Arts and Crafts Fair and Consumer Experience

As a second year events management student it is part of our course to create a live event. It was important for all students to focus on the marketing side of the event planning and make sure the consumer experience was as experiential and unforgettable as possible.

I attended the arts and craft fair held in floor 5 of Huddersfield Student’s Union by fellow students on my course. I found that the event was good in making all attendees feel valued. The event was free of charge and had the concept of allowing consumers to buy goods from other students, whilst joining in with activities.

Consumers enjoying the origami experience

During the event, there was a main touch point that I was very impressed with. The first was the communication with the consumer from beginning to the end of the event. When walking up to one of the stalls one of the members of the team would come up to you, explain what the event was about, who they were raising money for and what activities were available. Consumers were able to fully engage in origami whilst drinking tea/coffee and snacking on biscuits. Touches like these really help a consumer feel comfortable and relaxed; which can be seen on their faces. This was especially useful as floor 5 had an open space where other students frequently visit; therefore meaning that if they saw others enjoying themselves, they might want to participate in the event experience.  

The pre-event experience included the use of social media. Those with stalls also helped promote the event; bringing in a larger audience. From pre-event to the closure, I feel that the consumer was always put first, as they were checked up on regularly and were also thanked when they left. Throughout the whole event process, it was clear that the group were continuously updating their Facebook page, in order to make sure that people were aware of their event, where it was, the time it was held and also where to sign up, if they wanted a stall.

Two of the stalls and the type of goods sold

I feel that for this particular event, the event managers were completely in control of the experience. The event managers chose which stalls were suitable for students and also chose their own activities, making sure that they knew exactly what they were doing and what exactly they were giving to their attendees. However, it is possible that the outcome could not as been as great as it was, due to the event not being ticketed; therefore meaning that it could not be guaranteed how many students would turn up. This could have caused difficulty and affected the event experience, as it may not have had the exact same ambience or atmosphere.

Overall, I think the event was very successful and gave every attendee the same friendly experience. 

Snapchat, consumer involvement and the use of gamification

The use of gamification is social media has been rising in the past year and has proven to be successful, as many users have been addicted to having a bit of fun whilst actually helping brands spread their logos products and services. A great example of this is the use of photo taking app, Snapchat, which allows users to send each other messages using their faces for free.

Gamification is the use of game mechanics in a non-gaming environment and allows users to become attached or even addicted to the ‘game’ they are playing.

The well known Snapchat app

Recently, Snapchat have added an extra touch to their app by creating filters which allow users to change their faces and become part of the experience. This is a great idea for individuals to get involved by sending their friends all these nice/awful/hilarious changes to their face, but also a great idea for companies to join in and add a filter to the Snapchat experience. Additionally, Snapchat changes the filters almost every day and also allows them to change depending on the location. This means that individuals can take pictures of themselves wherever they are, whether it is a restaurant or a place of leisure and end up promoting the brand, whilst they’re playfully showing people where they are without even noticing that they are doing marketers a huge favour. For example, if a group of friends decide to go to KFC for a meal, if their location is set, the filter can be applied instantly.

W Hotels, cleverly telling people that they should be there and are missing out

McDonald's fun filter

Examples of professionals and organisations who have created their own filter for Snapchat are Britain’s Got Talent, Batman vs Superman marketing team, McDonalds, Cadburys, W Hotels, Skittles, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Starbucks and many others. Companies are now able to promote programs, films, premieres, food etc. easily by getting the audience involved and making them part of that experience; thus making them remember the brand and also send it to their friends as a form of entertainment. This suggests that by sending entertaining images to others, those who have received it can then be engaged with what is on the filter and then repeat the process of sending and receiving.

Cadburys Creme Egg's unique Snapchat filter

The promotion of the new Batman v Superman  film, allowing individuals to choose which character they want to be

It is also very useful for marketers to create filters, as Snapchat is so commonly used, even by celebrities who have started to upload pictures from several events. These events include award ceremonies and music festivals/gigs; therefore motivating users to follow the event and use the app more often, through using celebrity endorsement.  This form of engagement is a very smart way to market a specific product/service/event as the customer is already engaged in the celebrity who they expect to see snapchat stories from on a day-to-day basis and therefore anything the celebrity has, from a bag or clothing to food and drink can be seen an plotted into the individual’s mind subliminally, without the brands shown having to do anything. This can save marketers a lot of money and time on other types of promotion. 

Are apps and technology the future of brand success?