When hip-hop stalwart Eminem asked fans at this year's V Festival to wave their lighters in the air, the majority of the crowd instinctively reached for their smartphones instead. From a distance, the thousands of beams of light in the sky created a similar effect, but also reflected a wholesale change in consumer behaviour. A similarly subtle shift can be seen in brand activity at festivals, where the focus has moved from creating and amplifying events via social media networks, to using them as a launch pad for creating online communities.
Festival-goers have been using their phones to post pictures and online video, recording their experiences, for some time, a trend that is having a big impact on how brands connect with consumers at festivals. Brands are not only using social media to amplify their message, but also to build up awareness and encourage the much-heralded two-way conversation.
Michael White, managing director of experiential agency Itch, says that brands need to commit to social activity around events to make it work. 'Brands are still scared of negative comments about them on social networks, but even a negative comment can be a good thing, if it is dealt with in the right way.' This year's V Festival was the launchpad for a virtual avalanche of social media activity, much of it overseen by Itch. 'It is all about building communities around your event; when it's done in the right way, you can create an ever-evolving space. People always have their stories to tell when it comes to events, and social media gives them the space to share them,' adds White.
Dragging their heels
However, some in the industry are still dragging their heels when it comes to social media. On the one hand, traditional events companies, particularly those which lack social media expertise, express concerns privately that the focus on social activation is diverting already slimmed-down budgets from the events themselves. On the flipside, some commentators have accused brands of jumping on the social media bandwagon, claiming marketers, particularly those over 40, are embracing the medium only for fear of looking out of touch.
Experts argue that these criticisms are wide of the mark. Beth Carroll, head of social media at Threepipe, says that the platform works best when it is linked to a 'real world' event. So in essence, the link between brands and events is an easy union. 'With festival activity, there is a natural reason to talk to consumers but it shouldn't be at the expense of the event itself,' she adds. 'The key is for agencies and events specialists to work together, rather than it being a land grab between the two.'
According to Carroll, whose clients include K-Swiss, this integration calls for a shift in thinking among marketers. Brands asking 16- to 21-year-olds how long they spend on social networks, and at what times of the day, are missing the point.
'We need to accept that it is not about measuring the specific time they spend on networks, as they are a constant comp- anion, not something to switch on or off,' she adds. In line with this, activation, whether around a single event at a festival, or a broader marketing campaign, needs to be more integrated.
On-site and online
Strongbow, a brand with substantial heritage at festivals, is already putting this insight into action, and its activity this year has focused on seamlessly building both an on-site and online community.
Kate Morrison, account director at RPM, which oversees the Strongbow account, says the big challenge for the brand is being more than just the best thing on-site at the festival itself. 'We are creating an engagement campaign, rather than simply activating an event at a festival,' she explains. This, according to Morrison, calls for a shift in thinking and instead of viewing festivals as a platform, the marketing strategy needs to start with a concept or idea that engages audiences, wherever they are.
There is, however, another consideration. As brands shift their thinking to social communities and activation, do they risk getting lost in the increasing clutter of social networks?
Dave Roberts, head of entertainment at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, says as more brands inundate consumers with updates, pictures and information, there is a risk that it becomes overwhelming. 'If brands aren't offering consumers a tangible reward for connecting, they will quickly tune out,' he warns.
Moving from an experience-based marketing strategy to an engagement campaign is a journey that many brands have already embarked on. James Male, senior account director at Frukt Communications, believes that for many brands, a title sponsorship of a festival, or a branded tent or experience is no longer enough. He contends that location-based marketing and social media have blurred the boundaries between events and above-the-line marketing. In line with this, events such as the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange have become broader marketing propositions and above-the-line campaigns.
In the 'social economy' it's not good enough to simply do something, you have to tell people about it before it becomes 'real'. McCann Erickson Worldgroup sums up this trend as 'pics or it didn't happen'.
Major opportunity
This is a major opportunity for brands seeking to amplify their events strategy and build a thriving online community. However, to reach a generation of people who define themselves through their connections, brands need to cultivate a genuine conversation. Those that offer only lip service to social media risk being tuned out altogether.
Orange developed an 'Orange Appy Man' on-site social media campaign to drive downloads and use of the official Glastonbury Festival app, as well as awareness of its partnership with the event.
The competition, which was promoted across brand and festival channels as well as via PR, offered festival-goers a daily chance to win exclusive Pyramid Stage tickets. Throughout the weekend, a character called 'Appy Man' wandered the festival site and could be followed via @AppyMan on Twitter, or through news feeds in the app.
Appy Man posted clues as to where he would be, and consumers had to snap a photo with him and post it to Twitter using the #IFoundAppyMan hashtag.
Photos were collated on a dedicated Flickr channel, with the best each day winning tickets.
For a total investment of less than £1000, 250 people had their photo taken with Orange's Appy Man, and more than 400 people tweeted about the activity using the hashtag, reaching almost 70,000 people and generating 150,000 impressions.
THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH
From the experience economy to the social economy
McCann Erickson Worldgroup conducted a worldwide study this year across 7000 young people, to establish what really motivates them. Entitled 'The truth about youth', the research identified the top five values young people seek in a brand on social media.
Truthful - This was deemed more than twice as important as its nearest competitor. Truthfulness was the clear winner as a value that young people seek in their friends.
Genuine - This is about being worthy of trust. Inviting a brand into your personal space requires trust, and brands should be mindful of not abusing this.
Sociable - The key to this is being present at the right time and in the right way. Friends you love to socialise with share cool things with you, have a dialogue with you, and a style that suits their personality.
Mature - Young people love having older friends they can look up to. Similarly, they value brands that are worthy of respect and demonstrate a compelling and consistent point of view.
Humble - One of the worst mistakes a brand can make is to overplay its importance in the lives of young people. Young people love brands if they are useful, timely and allow them to express some element of their personality. Young people tire quickly of brands that clutter up their feeds with useless and inane information.
Source: 'The truth about youth', McCann Erickson Worldgroup
DIVINE CHOCOLATE AT GLASTONBURY
Divine Chocolate, the Fairtrade Foundationaccredited brand, struck a deal with Glastonbury organisers this year to be the official chocolate bar of the UK's biggest music festival.
To mark the moment, a special-edition Glastonbury bar was created, which went on sale at the main festival stores alongside five of Divine's core flavours. The brand, co-owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana, promoted the tie-up with a 'golden ticket' giveaway inside its chocolates at the festival, giving the winner behind-the-scenes access to the main Pyramid Stage on the final night.
Although 'knee-deep mud' did restrict some of the supplies getting to on-site shops, there was a spike on Twitter and Facebook around the brand's festival presence.
Divine head of communications Charlotte Borger says: 'The connection created a lot of interest from brands and opinion-formers.
A team of us went and learned a great deal. We can see ways to make the partnership even more exciting next time.'