RainFocus is a ‘unified occasions and advertising’ platform that permits firms to combine ‘occasions’ into their martech stack and their prospects’ journeys. I just lately spoke with the corporate’s CEO, JR Sherman, to debate his business, the impression of the pandemic and “navigating probably the most vital development in experiential advertising for the reason that web was embraced within the late nineties.”
What are the important thing pillars of efficient occasion advertising?
Even earlier than Covid impacted the business, I might say there are three pillars which might be key to efficient occasion advertising – realizing your viewers, knowledge insights, and interesting content material. They usually’ve solely grow to be extra necessary now within the age of Covid.
It is very important know who your viewers is. As extra individuals, unbarred by geographical or financial limitations, attend digital and hybrid occasions, there are extra of us in seats, digital or not. However who’re they? Gathering knowledge like most seen content material and session attendance can assist organisations put together for post-event content material methods and the subsequent iteration of the occasion.
Evaluation of this knowledge is the second pillar for efficient occasion advertising. Knowledge alone isn’t sufficient with out actionable perception via evaluation. By connecting the dots and understanding finish customers’ values, wants, and wishes, you’ll have the ability to present a extra personalised expertise. Evaluation of a registrant checklist might spotlight {that a} group of individuals desire digital segments over attending an occasion in-person, or they like periods with buyer panelists and shorter vs. long-form content material.
It’s crucial that entrepreneurs and occasion organisers analyse all consumer knowledge to think about the place to pivot or keep the course for future occasions – and can be unimaginable with out efficient knowledge evaluation.
Lastly, participating content material is important to a profitable and memorable occasion, whether or not it’s shared earlier than an occasion or after. Content material can come in numerous kinds, nevertheless it should at all times have your targets and stakeholders’ expectations in thoughts. These could also be pre-event promotions giving registrants an early glimpse of what’s to return and lift pleasure. Submit-event content material, like on-demand periods and follow-up communications, needs to be seamlessly shared and rapidly made accessible after your occasion, matching all occasion branding for a cohesive expertise.
Content material is crucial – it’s necessary that manufacturers nail displays to successfully market earlier than and after an occasion involves an finish.
Covid-19 has generated a increase in digital occasions. How do suppose it will evolve long-term? (Will we be hybrid forever-more?)
The pandemic’s impression on the occasion business might be felt for years, nevertheless it has taught us to be ready for something. Even once we’re “on the opposite facet” of the pandemic, the best way organisations plan and conduct occasions will perpetually be modified. From the early beginnings of the pandemic, when the business was confronted with worldwide occasion cancellations, to the previous yr or so the place we had a semblance of normalcy – holding in-person and hybrid occasions – entrepreneurs have confronted quite a few challenges and uncertainties.
Are in-person occasions a factor of the previous? No, however we are going to see most organisations proceed to supply digital and hybrid occasions following all the things they could have realized about their end-users all through the pandemic.
This modification in how we operate has altered the business perpetually – nevertheless, I don’t suppose we’re accomplished evolving. Like others, I imagine in offering options that work for our prospects (and their customers). Whether or not meaning hybrid, in-person or absolutely digital occasions, we’ve got the capabilities to assist their targets and guarantee they’re participating their goal audiences. Over the previous two years, the business has had a number of studying (and failing) to do. One such studying – if we aren’t agile and ready to pivot at a second’s discover, we’re sure to fail.
How else has the previous two years impacted your organization? Any long-term classes?
Frankly, Covid has emboldened our organisation and validated our imaginative and prescient and mission. Our unwavering focus and dedication to constructing probably the most safe, versatile, and scalable advertising SaaS platform not solely carried us via the storm, nevertheless it positioned us far forward of the business, offering the continued basis for our award-winning innovation.
Our platform allowed us and our purchasers to pivot seamlessly and meet the calls for of distant environments and on-line occasion ecosystems. Rising from two years of uncertainty because the business chief, we’ve got chosen to take a position considerably extra capital in increasing our know-how and our management. As well as, we determined in the course of the pandemic to sacrifice revenues, provide reduction to our purchasers’ commitments, and collaborate to navigate the adjustments that had been thrust upon us in 2020. That selection has fortified the belief and partnership we maintain with our purchasers. Even after the pandemic, we are going to at all times look to enhance our degree of service and speed up our innovation.
If any long-term lesson is obvious, it’s that we will belief one another and collaborate to beat any problem in enterprise or life. It’s no coincidence that this reality punctuates ‘the facility of a handshake.’ Rising from the pandemic, we definitely stay dedicated to those beliefs and guiding rules.
What’s subsequent for RainFocus?
I’m excited that I get to be part of this business and watch as its evolution accelerates – and for RainFocus to play a pivotal function. We’ll proceed to allow our prospects to ship the final word occasion portfolio, to allow them to see the impression they’re making. It’s necessary for firms to grasp that entrepreneurs have a collective and built-in platform to ship content material and obtain real-time engagement insights. This permits for various ‘occasions’ to play a job all through the complete buyer journey. It’s our job to information them and supply the know-how to take action.
How manufacturers are getting artistic with digital occasions & leisure experiences
