On-ground Activation Archives

The pandemic-induced era of virtual interactions highlighted the undeniable value of technology in bridging gaps and sustaining connections. Yet, it also illuminated the limitations of the digital realm, underscoring the irreplaceable authenticity of in-person interactions. On-ground activations serve as a counterbalance to the digital fatigue that many experience during prolonged periods of isolation.

Furthermore, the revival of on-ground activations is not just a return to the past, but a reimagining of the future. The lessons learned during the pandemic have catalysed innovation within the marketing and advertising industry. Hybrid models that seamlessly blend physical and virtual elements have emerged, expanding the reach of these activations beyond geographical constraints.

As the curtain rises on this new chapter, the return of on-ground activations stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us that while our world may change, our fundamental need for connection and shared experiences remains constant.

This is no different to the on-ground activation scene in New Zealand, which is slowly returning thanks to the resilience of local businesses and the government’s proactive measures. The evolution of New Zealand’s on-ground activations reflects not only the challenges overcome but also the spirit of unity that has emerged in the face of adversity.

To learn more about what industry leaders in the said market think of this industry renaissance, MARKETECH APAC’s deep dive series The Inner State spoke with industry leaders Brianna Elder, managing partner at Mango Communications NZ and Ian Benet, general manager at Eleven PR, to know about their insights on the recent changes on on-ground activations in the local market, how they are adapting to these changes, and what industries could tap more into this.

Cautionary yet excited: How New Zealand’s on-ground activation scene is dealing with a pandemic era

For Eleven PR’s Ian Benet, following the easing of restrictions in New Zealand, fervour for on-ground activations and events was coming in full force, even stating that they had the honour of working with several of these initiatives. But despite this, Benet offers a small word of caution for the industry.

“It’s too early to tell. In New Zealand, restrictions were lifted in September [2022]. Everyone is so excited to be back at enjoying life and really leveraging the power of experiential marketing to help brands really maximise the moment that we’re in,” he said, explaining how it is still early to tell whether a significant change in the on-ground activation scene was evident.

He also added that during the pre-pandemic time, a big part of the events was committing RSVPs and making sure they were coming through the doors, getting those ‘yes-es’ to the events through media or influencers. Meanwhile, in the post-pandemic times, there were no issues in getting people to attend. In addition, people really wanted to come and craved human interaction.

Benet also added that in terms of the impact on-ground activations have nowadays, people will still come to events/activations for a while. Then, in the longer run, things will settle down and the change will happen, just not drastically. And for that, he has a piece of advice to offer for brands.

“Brands, agencies and companies need to recognise that even though things will settle down, there’ll still be that craving for interaction, there’ll still be that craving for engagement and a desire for something that really captures the attention,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mango Communications’ Brianna Elder that a significant portion of these on-ground activation changes in New Zealand has something to do with the rise of experiential marketing: especially those that require more design planning on how to execute it properly.

“We’re spending way more time at the front-end of the project, and the planning and the designing of the execution to make sure it’s safe and it’s checking all the boxes from a public health and social responsibility point of view,” she said.

Moreover, Elder noted that nowadays, consumers are expecting bolder, bigger, and more creative activations while at the same time keeping the experience intimate and ideal for smaller groups of people even in larger spaces.

“We need to make sure that we are having multiple outputs and multiple touchpoints from the on-ground activations just to hit as many people as possible and give the brands the reach that they crave,” she added.

Opportunities for mobile event trucks in a growing on-ground activation industry

Both of the industry leaders have agreed that the use of mobile event trucks–albeit not yet a staple in the local scene–can help spice up upcoming activations in the near future. It is also worth noting that both industry leaders also agree that utilising a mobile event truck should not just be used as a standalone channel but rather as part of a much larger experience.

For Benet, both the brand and agency must consider how to bring a campaign to life while also utilising the mobile event truck as sort of a stage for the on-ground activation. Moreover, he adds utilising an opportunity like this must bring fresh to the consumers.

“You need to think creatively about ‘what are we trying to do here?’. At the start of the events process, I always like to be a bit cynical and scrutinise what we’re doing and think about it from a public point of view, like ‘What are we offering here?’ What are we doing that’s actually worth their eyeballs, that is worth them engaging with, that is worth the general public taking notice?” he says.

Interestingly, Benet shared about a campaign they did with local vodka brand Long White where they wanted to emphasise Kiwi culture while cheering up the people. For the campaign, they hired a truck, decorated it, put a band on it, drove through three MIQ centres, and played a 15 to 20-minute set at each location. And while admittedly this was executed without the permission from authorities, the guerrilla activation worked well for both them and the brand.

