Ever wondered how some products and brands become so popular and iconic whereas others fail to create even a miniscule impact in the audience’ mind? These popular brands have become so by exploiting various marketing platforms for brand promotion and creating a niche for themselves among the already existing brands in the market. This process of building an image of a brand and bringing it to life is known as Brand Activation.

The idea is to identify and distinguish core values and unique features of the brand. These features will become the pillars of the brand’s identity in the market. The target audience must be able to connect with the brand’s core values. It must strike a chord with the audience; evoke positive emotions and create a lasting impression in their minds.

Principles of Brand Activation  

  • Create a Brand Image – Understand and capitalize on the brand’s Unique Selling Point (USP)
  • Connect with the Target Audience – Identify your audience and connect with them
  • Turn words into Action – Make sure your brand does what it claims. This will help in building loyalty and credibility in the long run.

Steps to Brand Activation

  • Promotional Marketing – Promotional marketing involves raising awareness about your brand in order to boost sales and to and promote brand promotion. Promotional marketing can be targeted at the middlemen wholesalers, retailers and/or even to the final consumer, directly. Promotional marketing includes
  1. Celebrity Endorsements
  2. Rewards Programs
  3. Competitions and Shows
  4. Workshops
  5. Conferences
  6. Sponsorship for events
  7. Digital Marketing
  8. Tele-marketing
  9. Incentive programs
  10. Seller Engagement
  • Events and Exhibitions

Well organized seminars and events helps brand promotion and attracts potential customers. Such events provide a platform to the brand to connect with the buyer personally, engage in discussions and clarify doubts about the product and the brand. Most consumers prefer to buy products after their queries, about the product, have been answered.

  • Retail Marketing

Retail Marketing helps the consumer to see and analyze the product first hand. It helps the seller to explain the product and its features to the consumer. The success of retail marketing depends on the brands presentation and quality of its stall or booth.

  • Evaluating Brand Activation

Since brand activation helps brand promotion, generate brand loyalty and build a healthy relationship with the consumer, your main aim must be to have effective two – way communication with your audience.

Before you chalk out a plan for brand activation, here are some pointers you need to bear in mind.

  • Understand the brand and the products. You must have answers to any question about your brand the product you are selling.
  • Gage your return on investment
  • Gage your target audience and your reach
  • Oversee the brand’s potential and growth
  • Leverage your brand’s USP
  • Make sure your brand activation plans coordinates with your brand’s core values.
  • Exploit various marketing channels and platforms

Advantages of Brand Activation

  • Helps brand promotion
  • Asserts your brand image in the market
  • It minimizes distortion
  • Makes brand prominent among its competitors
  • Helps you gain valuable feedback
  • Helps to create brand recall among the consumers

Drawbacks of Brand Activation

  • Inability to measure growth
  • Brand Activation is a huge undertaking, if not conducted responsibly it could be a failure.

How to execute Brand Activation?

Brand managers must understand the product and the brand. They must know what the brand symbolizes and the kind of image it seeks to create. The Brand Activation strategy must be planned keeping this in mind. Next, draft out the dos and don’ts. After you are clear about what you can and cannot do, it will give you a clear idea how to approach with marketing.

Make sure the Brand Activation strategy is managed by in-house employees instead of third party consultants. Since the in-house employees understand the brand better and are solely dedicated to brand activation, results are most likely going to be positive.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of Brand Activation. It can shape the future of the brand and the company. If you successfully implement Brand Activation Strategy, it could attract more customers and boost sales tremendously.  If not executed efficiently, the brand may lose credibility and market share.