Event marketing presents a perfect technique for reaching a brand’s customers and prospects to enable brand recognition and boost sales, thus increasing profit and returns (Tafesse 2016). Hosting events, such as educational or festival activities, promotes an organization’s brand since the events create a forum for the target audience to interact with the brand. Event marketing plans create a lasting, brand-oriented impression characterized by being full of fun and grabbing the participating audience’s attention. Therefore, events have specific characteristics that influence the success of the marketing and promotion campaign. According to Allen (2019), these characteristics range from setting goals and objectives, a well-structured marketing plan, a desire for attendees’ feedback, effective communication and promotion strategies, an appropriate target audience, proper evaluation, and an appropriate event venue. This paper discusses the need to set goals and objectives and choose the right target audience in event marketing. The essay analyzes the implications of both characteristics on events marketing and promotion and gives the necessary improvement recommendations for marketing managers.

Setting Appropriate Goals and Objectives

Allen (2019) suggests that establishing solid goals and objectives is crucial before launching the event, although they might also be designed and reviewed during the project’s progress. This step is necessary to define the core aim to be accomplished at the end of the marketing and promotion event. It is also helpful in determining how the specific event suits the defined strategy before creating the event. Events can attain beneficial outcomes and impact the host community, the organisers, and other stakeholders like the media, sponsors, and participants (Joseph 2019). Hence, the event organizer should always consider these groups when designing and planning the event to ensure the maximization of positive outcomes, eventually attracting stakeholders’ support. It is essential to consider the possible impacts related to the event to enable the development of relevant aims and objectives of the specific event.

The aims and objectives of an event are always aligned with the organization’s marketing goals. The aims and objectives are vital to attaining success in events marketing and promotions (Morgan 2012). The goals act as a road map towards keeping the course when issues do not work out as planned and prevent distraction from key matters of the event. Besides, well-designed are helpful in aspects such as the motivation of participants or volunteers, planning, and accomplishment of rapid outcomes (Joseph 2019).

Morgan (2012) argues that maintaining focus and limiting stress is key to ensuring the events are a success, and setting goals and objectives is crucial in attaining these conducive conditions. The goals assist in the chronological organization of different tasks associated with the event to avoid unnecessary pressure and, thus, stress. Goals help in task prioritization to allow the participants to focus on key activities, and this reduces confusion. The overall outcome is the excellent outcomes of the event.

Setting goals and objectives helps reduce time wastage during the event’s progress. Establishing aims and objectives is accompanied by creating a defined plan for attaining the event’s purpose (Joseph 2019). A well-outlined time plan is key to the rapid achievement of tasks by the entire event team and minimizes the chances of digressing from the core purpose. The event organizer can easily coordinate and monitor the event’s progress and ensure the direct direction is followed in accomplishing the initial purpose.

The entire event team is motivated by the established aims and goals. Morgan (2012) holds that goals form an important tool for the different participants and volunteers of the specific event. To enhance the accomplishment of the set aims and objectives, the event plan must consider creating an incentive strategy in the form of rewards for the best participants and volunteers. This would take the form of cash rewards or an item with the brand logo to the best talent showcased.

Further, the organizer can rely on the set goals and objectives to ensure the utilization of resources. The definition of the core purpose of the event helps the firm make informed decisions on the best approach for using different resources to enhance the recognition of its brand. The firm can save on unnecessary promotional materials like T-shirts and pamphlets. The business can also reduce the number of event participants if it targets a small market share, thus saving wages and salaries.  

Morgan (2012) further explains that the goals enhance easier communication of the intended purpose. With the knowledge of the set goals, the event organizer can hire the right skill set to ensure the message is effectively communicated to the host audience of the community. The definition of the purpose is also helpful in designing posters and posts with specific elements related to the brand to be marketed. Therefore, the target audience’s attention is easily captured, and the simply designed message leaves an appellant impression about the brand. This goes a long way toward building strong brand awareness and reputation.

Choosing the right target audience

A target brand audience entails a particular customer category expected to respond positively to the event marketing and promotion activities, services, and products (Vila-López and Rodríguez-Molina 2013). The marketing aspect also entails a target community, which comprises a specific category of like-minded consumers associated with a particular brand and exhibiting similar habits (Kilambi, Laroche, and Richard, 2013). Selecting the right target audience and community is an important aspect of event marketing. Targeting a particular community or audience does not require a business to exclude the audience segment that does not meet its specific criteria. Organizations rely on the target audience to get feedback concerning their marketing and promotion of events for improvements.

According to Kashani (2019), a business must choose the relevant target audiences or communities for its brands to utilise resources properly. The firm will spend less on event marketing activities with an already-defined target audience. Therefore, the business will increase sales and profit margin by delivering its message to its most valuable audience. The target audience determines the kind of message to be conveyed by the marketing group and the correct technique for channelling it. An event manager can suitably select the venue for hosting the event if the target audience is defined. The marketing event would be open to all age brackets and demographics, although choosing a target community or audience enables the marketing team to convey direct messages to the attendees easily.

Choosing the right target audience or community will enable the accurate determination of the price point for the firm’s merchandise and ticket sales. An organisation can set the pricing rate accordingly to ensure the marketing event is exclusive and lively. The attendees are likely to be turned away by ticket overpricing, thus a low attendant turnout (Kashani 2019). Selecting the right target audience enables the marketing team to conduct intensive research on the audience’s behaviour patterns, such as social and spending habits. Intensive market research on the target community audience benefits the organization since it facilitates the creation of the best strategy moving forward (Kashani 2019).