“t was a bit of a calculated risk in terms of how this would be taken, how would doing something like this be received. But I think because it was such a part of a cultural conversation at the time and something that was being extensively talked about, we were able to have a pretty good gauge of how it would be received by the general public in a way that would be positive,” he said.

Meanwhile, for Elder, while she hasn’t seen a mobile event truck being implemented in New Zealand, there is absolutely a desire in the industry for those mobile vehicle-led on-ground activations. She even remarked that a mobile event truck is like a ‘moving billboard’: it just keeps working for you even when you’re not working it. This then allows the brands to also get the chance to get out of main city centres and work with other demographics.

“The relationship and interaction change completely because they were in a completely different mindset. They’ve got time to talk to you and engage, so you have a far richer interaction with your target audience,” she said.

She further explained that when designed well, mobile executions work as they encompass many facets – the transportation method, the activation hub, the asset holder, and the work 24 hours a day – not just when the activation is live. In short, an eye-catching design and clean and clear messaging on the vehicle provides a moving billboard advantage amidst a sea of local campaigns.

How to get the local sign of approval for your on-ground activations

As advice for brands in New Zealand to have more effective on-ground activations, Elder said that it should always feed the curiosity of the locals, especially considering how much time Kiwis have spent indoors during the pandemic due to strict restrictions back then.

“Kiwis love being out, and I think for us we can often feel a long way from the rest of the world. So anything that feels new and exciting and kind of inspired by travel, art, culture or feels different will always cut through and people love it,” she said.

It is also worth noting that aside from asking permission from local authorities, brands and agencies should also be mindful of the cultural sensitivities in the market, especially considering that the native people of the country–the Maori people–have a special relationship with their native lands.

This was also echoed by Benet, who said that with proper permission, local councils and authorities recognise the value of your event or your experience is bringing. Moreover, they recognise the way a brand and agency are trying to bring joy to someone through events or experiences, and that they are good at understanding the way advertisers work.

“The council are actually quite good at recognising what we are trying to do, how we were trying to do it, and actually working with us to make it happen in a way that’s acceptable to the client and acceptable to them,” he said.

This feature is done in partnership with Unicom Marketing.

Unicom Marketing is an event management company spanning Southeast Asia that provides full-service such as roving event trucks, on-ground activation, online digital activation, and virtual event management.

The post-pandemic scenario presents opportunities and hurdles for on-ground activations, especially with marketers now facing the pressing task of rebuilding consumer confidence in participating in public events while adhering to stringent health and safety protocols.

Leveraging technology and data-driven insights, brands can strategically identify and target specific audiences to curate smaller, more intimate activations that ensure attendees’ safety while maximising engagement.

The pandemic has also given rise to hybrid event models, blending in-person experiences with virtual elements to reach wider audiences and enhance overall brand reach. Moreover, sustainability and social responsibility have gained prominence, compelling brands to incorporate meaningful initiatives into their activations, resonating with socially conscious consumers. But this begs the question: how do we merge these modern strategies with the plethora of various cultures in such a diverse market, such as Indonesia?

To learn more about how the on-ground activation scene in Indonesia works, MARKETECH APAC’s deep dive series The Inner State spoke with industry leaders Aji Harsono, business director at M&C Saatchi Shopex; Mike Forster, marketing consultant for Southeast Asia; and Rolly Pane, managing director at Clozette Indonesia, to know about their insights on the recent changes on on-ground activations in the local market, how they are adapting to these changes, and what industries could tap more into this.

The marriage of digital channels and marketing creativity to the local on-ground activation scene

In terms of what changed in the local on-ground activation scene at a post-pandemic time, all of the marketing leaders have agreed that utilising more channels has helped them amplify further their existing on-ground activations. And while these channels were previously used before the pandemic, usage of these strategies was more amplified, especially with many customers also wanting to check out these branded experiences.

For Clozette’s Rolly Pane, they are no stranger to these types of activations, considering how they have implemented it previously for campaigns with their clients. However, he noted that a key change during these post-pandemic times is that aside from their on-ground activation campaign, they now need to make sure that broadcasting it across their social media channels is a necessity.

“We saw [a trend that] where client the is getting more [traction] from their ongoing activations because they were hitting more people, [and] that [they] could attend their event compared to the ones that are actually there in the room with them,” he said.

Meanwhile, for marketing consultant Mike Forster, he noticed that many consumers were genuinely interested in how these new types of digital channels can change their perception of on-ground activations, and how these can change their relationship with the brands they love and support.

Moreover, he notes that with pandemic restrictions now easing out, many consumers are yearning for more social interactions.

