5 Of The Best Virtual Brand Activation Ideas

Want to increase awareness of your brand and get more prospects to get on board with what you offer?

It could be time to run a brand activation event.

Brand activations are marketing campaigns or events designed to talk directly to your audience so you can boost your reputation and build long-term relationships with your followers.

Brand activations aren’t straightforward sales pitches. Think of them as an opportunity to showcase your personality, share your core values, and demonstrate to potential customers how and why you’re different from other providers in your niche.

In return, you’ll get direct feedback from your customers and peers – and as we all know, these first-party insights can be used to steer your future marketing strategy.

An activation can involve a product launch, a Q&A session, a tutorial, an exclusive meet-up – pretty much anything that gets people engaging with your offering and talking about your brand in their own circles. Here are a few virtual activation ideas to help you command your audience’s attention without breaking the bank.

1. Run a giveaway

Everyone loves a freebie! Use a virtual giveaway competition to drum up interest in your new product or encourage sign-ups to your new service.

The prize needs to be exciting, exclusive, or both. Make sure it’s something your followers will benefit from, and prove it’s a one-of-a-kind to drive up demand and encourage even more entrants.

Digital giveaways are great for wider reach, but we understand that keeping your attendees engaged can be challenging. Using a platform like ON24, you can pack your giveaway full of interactive features to tackle call fatigue and keep your attendees enjoying your content for longer. 

2. Host a fundraiser

Whether it’s an online auction, a remote fun run, a virtual premiere watch party or a virtual karaoke contest powered by tools like ON24 Forums, there are plenty of ways you can raise funds for a cause close to your brand’s heart, without having to meet up with any of your participants in person. To keep your activation experience consistent with your brand messaging, choose a charity that matches your ethos and aligns with your vision.

3. Set up a pop-up store

Pop-ups don’t just work well in the real world. Virtual pop-up stores are far less expensive than arranging a physical outlet for your products or services and can be run in various formats depending on the resources you’ve got available.

For example, you could manage your one-time-only e-commerce opportunity via a webinar or a live stream, or you could even host the event using your social media platform of choice.

The key thing to remember is that your online pop-up should only be live for a set amount of time; this will give your followers the FOMO, drive interest and keep attendance high. Offering special deals and discounts will also help to entice prospects to the event and get them to part with their cash (if that’s one of your goals).

4. Run a virtual how-to class

Customers love learning how to make the most of their purchases — so why not use an online tutorial to show them how your products or services can solve their biggest challenges?

Getting your founder or a member of your leadership team involved in this kind of activation event can help attendees put a face to a name. Extra exposure will help your hosts raise their personal profiles, too.

Struggling to get sign-ups? Partner up with an influencer in a similar space to reach prospects within a different and potentially larger network.

5. Organize a group workshop online

Workshops are fantastic settings for product demonstrations and training, but they can also be used to explore the topics and concepts that your customers care about the most. As with virtual how-to classes, you can bring an influential colleague, client, or sponsor into your workshop to add fresh insights and even more value to the conversation.

For maximum attendance, keep your workshops short and snappy. Lunch-and-learn formats work brilliantly, especially if your target audience is often strapped for time. Plus, limiting the number of guests will give your workshop an intimate feel and allow plenty of time for questions.

Before picking out your favorite ideas and planning your activation event, make sure you’re 100% clear on your brand’s story, mission, and competitive edge. We recently put together a post that talks about the importance of establishing a clear brand identity before you kickstart your activation digital marketing strategy. You can read more here.