The Ultimate Guide to Event Branding

What makes an event 鈥渕ust attend鈥�? Is there a well-kept secret to persuading your attendees to keep coming back 鈥� preferably with a friend or colleague in tow?

If you aren鈥檛 prepared to double your budget or hire celebrity keynote speakers, event branding is a smart way to stand out 鈥� without breaking the bank.

But first, what is event branding?

Branding is more than just your logo or catchy tagline. It鈥檚 why we think safety for Volvo but not Honda; or how TED Conference came to be known for fresh ideas. 聽When you brand your event guests create a mental shortcut that helps simplify how they think about a product or experience. A lightbulb will go off later that reminds them 鈥渙h yeah, that鈥檚 X company or event鈥�

But what is event branding? Is it a specific colour you use? The font on a banner? Swag bags?

Event branding is a collection of elements. Like features on a distinctive face, the more recognisable you make it, the more memorable your event. While your event brand should reflect your organisation, it can 鈥� and should 鈥� be a brand of its own.

For example, people may think of your nonprofit as an aspirational good cause 鈥� that’s your brand. At the same time, you want them to think of your fundraiser as a not-to-be-missed, entertaining event. Your event brand can and should include your company鈥檚 brand with a little twist.

Think of it as a formula. Your brand + a little twist = your event brand.

Branding elements

An event鈥檚 brand isn鈥檛 one thing, it’s a combination of details 鈥� big and small 鈥� that make it wonderful and memorable. Here are a few ideas to bring your brand to life at your event.

Use your logo as decor: Your event is more than your logo, but it doesn鈥檛 hurt to use it in unique ways. Consider a statement wall, balloons, napkins, or projected on the dance floor.

Customised snacks: Brand anything edible for your foodie followers. For drinks, you could offer a special cocktail or stirring sticks with your logo on it.

All the small things: An unforgettable touch? Add some swag in the form of branded pens, shirts, notebooks, and stickers.

Social: Track likes, shares, and retweets by creating your own hashtag.

So what makes an event brand great? And how can you create a brand that resonates with attendees? First, let鈥檚 examine the essential qualities yours should have.

4 pillars of a strong event brand

A successful brand can be summed up into a single word or phrase called the brand promise. It鈥檚 not enough for your event to promise attendees 鈥渢he best value鈥� 鈥� all events should promise that, regardless of brand. Instead, the brand promise is a statement that articulates what customers 鈥� or attendees 鈥� can expect from you (and only you).

As you consider your event brand promise, make certain it possesses most, if not all, of these qualities.

Unique: Above all else, your brand promise must be unique. Potential attendees want to know how your event will compare to others. So, it goes without saying that your event needs to promise something others can鈥檛.
Meaningful: In order to resonate with attendees, your brand promise must be relevant to their needs and desires. Developing a deep understanding of the customer is the first step to creating a meaningful brand experience.
Authentic: Authenticity is the benchmark all brands are being tested against. To earn trust and credibility, you鈥檒l have to be true to yourself and your brand. 鈥淚nauthenticity is one of the main detractors of brand relationships,鈥� 91制片厂 Creative Director David Scott says. 鈥淵our audience can sense when you鈥檙e faking it.鈥�
Consistent: Consistency is the last piece of the puzzle. From the first customer touchpoint to the last, every small detail must adhere to your brand promise 鈥� from your event website to the post-event survey.

The brand promise is a pledge to attendees that only you can fulfil. It helps them understand your value, and it lets them know you鈥檒l deliver that value when the time comes. So how do you go about crafting and communicating a great brand promise for your conference? You could start by creating a brand pyramid 鈥� working your way up from what your event is about until you uncover your simple promise. Read on to learn more about the brand pyramid.

The brand pyramid

Distilling your event promise can be challenging. That鈥檚 why so many events are clear on their speakers and sponsors but fall short on the emotional benefits of attending. Why is that important? A Gallup publication titled, 鈥�鈥� pointed out that customers who are emotionally engaged with a brand are:

3x more likely to recommend
3x more likely to repurchase
Less likely to shop around

Luckily there鈥檚 a tool to help you rise above the challenge: the brand pyramid.聽The brand pyramid covers five key elements:

Product:聽What are you offering? Describe your conference.
贵别补迟耻谤别蝉:听What would motivate people to come to your event? Why would people want or need this?
Logical Benefit:聽Define the benefit of attending your event. Fill in the blank: 鈥淲hen a person attends my event, the benefit they receive is ____________.鈥�
Emotional Benefit:聽What should people feel or do after attending your event?
Brand Promise:聽In the simplest term, what does your conference promise to deliver?

Here is an example of a blank brand pyramid to try for your event:

What Does Your Conference Promise? How to Grow Your Conference with Memorable Branding

The art of a brand experience

A promise is nothing if you can鈥檛 keep it. After you鈥檝e carefully crafted and communicated your brand promise to attendees, you鈥檒l be expected to deliver.

Every interaction with an attendee is an opportunity to bring your event鈥檚 brand to life. From the speakers and sponsors to the giveaways in your event swag bag, sweating the details will result in long-lasting relationships with attendees.