“They want to have that communal experience and be together. And that’s great for activation, but they also expect that experience now to be hybrid. And that’s partly because of what we’ve all been through. I think, [during] the pandemic, the introduction of new technologies [and] a lot of contactless technology, [as well as] how technology changed experience during the pandemic now means there’s an expectation there about that should happen still now,” Forster explained.

For M&C Saatchi Shopex’s Aji Harsono, a key change that was evident was that with many consumers spending more time indoors during the pandemic, the demand for more face-to-face interactions are returning, including engaging in on-ground activities. Moreover, he noted that as consumer behaviour changes, on-ground activation strategies should keep pace with it.

“The habit of the consumer is changing a lot. People usually interact with the product directly face to face. They can feel the brand, but during the pandemic, everything is [moved] to be online. We need to fairly consider also, not only the mechanism and the flow but also what the consumer needs,” he said.

How mobile event trucks can help shape the local on-ground activation scene?

When asked if mobile event trucks are a thing in the local on-ground activation scene in Indonesia, Pane noted that while he hasn’t seen a brand doing an activation using this, there is great potential in this type of activation, provided that issues such as permits and logistics can be fixed. Additionally, Pane believes that using a mobile event truck works out if it can visit one place and another to allow customers to experience a brand’s product or service.

“I think it all goes back to what kind of content you want on the mobile event truck. It can actually be treated as a stage, so you can actually have a talk show on the truck and set up down there, where people could be participating in it. You can actually have performers to go live in the whole get-together,” he said.

Forster also echoed Pane’s sentiments, adding that a mobile event truck is a fantastic way of taking a brand experience to audiences outside, creating a ‘theatre’ for the brand. Moreover, it is also great to reach audiences who are in rural areas, and who are otherwise unreachable from mainstream digital channels for brand experiences.

“You can get the truck to be whatever you want it to be. Whether it’s more entertainment, educational, or info style or even whether it’s more just a show and less interactive even, depending on what your brand is and who your audience is, you can tailor the mobile truck experience to all those different looks and all those different fields,” he said.

Meanwhile, for Harsono, the idea of having a mobile truck activation is great in terms of bringing the brand experience to the consumers, not having the consumers do the effort in finding that experience to satisfy them.

“We come to the consumer, not the consumer comes to us. The benefit also is when we do the on-ground activation with the truck, it also becomes the mobile branding [for the client],” he said.

How to make your on-ground activation stand out: tips and best practices

For Forster, the reason why mobile truck experiences can do better than many other communication channels and en route is they can change consumer behaviour. He also added that through this, brands can move consumers closer to them being converted to choose that particular brand by offering them that experience on a mobile truck that gives them entertainment, information, and sampling all in an interactive and equal measure.

“I think it’s very important that the team that you have manning the mobile truck really embody the brand’s values and understand the consumer group very well. Because no matter how good your actual experience is, if your team doesn’t live it, and they’re not able to deliver it a hundred per cent, then that level of engagement won’t be there,” he said.

Forster also added that there are several tips marketers should consider to properly deliver a hybrid brand experience, which also integrates on-ground activations: (1) think virtual first, (2) redefine success metrics, (3) drive separate physical and digital experiences, but make them work together, (4) prioritise the latest trends, and (5) create a multi-tiered experience.

“If you create this multi-tiered experience, it enables everybody to engage at the level that they feel comfortable with, but also, it rewards those who understand your brand a bit better or those who are already consumers because they already have that prior experience. If you can create an experience that has that impact on people emotionally, then you’re gonna hit home and they’re gonna give you a bit more of their time to fully enjoy the brand experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pane said that in order for an on-ground activation to work, introduce a well-known persona to be the one driving the engagement in the event. For him, this puts the perception of the attendees that their time spent here is worth it.

“Create something that will get their attention and their interests, because I think the moment that you’re able to gather interest is another effort for you to create something that will make them stay right during the entire on-ground activation campaign,” he said.

Lastly, Harsono said that with consumers getting smarter nowadays, it’s important for brands to make sure that their marketing strategies are made with genuine intentions, and not just another stunt to lure consumers.

“They know (the consumers) what is real or fake marketing. We need to fairly understand the consumer, but also how to bring honest experiences to them. We can create something unique or experimental, as offering these experiences is very important to the consumer,” he said.

This feature is done in partnership with Unicom Marketing.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on on-ground activation campaigns. As social distancing measures were enforced, many brands had to cancel or postpone their planned events, and those that continued had to adapt to the new health and safety protocols. The pandemic prompted a shift towards virtual activations, with brands increasingly relying on digital channels to reach their audiences. However, as the situation began to stabilize, there was a gradual return to on-ground activations, albeit with significant changes in format and execution.

