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Mash Sessions
#ChooseLive
Martin Fullard chats to Ten Thousand Hours’ Dom Garner on why brands should be choosing live,
and how the ‘Great Experiment’ will change events forever
om Garner (pictured
below, left) is co-founder
of agency Ten Thousand
Hours, and alongside
Martin Richardson has
aspired to instil a more
strategic way of thinking
for brands. Events, he
says, are part of a
business’s strategy, not
a strategy on their own.
In our latest Mash Sessions
interview, Garner explains why
now, when digital-only events are
the only option, is the time to
resurrect Ten Thousand Hours’
#ChooseLive campaign.
“#ChooseLive was a
mini-campaign we adopted when
we launched Ten Thousand Hours
three years ago,” says Garner.
“Without all the fanfare, it was our
call to action for clients to choose
live events as their preferred
communications channel. Now, we
think, it is the right time to refresh
that concept and get live events
back in the fray.”
Covid-19 has shone a spotlight
on events strategies, and
anecdotally it is apparent that a lot
of digital events have been
something of an afterthought. I
ask Garner if everyone has just
accepted that this will be ‘it’ for
the time being. “Everyone is
wondering how long it will be until
live, face-to-face events come
back, and they will,” he says.
“What we can say with some level
of certainty is that event delivery
will exist as a hybrid solution.
“What we’re calling the situation
right now is the ‘Great Experiment’,
and I think everyone at the
moment accepts what they are
doing now isn’t perfect, but it is
working, and brands are learning
that they are able to reach far
wider audiences through digital.
With that comes the challenges of
producing a live, digital event to
the same standards you would if
you were running a live event.
“Sure, it needs refining, but I
think it is in for the long haul.
Brands are, rightly, going to be
asking how they can use this
technology to expand their reach,
and as an industry we need to
accept that very quickly.”
Change, then, is upon us, and
Garner is clear in his belief that
events agencies will need to work
much harder to demonstrate the
effectiveness of live events.
Especially as budgets aer already
being reduced.
“Our clients and marketing leads
are having to make a choice, and
#ChooseLive is essentially our
acceptance that they are having to
make that choice,” reflects Garner.
“Marketing budgets are being
reduced for the next quarter,
marketing teams are reducing in
size also, and as an industry we
are going to be asked to deliver
campaigns and projects for less
money, and we will be challenged
once again to find more cost
effective channels.”
As Ten Thousand Hours will drill
into you should you meet them,
choosing live is always the best
option, but only if it helps achieve
your business objectives.
Watch the full interview
online to learn more about working
out whether you need a live
experience or a digital one. Visit
Mash TV’s YouTube channel and
search #ChooseLive.
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