n WORTH NOTING
buzzwords
READERS SOUND OFF
IN THE COMMENTS
Activation
/ˌaktiˈvāSH(ə)n/
The art of driving consumer action through
brand interaction and experiences
BY Vanessa Labi
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Lewis
Learning the Right Notes
Y
ou may have found yourself within a brand “activation” — the art of driving consumer
action through brand interaction and experiences — and not even known it. A rela-
tively new word to the marketing industry, activations provide consumers the opportunity
to experience a brand in an organic way.
For advertising to be effective and resonate with its intended audience, it must strike
an emotional chord. Activations take this one step further by immersing the consumer in
an experience that’s often sensorial or physical.
THE BUZZ
How Does a Burglarized
Business Recover?
Anonymous Reader: As I live & work near this
business, it is frustrating to see our neighborhood
business suffer due to local crimes...I hope more
locals will reach out to Doubledex & be support-
ive of their business!
While the idea of planning an activation around your brand is seductive, Sarah Barkawi,
Fulcrum Property’s vice president of marketing, warns against “throwing the concept at
something that’s not the right fit.” A successful activation must be executed thoughtfully
and in accordance with what the community or target customer is already doing. Barkawi
says, “You can’t just pick a location you feel like needs activation and make a farmers mar-
ket if it’s not a walkable community.”
Activations have a tendency to be crammed into a marketing mix as a means to cre-
ate buzz — but that doesn’t mean they have value. “You can’t just force something be-
cause it’s a popular concept,” Barkawi says. One needs to consider, “How does it impact
the space that I’m activating, how am I incorporating the people who actually inhabit this
space, and does it make sense?”
While it’s crucial to establish a clear sense of how to experience an activation, Barkawi
advises against being too prescriptive. Strategies like requiring influencers to use too many
hashtags or mandating a certain number of social posts that promote the activation can
crush its experiential, organic spirit.
THE WORD
A City’s Growth Spurt
Fran Neves: Great article. Great town. We’ve
been here 16 years in June. Love it here. Shawn,
you have a lot to be proud of with the success
of this growth. It’s an honor knowing you and all
the other city staff making these Things happen!
Have something to say? Email us.
[email protected].
24
comstocksmag.com | June 201 9
To create a meaningful, memorable brand activation, do it responsibly, keeping in mind
the people you’re targeting or inviting. If it’s a public space, create opportunities to spend
meaningful time, like sharing a meal. Barkawi cites New York City’s “Vessel,” the new
climbable, honeycomb-shaped art installation as beautiful but also as a missed opportu-
nity to provide a way to do more than just pass through it.
This idea of creating an experience marks a shift in the way marketers are measur-
ing their return on investment, which doesn’t always equate to sales. “Whether people
are buying something or not, I feel like that’s more irrelevant these days. It’s more about
[brands wanting] energy in their spaces,” Barkawi says.
Barkawi also says focusing on creating a valuable experience is more important than
what you can squeeze out of customers. “With the activations I’ve put on, my goal has al-
ways been to create a really incredible experience ... do not ask your guests to do anything
— just come and enjoy and experience. … If you focus on creating an experience where
your consumer gets to engage directly with the brand or the campaign or the space, I think
everything comes naturally after that.”
Daniel McCord: Both my sons, one who attend-
ed Rosemont HS and one who attended West
Campus HS both benefited greatly from Blues in
the Schools. Their self-confidence grew, their mu-
sical abilities grew, and their social interactions
grew. Both continue to be involved in music with
one performing publicly as often as time allows.