During the pandemic, many on-ground activations were conducted with strict adherence to health and safety guidelines. For example, brands made efforts to limit the number of participants, implemented temperature checks, and provided sanitizing stations. Additionally, many activations were moved outdoors, providing a safer environment with better ventilation.

Furthermore, brands increasingly leveraged technology to create immersive experiences, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, which allowed participants to engage with the activation from a safe distance. However, as the pandemic recedes, brands are once again exploring traditional on-ground activations, but with a greater emphasis on creating experiences that prioritize safety and hygiene.

To learn more about Australia’s diverse on-ground activation scene, MARKETECH APAC’s deep dive series The Inner State spoke with industry leaders Michael Ozard, group brand experience director at Havas Blvd, Hayley Westoby, founder of Gambit Collective, and Steve Fontanot, commercial managing director at Red Havas, to know about their insights on the recent changes on on-ground activations in the local market, how they are adapting to these changes, and what industries could tap more into this.

Recovery: the big change on the local on-ground activation scene

Before we even have to comment on how the pandemic changed the on-ground activation scene, Red Havas’ Steve Fontanot encourages us to first look at and reflect on how the industry has progressed over the years. Noting how outdoor strategies evolved from ‘ambush’ marketing to mobile billboards, one could easily see these drastic changes. He further notes that while we started simple back then, the pivots brought by the past three years have demanded more sophisticated marketing strategies.

Moreover, Fontanot pointed out that the pandemic has certainly pushed brands and agencies to not just earn revenue but rather focus on surviving and having their existing campaign strategies relevant to the ongoing consumer changes. But what struck him the most was simple: the pandemic reminded all of us that there is beauty in merging digital and physical experiences, citing a psychological need for humans to connect.

“Post-pandemic, brands can get back again to creating meaningful human connections which is amazing-all while using the relevant technology that they’ve created or evolved during the pandemic. And so, you know, that’s not completely new: brands were trying to marry digital with the physical for quite a long time, with varying levels of success. But the fact that they were able to hyper-concentrate on their digital data and social abilities during that time, being able to be back into the experiential and physical world, again, we can blend in and marry these two,” he stated

This was seconded as well by Havas Blvd’s Michael Ozard, who said that the pandemic have provided both brands and agencies with an opportunity to satisfy the public’s appetite for experiential on-ground activations. Citing a recent white paper their agency recently developed, a rising trend evident nowadays is that consumers are looking for more bespoke experiences which helps enrich the customer experience.

“The pandemic permitted brands to experiment with technology and fresh innovations, to engage with customers in new ways. Right now, audiences are–in terms of their acceptance–at their peak of acceptance in allowing brands to continue to push the boundaries and connect with people in a post-COVID world,” Ozard said.

He further added that marketers must come up with more meaningful connections within their community through in-person experiences in a post-pandemic time.

“The key to building real-lasting relationships between brands and audiences boils down to this basic need for human-to-human engagement and shared experiences,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gambit Collective’s Hayley Westoby, noted that while pre-pandemic experiences only relied on something eye-catching or very general, the saturation of content brought by social media changed marketing experiences drastically.

With an observation that most businesses are still operating at a pre-pandemic mindset, she encourages businesses to not wait for normalcy to come back, and instead check out how they can ride the ‘new normal’.

“Now, people and brands [have] to get more specific with who they’re talking to, what kind of audience they’re communicating with, and making sure that it sits as part of an ecosystem. Nowadays, you cannot rely on just one location or one activation to do the work [since] a lot of digital products and platforms can be doing [the same],” she said.

What do industry leaders think of mobile on-ground activations in Australia?

The industry leaders have shared the same sentiment on the effectiveness of mobile truck activations–which is about being launched as a companion for an existing marketing campaign–not being on its own.

However, the industry leaders have also noted the importance of mobile truck activations as a way to garner more eyeballs and attention for the brand.

Citing a campaign they did with the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), Ozard notes how they have partnered with local wineries and cheese producers for this tourism campaign, and adding that they executed vehicle campaigns where interested bypassers can get a wine and cheese sample from one of the many mobile vehicles they have launched alongside SATC to boost tourism in the region.

Coming from over a decade of experience in the brand experience scene, he notes three key essential elements of a successful mobile truck campaign namely having it being an ‘opt-in, opt-out’ perspective, tapping into people’s passion points, and availability of customer touch points during the activation process.

“You know, you can bring brands to life in more than one environment and being able to tap into someone’s passion point [that] gets to the heart of what motivates people, whether it’s a music festival or a sporting event. It’s all about putting the consumer first and creating that genuine connection with the audience,” he explained.

