I am, admittedly, not a music savvy person. Sure, I listen to it and subscribe to Spotify but when it comes to knowing a band or artist, my knowledge is very limited. However, festival season is upon us and thanks to Instagram and Snapchat people like me are more connected to the music scene.
According to a report from Mashable, the average festival attendee at Coachella is between 18-34-years-old and willing to spend $300+ on festival tickets and passes. These attendees are often interested in staying ahead of the trends and hearing the next greatest bands before the rest of the world. Brands have a huge opportunity to take advantage of this during festivals.
Leverage social to connect with millennials at festivals
Marketing at festivals and concerts is a great way to reach millennials. According to a Neilsen report 51 percent of consumers favor brands that sponsor a tour or concert. PopChips hosted a survival tent at Coachella last year, which included phone chargers, water and chips. On a larger scale, Lacoste hosts a successful pool party each year. Brand recognition for these companies went through the roof during Coachella, as these were events that festival attendees did not want to miss.
Branded events influence future actions of customers attending the events. According to a study conducted by Momentum Worldwide, 65 percent of live event attendees recommend a product from a branded event and 59 percent will buy that product at a retail location after returning home.
But, how do these brands connect with young festivalgoers in the first place? It is no secret that millennials are driven by social media and constant connection to their peers is important to them. This is key: engage millennial attendees with social activity.
During and after festivals, millennials will blog, post and tweet about their experience at the event. Last summer, I attended Boulevardia, a beer festival sponsored by local Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO. Everywhere I looked, I saw signs encouraging people to post and tweet about the event using the hashtag, #BLVD. The hashtag was easy to use, easy to remember and when I posted a picture and tagged it, I felt like I was an integral part of the event.
The social sharing that has become so turnkey for my generation has enabled us to connect with events, each other and brands through social media. This is key because even when we are not at the event, we are still virtually connected and share the experience with those who are there. For example, thanks to the “live” story feature on Snapchat, users can get a first hand view of festivals happening all around the world.
I may not have been at Coachella last weekend, but I saw the performances and interacted with my friends who were in attendance through the Coachella snap story. Essentially, Snapchat has made an otherwise exclusive event available to anyone who downloads the app.
As summer quickly approaches, festival season is in full swing. Inspired brands will leverage their social presence to connect with millennials at the festivals and those who are not.
