
Discover how brands have spread their reach and put customer engagement first. Some of these tips are highly affordable – providing extra oomph without breaking the bank.
1. Multiple vehicles, in multiple cities
An expensive option, but the perfect way to spread brand awareness with limited time.
Our promotional vehicle fleet includes everything from the vintage Airstream and double-decker bus to the classic VW Camper, Piaggio Ape and Citroen H-Van. We even have fully electric vehicles, which are ideal for green campaigns.
SHEIN hired 6 vehicles for its festive Christmas countdown. By splitting its campaign across two locations at once, SHEIN visited 14 venues in just 2 weekends. They were thrilled with the results, handing out more than 80,000 gifts at its experiential events.
2. Have fun with gamification
A game is always great for customer engagement, adding lots of fun without much cost. As such, it’s one of the more popular ways to get people involved. You could have a spin-the-wheel or claw machine where people try for prizes, run a challenge that keeps guests interested, or add a ball pit to kickstart their inner child.
Gaming elements can be added to all types of campaign, and they're great additions to promotional vehicles – just ask SHEIN, QV Skincare and MAC Cosmetics!
3. Immerse your guests
Large vehicles like the double-decker bus, Airstream and exhibition bus lend themselves well to experiential events. With so much space inside, you can create anything from educational walkthroughs, like BiOrbic’s award-winning mobile setup, to themed environments like Cadbury’s Crème Egg scavenger hunt.
You don’t have to go wild with your customisations, though. Meeting spaces, beauty stations and nail bars can be simple to build, but people respond to them in droves.
4. Hire big personalities too!
Brand activations aren’t just about big visuals. It’s often the human touch that makes campaigns special. SHEIN hired dancers and Santa for its 2024 event, while Netflix brought in a performing troupe to entertain guests lining up for the Witcher-themed ice cream truck.
There’s also the running of your event to think about; with so much happening at once, you may need extra support. Why not make life easier with ambassadors, an event manager, or other specialist campaign staff who can ensure your event runs smoothly?
5. Build an irresistible photo moment
People love to capture things that excite them, and by going big with your activation, you give them every reason to share your brand with their friends and followers.
Bold colours and imagery play a big role here, but you can also set up specific areas with themed backdrops. You could also include a 3D prop (like QV’s bathtub) or invite celebrities and influencers to excite the crowds.
Want to photograph your branded vehicle around big-city landmarks? We can arrange a content capture day for the cost of a day’s logistics. This will help you spread brand awareness and advertise your event ahead of time.
Take the stress out of campaign planning
Planning an ambitious event can be daunting, but all you need is good organisation and a partner you can trust. At Promohire, we help with everything from sampling days to major experiential events – and we know exactly what it takes to make them special!
Check out the ‘8 steps’ campaign planning guide below to get started, then visit our costs and services guide to see if you can ‘go big’ in a way that fits your budget.