Ozard added, “Alternatively if you are looking for a deeper [and] more immersive engagement, you may be looking at using the vehicle as a platform to create a more in-depth brand experience. So ultimately, it’s up to you to choose the way that you [want to] customise the activation and design that customer experience.”

Fontanot has also echoed his agreement on the previous statement, stating that mobile truck activations could be used for staging campaigns with added elements of surprise for on-lookers. For him, such a type of activation cannot be solely the only brand experience but rather a platform for an integrated brand experience.

“I think that [by] using mobile trucks or vehicles of any sort can bring added value and added benefits to a brand by providing added benefits to a consumer. So, for example, if I’m walking past and I’m just gonna walk past a mobile truck, and it’s for an automotive brand, and it’s just a vehicle on the back of a truck: that’s a lo-fi way of getting people to observe it,” he said.

He encapsulates the ideal on-ground activation campaign in a term he calls the ‘one-five-fifteen’. This pertains to a minute of a bypasser’s time to get interested in the campaign, five minutes to introduce the bypasser to said product or service of a brand, and fifteen minutes to reel in that bypasser and convert them into a paying customer and later on a loyal one.

“People are giving us their time, which is probably the biggest commodity that they have. And so, we need to ensure that we’re respectful with them, [to the point] where they can get a benefit out of it in return. I think if we come from a place of respecting the consumer as opposed to selling to [them], that’s where you’ll stay true [to your message] to put the consumer and the brand and you kind of meet those in the middle,” he added.

Stating the benefits of said activation in terms of data collection for marketers, Fontanot added, “They see the branding, there’s a digital experience there, where people can kind of customize their journey where you might have data collection points where people can ask questions and feel like they’re not being sold to because they might not enjoy the dealership experience. And like, you start building the elements on it. You’re creating content opportunities or you’re even displaying interesting content that has been captured differently like, for me, it’s a good jumping-off point.”

Westoby also agreed with Fontanot’s statement on the mobile truck activation not being the sole factor for a brand experience. She stated that it is important for brands to ask themselves: is this activation making the customer experience much easier for those checking out the on-ground experience? Moreover, one should also ask that after the campaign happened, how will the brands follow up with these users and convert them into customers?

“It’s not just the experience at that point in time that they engaging with, it’s the experience pre-, during and post- that’s considered. So, that touch point for the brand is so much longer than just the 15 minutes that they stand at the event truck,” she explains.

Westoby also added, “[Mobile] trucks are more of an awareness campaign, [which are] utilised for more awareness, as opposed to acquisitional conversion. [However] conversion and acquisition require longer, dwell time and it requires more touch points.”

Capturing data to encapsulate brand loyalty: the future that awaits in the local on-ground activation scene

All industry leaders have agreed that the future of the on-ground activation scene in Australia is moving forward in a positive direction. Moreover, they have also pointed out that through this direction, brands have more unique ways to garner more eyeballs from audiences and convert them into customers.

For Westoby, despite the rising popularity of digital campaigns, one could not simply leave the allure and experience of physical campaigns.

“We’re seeing now, brands getting more and more reach and engagement from digital campaigns. However, I do think that physical and in-person events [as well as] activations and builds still serve a purpose because they provide that kind of tangible touch point for a customer to engage with a brand [and] they’re going to be a lot more considered as part of a bigger ecosystem of activity that’s happening for the brand,” she said.

However, she also noted that for brands to move into the future of on-ground activations, one must also integrate digital components to get actionable insights from would-be users.

“The more I know about a consumer, the more we can rely on the communications that they receive, the products that we serve them, the conversations that we have with them. I think that more on-ground activations will capitalise on capturing that data,” she said.

Meanwhile, Fontanot encourages brands and marketers alike to map out their on-ground experiences like parts of a car. While they may have their own thing, when worked together provides a car with a smooth journey. Much like how a campaign is not solely reliant on one avenue of communication, the various parts that make an activation successful will provide a seamless experience for existing customers and new users alike.

“I think that we need to always ensure that that we keep championing amazing consumer engagements at every touch point which kind of comes off the back of that as well. There’s no point of having this wonderful build, whether it be a vehicle or a stage whatever it is this wonderful experience but then the staff aren’t trained properly,” he said.

He also pointed out that brands always need to go back at the start of every campaign: what’s the purpose of it, and why they–as brands–need to do this.

“I encourage us all as an industry to ensure that we keep an eye on what the original purpose of the campaign is. It’s always about how do you ensure that you continue to have an eye always on the purpose of the campaign and the purpose of the brief,” Fontanot added.

