British Festivals & Events: Marketing your brand at key cultural moments.
Summary/Overview
If you’ve ever been to a festival, you’ll have a good idea of what makes them so unique. Life-affirming music, incredible food, and a sea of flags, tents and colour around every corner. A vibe that stands a long way from everyday life.
Whether big or small, festivals can be a great opportunity to get your small business in front of a new audience. Whether it’s hosting a stall at a food fest or running a pop-up at a local event, you’ll need an effective festival marketing strategy to get all eyes on your brand.
From eye-catching posters to memorable ads, prepare your business for future festivals and events in the UK calendar with Adobe Express.
Why use festivals for marketing your business?
The magic of festivals can’t be overstated. They bring people together to celebrate and participate in music, art, and culture. Festivals aren’t just exciting – they’re an incredibly hands-on way to get your small business noticed.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some other important reasons to market your business at festivals.
- Build personal connections. Festivals and events attract large audiences that can become potential customers. Engage with the crowd and provide incentives through contests, promotions and free samples. It’s likely you’ll make a lasting impression once the event is over.
- Increase brand exposure. Participating in local events means getting the word out to audiences who may have never heard of you before. Even better if it’s a niche event that matches your services and/or products.
- Support local communities. Whether it’s a contest or a charity, supporting local events is an excellent way to show your businesses’ dedication to the community and strengthen your brand’s image.
- Boost business connections. Getting involved in local events also allows you to familiarise yourself with other companies in the area to exchange tips and ideas. You may even find a new supplier, client or local partnership opportunity.
How to market your brand at a festival or event.
Getting your business seen in the midst of the excitement is no easy feat. Between the rows of stalls, bustling crowds and thrumming activity, your brand will need to stand out.
Combining traditional and digital methods in your festival advertising can help you to reach audiences on a range of channels leading up to – and on – the big day.
Start the party right! Here are some effective ways to market your business at festivals.
Become a sponsor for the festival or event. Start the party right with these tips!
Festival sponsorship is big business for small brands. It gives you a competitive edge and allows you to increase brand visibility, attracting new audiences as a result. Sponsoring a festival can lead to ads, social media or radio spots that boosts brand recognition. So, one small investment in a local event could result in a major payoff.
Host your own pop-up at the event.
Pop-ups offer a unique mobile experience for your audience. You may host a surprise pop-up to dazzle festival-goers, or a pop-up for a product launch that your target audience can experience directly. This not only provides hands-on experience, but it can also expand your customer base and boost sales on the day.
Target festival-goers with your own business offering.
Using your own business is especially useful if your brand is relevant to the festival or event itself. For example, if you run a pub that has TV screens, why not offer your space for a major sporting event? Or if you have a personal training business, set up shop at a marathon and hand out free snacks and water. Tap into the cultural moment and gain exposure the fun way.
Tailor your social media posting.
There are a range of event promotion tools on different social media platforms that could help you to reach your audience organically. Sharing images, polls and videos or posting question boxes in an Instagram story is a great way to build momentum for your event and get people to interact. Get ahead of your posts with a tailored social media calendar to plan your campaign activity.
Use the power of influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing has become a powerful tool for spreading the word and increasing engagement. So why not send an influencer to the event wearing your brand’s products? This will allow them to document their experience and review how your product holds up at the event. You could even do an Instagram takeover, where the influencer takes control of your brand’s Instagram account for the day to post festival-related content and drum up excitement.
Free festival marketing templates.
5 tips to make the most of festival marketing.
Before setting up your stall or pop-up, it’s important to have a solid marketing strategy during festivals to drive engagement and sales.
Here are some ways you can get the most out of your festival-related campaigns, event pop-ups or festival marketing activations.
1. Look for local opportunities.
See which opportunities crop up in the area and pitch in for an effective on-ground presence. Government and travel websites are handy for finding event calendars suited to your brand. You’ll need to gauge which events are more profitable. For example, if organisers expect 300 guests and only 50 turn up, that’s less potential to meet enough new customers.
2. Pick a festival that’s relevant to your audience.
Knowing your audience is key to your festival branding. You’re less likely to attract new customers at a food festival if you run a furniture business! The aim of the game is to get your brand in front of as many potential customers as possible, so think about which local events cater to your audience best, and tailor your approach to meet their needs.
3. Launch contests and promotions.
There’s no better time to host contests or promotions. Customers tend to shop around at festivals, and promotions offer the perfect incentive. Fixed-time deals, coupons and other goodies may lead to an immediate purchase. Special offers and discounts can also help to generate a buzz for your business. Don’t forget to hand out business thank you cards for a lasting impression too.
4. Lean on offline media.
Press releases are an age-old form of advertising that can support your festival marketing strategy. They can be used to promote festival activity via print, radio and TV in a newsworthy way. Issue a press release with details of your brand’s involvement during the festival. Then invite journalists and relevant contacts to the big day and encourage them to give interviews.
5. Leverage print marketing.
Ever seen a poster by the bus stop or a flyer stuck to a lamppost promoting an upcoming event? Cost-effective and attention-grabbing, print marketing is a tried and trusted marketing method for festivals. Designs should be bold and exciting with the right balance of graphics and information of the event. Hang them up in the window of your business location, or hand them out to customers when they come in so they know you’ll be at the festival.
Editable marketing templates for your next UK event.
Useful things to know.
What’s the best way to promote my business at a festival?
Sponsorships and pop-ups are great ways to promote your business during a festival. Leading up to the big day, you can use a combination of digital and traditional marketing platforms to spread awareness to a larger audience. This includes social media channels, print marketing and press releases. Partnering with influencers can also help to spread the word of your involvement in a festival or event.
How do you become a vendor at local festivals?
To become a vendor at a local festival, you’ll usually need to submit an application to your chosen festival well in advance. You might also need to secure a permit to sell your goods and purchase vendor insurance. Once you’re accepted, you can work on your festival marketing strategy and get all preparations in order with a handy planner.
What sells well at a festival?
On-theme items and services typically sell well at festivals. For example, selling beer-themed art, accessories, home décor and tote bags at a beer festival. Generally speaking, essential items that festival-goers may need also sell well. This can include towels, umbrellas, sunscreen, hats and bags. If your product or service suits the theme or can serve as an essential item, you can expect to draw in customers.