Music Festivals Solid Venue For Brand Marketing

MusicFestivalNew research from Havas concludes that sponsor awareness and recall among music festival fans is “high" -- which might surprise some, given the widely held perception that many fans who imbibe in alcoholic beverages and various other substances at such events barely remember any experience.

Fredda Hurwitz, global vice president strategic planning, marketing and communications, Havas Sports & Entertainment, will present detailed results of the study at the Cannes ad festival on June 19.

Conducted last summer, the study reports that fans recalled six out of every 10 brands at festivals they attended. And brand consideration gets a boost from festival-goers, indicating that 36% of study participants claimed they would be “more likely to buy a sponsor’s product” after experiencing that brand’s participation at a festival.

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The study, from Havas Sports & Entertainment, was conducted from June to August 2011 on site at six rock festivals in France, Spain, Germany, the UK, Italy and Poland. It was based on a quantitative study of 2,244 respondents of 30 different nationalities.

“Our research does much to dispel the view that music festivals are a dangerous arena for brand sponsors, and suggests brands are a welcome part of the festival experience if they develop activations that add value,” stated Hurwitz.

Hurwitz said the research indicated that brands need to do more than signage and sampling to get the most out of a music festival sponsorship. “The best strategy is to create exciting, unexpected experiences for fans that have a 'wow' factor,” she said.

She added that social media is a critical component of festival sponsorship activations; festival-goers spend an average of 220% more time online than the average consumer.  “A memorable on-site experience combined with social network interaction could help brands build long-term relationships with music lovers,” Hurwitz concluded.

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