Meanwhile, Ozard notes that the future of the on-ground activation scene is all about improving the emotional response of consumers and branding that involves a certain level of marketing psychology.

“We’re sort of living at the moment in this era of creativity and innovation. As an agency, we like to channel our creativity into these bespoke experiences and then harness amplification through social through content [and] PR, and it’s really taking the pandemic for there to be a greater appreciation and sort of understanding from marketers that we can look beyond just recording the attendance, [which is a] pillar of success,” he explains.

He concluded, “People are responding positively to any sort of live experience, whether that is a mobile event truck or a launch event or whatever it is. People are more receptive to live experience experiences now that they were pre-pandemic, and people are also expecting a little bit more as well. So now brands aren’t just doing quite a basic sort of brand experiences, they’re having to build in multiple layers of the experiences.”

This feature is done in partnership with Unicom Marketing.

Despite our move to a highly digitised space, it is undeniable that traditional and tangible experiences still matter for both brands and consumers. For the former, it allows them to engage more organically with their target market, whilst on the receiving end, consumers are given the opportunity to gauge the brand’s authenticity.

This is quite evident with the continuous use of on-ground activations by brands—even right after the pandemic. Aside from deep engagement, the strength of such marketing strategy comes from its potential extensive reach, being able to tap into a variety of audiences all at once. But the challenge remains—how can brands successfully deliver a campaign that would cut across audiences?

To truly learn how such marketing channels evolved through the pandemic, the latest instalment of MARKETECH APAC’s The Inner State has invited industry experts across several markets in the Asia-Pacific region. For this specific feature, we are going to deep dive into the Thai scene, through the perspective of marketing leaders from Vero Thailand BBDO Bangkok, and SOUR Bangkok. We have invited Umaporn Whittaker-Thompson, Vero’s vice president of brand public relations and influence,Thasorn Boonyanate, BBDO Bangkok’s chief creative officer, and Nopparath Eksuwancharoen, Sour Bangkok’s creative director and head of art to share with us first-hand what has changed on this front, and the challenges and opportunities that are lurking behind this social-led strategy.

Mounting an on-ground activation post-pandemic

We are not oblivious to the fact that the pandemic brought a multitude of changes with how brands engage with their consumers. But for a physical strategy such as an on-ground activation, what can we expect as we resume its use?

For Vero’s Umaporn Whittaker-Thompson, one of the notable developments in the new normal are the benchmarks set in determining as well as in predicting the success of an in-person campaign. Now that digital has been truly embedded in everything we do, we must factor this in even with initiatives that are centred on physical engagement. This would mean considering metrics such as an on-ground activation’s social media and online reach.

Whittaker-Thompson said it’s about developing mechanisms that would drive participants to online downloads and purchases.

“This is [the time] where we track the success of each campaign not just by telling the estimate of the eyeballs or people who are going to be at the event…[brands] want a more measurable number or [amount of] downloads [translated] as engagement and user participation,” she said.

Meanwhile, for Sour Bangkok’s Nopparath Eksuwancharoen, the biggest change in doing on-ground activations is that brands and agencies must now also think of their online-active consumer base in a post-pandemic activation. Simply put, those who watch online must have almost the same experience as those being on-ground.

Citing their agency work with Thai rum brand SangSom, she notes that during pre-pandemic times, there is a definite estimation of how many people would engage with the brand’s on-ground activation based on an event attendance. Now, the brand and agency have also come up with ways to engage with their online audience.

“One main difference that I think this industry has shifted, is that before the pandemic, if you do the on-ground [activation], it’s just the on-ground audience that’s engaged. But right now we never exclude the online audience from that. So basically, like if I do a concert for the brand that the SOUR [Bangkok agency] would do the activation, we will have the on ground event but the online audience is never left out.”

Challenges and opportunities for brand activations in the Thai market

Coming fresh from a limited social setting, BBDO’s Thasorn Boonyanate said one of the challenges in making physical activations a success is audiences’ halved confidence in participating in such. Whilst some are highly enthusiastic about going back to physical activities, this is not a blanket case.

Meanwhile, Whittaker-Thompson admitted that activations such as those that have mobile trucks as their platform are not so common in Thailand as it is more preferable for brands in the market to go for outdoor advertising such as OOH media in tuk-tuks.

“I think the key highlight of these [mobile] trucks are these LED screens where we show the ads, and the asset of the campaign. [This will depend] on how we will create the creative which will hook the attention of our target audience,” she said.

