MAD//FEST’s Post

We're constantly navigating trends and algorithms to remain relevant. However, amidst this ever-changing landscape, authenticity stands as a timeless cornerstone. In today's content-saturated world, authenticity is your secret weapon. It grabs attention, resonates with audiences, and slices through the noise. Embrace the real, unfiltered side of your brand. Authenticity breeds trust. When you're genuine and transparent, you forge stronger connections with your audience. In an era where trust is paramount, authenticity lays the foundation for lasting loyalty.

What 𝐢𝐬 branded entertainment, anyway? The term is gaining more traction lately, but it's a category that's been in the making for decades. Consumers have more choices than ever and are savvier about what they buy. Their interest has evolved past traditional commercials and thinly veiled advertorials. People want more authentic relationships with brands. Companies responded by taking a more obvious role in the entertainment itself. Even in the earliest days of broadcasting we saw big brands throw sponsorship behind television shows like As the World Turns and The Edsel Show. One of the big game-changers in this arena was Red Bull. Their digital and print media platforms, paired with their sponsorship of music and sporting events, have snowballed beyond awareness into affinity and loyalty to the brand without needing to promote the product directly! My favorite example of Red Bull's entertainment is their Soapbox Races--check the link in the comments to see some hilarious vehicles zooming down the streets of cities worldwide! My kids found the YouTube channel on hotel TV during our vacation. We watched it for hours! In the last few years, we've seen so many brands jump into the space because they're witnessing the same thing—their competitive advantage relies on connection, not just attention. #brandedentertainment #storytelling #brandmarketing #video

Festival szn may be over, but the conversation isn’t 👀 We’ve been festival-hopping all summer, so who better to weigh in on the topic than our Strategy Director? Charlie Li recently joined a Drum roundtable with industry leaders to discuss brand presence at festivals. She stressed the importance of clients questioning their motives for being there in the first place 🤔 “Consistency is key. And that’s something that brands often overlook. Because there is often a disconnection between how they show up at a festival versus how they communicate their brand purpose and what the brand stands for from an advertising perspective. There should be a lot of client education on this: what’s the right context? Really drill into the brand DNA.” Read the full write up, here 👉  https://lnkd.in/eSSQc6Qc #experientialmarketing #festivals #strategy #brands The Drum Oscar Quine

We collaborated with Red Bull on a highly effective activation at Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire. The Red Bull Lab Bar featured live music and bars, but the highlight of the activation was a series of daily cocktail masterclasses for the festival attendees. These sessions were incredibly popular, fully booking within hours for the entire duration of the festival. The success of this activation lay in its ability to create meaningful connections with Red Bull's target audience. It offered the brand an extended opportunity to build a rapport with consumers in an engaging and memorable way. In today's market, people crave experiences above all else. As a brand, it's crucial to establish how you will connect with your audience through events and activations. It's no longer just about the size of the budget or the scale of the activation; it's about the quality of the experience you provide. A great example of this was a recent activation by Botivo Drinks. The Botivo Sampling piano is a pop up piano with a pianist on one side and a mini sampling activation on the other - all in the footprint of a small stand up piano. Not big budget but BIG impact. Having worked on hundreds of events and activations, we can confidently say that the most effective ones are those that offer consumers a genuine experience and evoke real emotions. Even something as simple as a cocktail masterclass can achieve this, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-executed experiences resonate most deeply with audiences. #brandactivation #events #drinksindustry #drinksmarketing

Brand activations are strategically effective Not only for awareness and consumer engagement but for growth, building community hype, soft product launches, immediate feedback and differentiation. Whether you're launching a pop up store, hosting a small community event, kiosk, airstream, in-store takeover or creating a brand experience at a sports event of music festival, here's a few additional points on how you can make them effective & playful: - Keep marketing ideas simple, less is more. - Consider the right location, is it in a high traffic area? - Could you partner with other brands who share similar values? - Lean into your distinct assets, use one bold colour to make an impact. - Ensure your consumer leaves with something that is associated with your brand! #marketing #branding #brandactivation

Here’s a fresh article that gets to the heart of brand success! ❤ The Taylor Swift example is a great demonstration of how to shape expectations and get your audience engaged. (Way to go, Tay Tay!) And at Ipsos, we are all about collaboration! 🤝 #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #BrandPartnerships #Authenticity

🏈 Curious about the role of live sports in brand growth? 📈 Want to maximize brand building potential? 💻 Wondering how AI will shape the future of media measurement? Matt Devitt, SVP, Head of Advertisers and Agencies at Nielsen, discusses these topics and more. DM me to learn more and watch the full conversation here: https://bit.ly/4d1EOly Gracenote #advertising #marketing #TV #OTT #CTV #streaming #streamingmedia #media

“Fun is an essential element for successful brand campaigns. Let’s explore how brand utilize activation at music festivals in a fun, playful ways to win the hearts of consumers.”

A whopping 82% of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity attendees feel that the festival has become more geared to tech companies than about creativity. "The overwhelming agreement that focus has shifted from creativity towards tech is, if not surprising, still a startling fact. I’d like to think creativity will always remain at the heart of the festival, and be the central tenant of what we do as a sector" - MullenLowe UK chief growth officer, Lucy Taylor. More insight's from MullenLoweUK's research here >>>https://lnkd.in/evcieU7r #advertising #creativity #marketing

Here’s a fresh article that gets to the heart of brand success! ❤ The Taylor Swift example is a great demonstration of how to shape expectations and get your audience engaged. And at Ipsos, we are all about collaboration! 🤝 #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #BrandPartnerships #Authenticity