01.28.22
By Lisa Major
Small businesses are the heart of our nation. In fact, 99.9% of US companies qualify as small businesses, and they employ almost half of the nation’s private workforce. Unfortunately, the pandemic dealt a devasting blow to many of them and their communities, forcing closures and employee layoffs. While most big brands carried on with business as usual, quite a few recognized the struggles that small businesses faced and stepped up to the plate, offering their time, resources, and experience to help.
In this week’s Happy Hour, we take a look at three brands that used experiential marketing tactics to generate awareness and sales for small businesses across the country. We also feature the top trade show trends to watch in 2022 and tips for crafting a stellar winter brand activation in the great outdoors.
“…at a time when so many small companies are in recovery mode, the more fortunate organizations that have stepped up to help lighten the load, and provide small business support, have proven that they champion causes that are bigger than business.” ~Dyan Cornacchio, Sparks
ATN proudly provided brand ambassadors for Pepsi’s “Dig in Day” which supported Black-owned restaurants across the nation.
Owning a small business comes with a unique set of challenges, from gaining new customers to cash flow. Throw in a pandemic, and many faced significant financial setbacks. Fortunately, some big players recognized this struggle and have stepped in to offer support by “creating partnerships and hosting experiences” to help raise awareness and drive sales for distressed companies. In this article, Sparks features three amazing brands that rallied around small businesses to help ease some of the burdens that the pandemic brought about.
“There’s no better contingency plan than fresh air, and while many markets are under a deep freeze, winter has never deterred brands from perfecting engagement for bundled up consumers.” ~Rachel Boucher, Event Marketer
When you think of outdoor brand activations, you often think of warmer months when spring festivals, summer concerts, and sporting events offer ideal venues. But winter’s frigid temperatures shouldn’t deter brands from crafting a fun outdoor experience. After all, people still flock to outdoor events and venues – think X Games, Super Bowl, and ski resorts, to name a few. Brands like Mountain Dew, Suburu, and Taco Bell have taken advantage of what old man winter has to offer by crafting incredible, buzz-worthy brand experiences and events. Here, Event Marketer shares tips for perfecting outdoor winter activations along with five awe-inspiring campaigns.
“It’s obvious that virtual and hybrid events don’t replace in-person events; but offering dynamic, engaging, and on-demand content online allows brands to extend experiences for visitors.” ~Ellen Kaminski
For trade show professionals, the new year brings a clean slate, a fresh start, and optimism for the months ahead. Rattled by the pandemic and its variants, the trade show industry has seen many ups and downs over the past two years as event calendars are filled with shows, cancellations, and rescheduled events on repeat. But as the industry continues on the path to recovery, what can we expect to see on the trade show floor? In this featured article, Exhibit Concepts’ gurus discuss the top trade show trends to watch this year.
Thanks for joining us for this week’s Happy Hour! Be sure to subscribe to our monthly blog to receive experiential marketing tips, trends, and news delivered to your inbox once a month.