Moreover, Eksuwancharoen adds that doing a mobile truck on-ground activation would not work on a standalone basis. She adds that it could work as part of a much larger physical campaign. Moreover, given the tropical climate of Thailand, it would be impractical for brands to use a standalone mobile truck activation as many Thais prefer to stay indoors most of the time.

Whilst there are challenges in said marketing strategy, all industry leaders agree that such format also inevitably presents an opportunity for brands to show their creative prowess.

“I think creativity is the main thing about it, because with the consumer getting used to a lot of creative options from the brand [as well as] alternatives from [other] brands, [it now] depends how we are going to visualise and convey the message [of our campaign],” said

Whittaker-Thompson.

Creative collaboration as a two-way system

At its core, an on-ground activation must have a collaborative spirit, both from how it is brought to fruition and the communication it activates amongst consumers.

Boonyanate says such campaigns must be a two-way system, whilst Whittaker-Thompson asserts that it shouldn’t ‘exist on its own’. By the latter, Vero’s marketing leader meant incorporating a variety of other interesting marketing initiatives into an activation such as influencer marketing and an omnichannel-led strategy.

“We have to blend in [our take on] creativity and show [the brands] that we are here to talk about [the] products, what’s [the] key message of the product, key selling points, and [then] we would like to provide a creative experience that people will think about a brand in a way that [is] engaging,” she explained from the agency side.

She also specified the campaign must be ‘special and surprising’.

“It’s hard to compete with [other brands]. But what we can do to stand out is how we create a unique consumer experience from the beginning, how we inform them about events, what we can do to create an experience that better suits their interests, and keep them engaged,”

Meanwhile, Boonyanate said, “I think the most important thing about this activation is that you need to be where they are, [it] has to be on the right spot, in the right location, [and] for the right audience, and then your idea will shine for sure.”

Lastly, for Eksuwancharoen, an understanding of creating an offline-to-online (O2O) activation is important for brands to consider when doing on-ground activations. Basically, no consumer must be left behind, as all channels are utilised.

“I used to do a lot of on grounds that people [attend to where] it’s just a[n on ground activation]. So the audience is quite limit[ed] [and] you don’t [have the chance] expand the audience to [include] online. So, I think the greatest tip [for on ground activation is] that to expand from on ground to online.”

This feature is done in partnership with Unicom Marketing.

It is safe to say that most of what we’re experiencing at the current period are evolutionary realities residual of the pandemic. In the marketing world, we were introduced to fresh innovations owing to the unique demands in the face of the global crisis; on the other side of the coin, phenomenons that occurred pre-pandemic underwent transformative shifts.

For The Inner State, MARKETECH APAC’s dedicated industry deep-dive, we direct the focus on one particular marketing strategy that was a feature of the status quo, but unfortunately, had to take the back seat – on-ground activations. From its name, we know it hadn’t been tagging along our immediate present. But now that we’re way back on track — we ask, how has this in-person marketing strategy evolved and what significant changes did it undergo?

This special feature on on-ground activations is part of a wider regional series that pooled creative marketing experts from the different markets in APAC. In this particular insight, we’re going to get into the skin of creative leaders, specifically those from the Vietnam market.

The biggest change in on-ground activations

If we would look at the biggest change within the said strategy, it’s that we’re not merely going back to how it once was. Something new has definitely ticked – there was a trigger.

On-ground activations pre-pandemic leaned heavily on in-person gimmicks – and now that we’ve been brought back from the depths of the crisis – we can now never ignore the online channel. It had been our lifeline in the past three years, and as we move forward, audiences will be looking for it even in a physical-first marketing initiative such as on-ground activations.

Luc Mandret, founder and managing director at The Advocacy in Vietnam, one of the leaders MARKETECH APAC interviewed, share in the sentiment.

“Activations [have] been affected by localised lockdowns, therefore, brands accelerated their strategies from offline to online. Before, there has been a lot of activations in Vietnam, but only on [the] ground. No integration [of online and offline],” said Mandret.

Meanwhile, Tra Linh Nguyen, managing director of T&A Ogilvy in Vietnam, brings this reality forward and suggests that aside from bridging offline to online in on-ground activations, brands are now also lulled to look for ways to direct that online activity to commerce.

“O2O is not only online to offline but how on-ground activities can link to commerce, so it’s a must now. Every time people talk like how we can do on-ground activations, the client would ask for [a] KPI.”

Nguyen says further that the online strand of activations has truly increased in preference by the consumer– the biggest catch being that an individual, despite being in a remote setting, can now experience so much more from just where he or she is.

“Online activation is much more visible. With all the technology like artificial intelligence [and] all sort of virtual technology offers, the consumer [has] a really convenient option to just stay where they are and experience the brand personally.”