Understanding the need to segment an organization’s list of potential audiences is key in categorizing the target audience or community according to their demographics.  Defining the event’s target audience helps an organization create a brand voice appealing to potential customers. Hence, a critical analysis of the target community or audience gives the marketing team a sense of direction for the event’s marketing and promotion. Besides, defining the target audience allows for consistent delivery of the message (Harvey 2018); thus, enabling the creation of solid relationships with the brand’s customers.

Moreover, selecting the right audience is important to the marketing team in determining the appropriate time to convey the intended message. The event manager relies on the knowledge of the target audience (obtained by the marketing research team) to ensure that all details about the brand have been perfectly scheduled and executed at the right time.  The timing is mostly based on the target audience’s availability, for instance, local market days, educational and fun events, and shows and exhibitions (Haider et al., 2019). However, the audience in these events can only respond positively if the marketing team knows their interest and values—knowledge of the aspects that inspire them most.

Recommendations for event marketing managers

SMART goal setting

This essay recommends using the SMRT goalsetting model in establishing the goals of an event. A firm must ensure SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) goal setting to ensure the maximum success of its marketing and promotional events (ZAHORSKY 2019) as proposed below:

• Specific. The goal of the specific event should be clearly defined and specific to enable the marketing team to focus on the key activities and get the motivation to perform efficiently.
• Measurable. The set goals of a marketing event must be measurable to facilitate tracking of the progress of different tasks to ensure the event succeeds. Monitoring the event’s progress helps the whole team focus on the set timeframes of reaching the target audience (ZAHORSKY 2019).
• Achievable. The event organizer should ensure the set goals are realistic and achievable, thus influencing the event’s success. Setting realistic goals helps identify previously unnoticed opportunities in the marketplace.
• Relevant. The marketing managers should often ensure that the set goal aligns with the organization’s marketing strategies and maintain total control over it. The plans for attaining the goals should motivate each team member, but the responsibility should lie on the marketing manager.
• Time-Bound. Marketing managers should consider the need for a target timeframe to enable the entire marketing team to focus on key areas and work towards meeting the set deadlines (ZAHORSKY 2019). This aspect is vital in preventing daily activities from demanding priority over long-term aims.

Effective identification of a target audience

• The marketing manager should consider selecting a target community or audience that can relate to the organization’s brand. It is easy to leave an appealing image of the brand through marketing events when the marketing manager chooses an audience that resonates with the brand (Harvey 2018). Such an audience is happy to be associated with the brand and has a high affinity for it.
• The marketing managers should develop a user or buyer persona as a marketing strategy.  As Harvey (2018) explained, selecting a target community or audience aims to use the data gathered from the market to design a buyer or user persona. The persona will be an icon the marketing manager can maintain for reference in making the firm’s important future decisions. The persona comprises all the essential demographics of location, gender, and age.
• Marketing managers must evaluate the long-term prospects of the target audience. Marketing managers should focus on identifying a target community audience that will not only purchase the business’ brand but also contribute to the continuous and long-term growth of the company. Harvey (2018) proposes that efforts should be directed toward identifying the audience or brand community demographics that have the potential to turn into repetitive customers. Further efforts should focus on researching the best ways to support the brand’s target audience long-term to turn them into key brand ambassadors.

Event marketing has many benefits that provide an organization with growth opportunities in brand awareness, increased sales, and market position courtesy of one-on-one relationships with customers. To ensure increased sales returns, leads and networks, brand credibility, and affinity during event marketing, marketing managers need to prioritize effective communication as the key strategy.

References

Allen, L. (2019). 7 Characteristics of a Successful Event | Front Range Source. [online] Front Range Source. Available at: https://www.frontrangesource.com/7-characteristics-of-a-successful-event/ [Accessed 15 Sep. 2019].

Haider, A.A., Zafar, A., Khalid, A., Majid, A., Abdullah, M.A. and Sarwar, M.B., 2019. Marketing Management.

Harvey, S. (2018). [online] Fabrikbrands.com. Available at: https://fabrikbrands.com/target-audience-definition/ [Accessed 15 Sep. 2019].

Joseph, C. (2019). What Are the Benefits of Goal Setting? [online] Smallbusiness.chron.com. Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-goal-setting-2511.html [Accessed 15 Sep. 2019].

Kashani, P. (2019). Planning Events: Selecting your Target Audience and Marketing Strategies. [online] CulinaryLocal. Available at: https://www.culinarylocal.com/events-selecting-target-audience/ [Accessed 15 Sep. 2019].

Kilambi, A., Laroche, M., and Richard, M.O., 2013. Constitutive marketing: Towards understanding brand community formation. International Journal of Advertising, 32(1), pp.45-64.https://doi.org/10.2501/IJA-32-1-045-064

Morgan, N.A., 2012. Marketing and business performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(1), pp.102-119.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-011-0279-9

Tafesse, W., 2016. Conceptualization of brand experience in an event marketing context. Journal of Promotion Management, 22(1), pp.34-48.https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2015.1107007

Vila-López, N. and Rodríguez-Molina, M., 2013. Event-brand transfer in an entertainment service: experiential marketing. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 113(5), pp.712-731.https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571311324160

ZAHORSKY, D. (2019). 5 Elements of a SMART Business Goal. [online] The Balance Small Business. Available at: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/elements-of-a-smart-business-goal-2951530 [Accessed 15 Sep. 2019].