Nowadays, the amount of information and visual stimuli that surround us is so great that the use of innovative tools to create more effective communication with the public and influence their perception of a company or brand is increasingly crucial.
Innovation Marketing is an example of this. This is an area that has gained space in companies’ strategies and is a fundamental part of achieving success.
However, challenges exist, starting with the need for companies to differentiate themselves in a saturated market that tries at all costs to create engagement with the target audience. Or even, the difficulty in measuring ROI (Return on Investment), which can make it difficult to justify spending on marketing and production. Being able to have an effective impact on the audience through the presence of your brand at an event is, in short, the biggest challenge.
The truth is that events, whether sporting or musical, for example, are a privileged place to implement different marketing actions. There, the focus is on creating value, personalization and the use of emerging technologies to improve the consumer experience and journey. For example, cashless technology, allowing the purchase of tickets seamlessly, is one of the tools that has completely changed and facilitated the user experience.
And, in truth, brands and companies have realized this and are increasingly considering marketing innovation in their strategic planning. Something that also helped to reposition companies 100% focused on B2B to enter the panorama that was previously dominated by large consumer companies. On an international level, I remember a space like The Sphere, in Las Vegas, which provides participants in events held there with truly immersive experiences.
Innovation marketing provides unique experiences to the public and represents a dynamic and future-oriented approach in the way of promoting events which only through close collaboration between all partners of an event – organization, sponsors and innovation partners – is possible to put into practice.
Take the national example of the Millennium Estoril Open, where, through its official app and a virtual assistant powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence, the tennis event provides information related to the competitions such as news, detailed data about the players, the game schedule, tournament results, the possibility of check-in and accreditation and even a selfie cam that allows visitors to capture the best moments of the games and share the images on the central court scoreboard screen. It’s user-generated content at its best!
This is proof of how innovation marketing, in addition to recognized measurable results, such as increased participation and financial return, also offers a series of intangible benefits. I highlight the strengthening of the event’s brand, the creation of emotional bonds with participants and the establishment of a reputation for leadership in the sector.
Therefore, I have no hesitation in saying that, as we move forward in this era of such significant changes, innovation marketing becomes an imperative. But with one caveat: even more than being innovative, talking about events is also talking about the relationship created with the audience, and this can only be achieved with the right team, with empathy, creativity and openness to innovation. Only in this way is it possible to achieve a happy encounter between brands and consumers and a lasting and significant impression.