Face-to-Face Is Now A Unique Form of Activation
Posted: 11/23/2009 10:32:47 AM by
Dan Kowitz | with 0 comments
I was telling the story this week about one of my first jobs, which was in the telecommunications industry. Before starting my career in sponsorship, I was in the public and government relations department. My first task of the day was to arrive at about 6:30 a.m. and read eight newspapers, cut out any article that mentioned our company from every section of the paper, tape each clipping to 8.5’ x 11’ paper, make 30 sets of copies and hand deliver them to the desks of the senior execs by 8:30 a.m. (The execs did not want to wait for the press clipping company, which would not usually deliver till afternoon.)
As you can see, there was nothing electronic or instant about this process. This story also dates me and clearly illustrates a time in business when electronic communication was nothing like today.
Obviously the digital age, and continuing advancements within it such as social media, has changed the game in countless ways, not just public relations tracking! If you go back 15 or more years in sponsorship, there has been a big shift from just reaching as many eyeballs as possible to creating experiences. To really resonate with audiences, you need to provide experiences they would not normally receive. As digital media and social networking have exploded, providing those unique experiences and activating electronically has become the norm.
What this all means is that activating a sponsorship by providing face-to-face experiences and interaction is now unique and different. Creating intimate back-stage experiences between artist and concert attendee instead of activating through a viral campaign sets you apart from the clutter. Call it “retro activation.” Everything old is new again.
I find it quite ironic that I am delivering this insight digitally through a blog!
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Filed under: digital media, activation