Challenges ahead in modern on-ground activations

We know that for every opportunity brought to fruition, there is an inherent challenge that comes with such. According to creative leaders, what are the current challenges in modern on-ground activations?

Sudarshan Saha, managing director at EssenceMediacom Vietnam, emphasises a literal demand nowadays, and says, post-pandemic, ‘hygiene’ has become of utmost concern for attendees, where they’ve grown warier of an event’s sanitation.

But just like Mandret and Nguyen, he cites another ‘H’ which has now become a ‘requirement’ by default, and that is the ‘Hybrid’ format. In the similar light of connecting offline to online, to mount these initiatives in such a format is a challenge in itself, Saha would suggest.

“The changes are in the form of hygiene and hybrid.”

He continued, “[Hybrid] will affect the way we design activities. The interaction, how we record, transcribe, how we plan to socialize everything.”

When it comes to fully leveraging the online component of activations, Nguyen says embracing technology and letting it be realised in different iterations may not always be a walk in the park. But that the antidote would always be experimentation.

“However, the challenge could be how we embrace technology and how the consumer will engage online.”

“These changes are very significant for [clients], brands, and agencies to set a role together and how to encourage and [allow] experimentation. By experimentation, we can figure out, come to new ideas, and test new tactics and strategies for on-ground activations.”

Activation scene in Vietnam

The trio of leaders all shared that Vietnam as a market is ideal for implementing on-ground activations as locals are increasingly receptive to such high-spirited engagements. Add to that, the Southeast Asia country is undoubtedly a melting pot of styles, themes, and rhythms.

Mobile trucks, for example, are a viable form of in-person engagement for brands targeting consumers in the areas of sports, food, beverages, and music. Just like any other market, the Vietnamese are warm toward such passion areas, agreed the leaders.

“Beer brands are doing a lot of music festivals in Vietnam. Street food culture is also prominent in Vietnam,” said T&A Ogilvy’s Nguyen.

EssenceMediacom’s Saha, meanwhile, emphasised that brands in sports will always be top adopters of activations such as mobile event trucks due to their high-action nature.

“Vietnam as a market has a very very high engagement for football events. There are live [screenings of matches in open] spaces, bars, and public places whenever [audiences’ favourite] football [teams] [play],” he said.

Saha added that any ‘consumption-related’ brands such as food and drinks would benefit greatly from such type of on-ground activation.

“To me, this kind of mobile activation is a very nice way of catching the audience, on different parts of the day, different parts of [the city], [and] different days; customising a morning coffee, post lunch, [and] sweet drinks.” “They can easily get drinks, that’s a whole ecosystem of enabling people on the go.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to the biggest challenge in launching activations in the market, the three are unanimous that due to the intricate logistics of such strategy, it would foremost be about answering to legal requirements.

“If you want to conduct offline on-ground activation, you need to be very strict in the way you work with local and global [authorities] in Vietnam, and you need to register every activity that you’re doing,” admits The Advocacy’s Mandret.

Nguyen agrees, “The challenge in mobile trucks is legal barriers. How to get the license for the mobile to go around the city.”

She, however, stressed that at the end of the day, activations such as that of mobile event trucks, are an effective channel for catching the attention of the younger cohort.

“[Mobile event trucks] would be like a good channel for engaging young audiences like Gen Z or even a bit younger because they are looking for something accessible, fresh, young, and engaging [on] a medium scale.” “Gen Z also want something authentic. This on-ground activation idea would be really good.”

How to ultimately mount an attention-snaring on-ground activation

As the world opens up once more and goes back to its former glory, consumers are raring to release pent-up energy for interaction and socialisation. Therefore, it would be such a disservice to not leverage such a physically led channel, and more so, to mount such type that is only a copycat of the old and a thing of the pre-pandemic past.

If there’s one important takeaway, it’s that we’re simply not re-adopting previous trends, nor are we put to square one, but rather, it’s merging the foundations with the new-age hybrid-first marketing approach.

Interestingly, some leaders are on the same page, saying that innovation isn’t always the key, but meaningfulness is.

“Think meaningfully, not just innovatively,” said Saha.

“When it comes to on-ground activation design, I think the tip is to create something meaningful rather than being innovative for the sake of creating something new.”

Mandret says the same, “People are expecting meaningfulness when they want to join on-ground activities.”

Saha shares further that there are two things to look at amidst developing an interactive initiative such as on-ground activation: Reach and Attention.

“When the reach is very high, attention may not be as good. However, high reach and high attention [are] possible,” he said, referring to events such as live sports, live music, live concerts, and lifestyle events.

“I think any concept which needs the audiences’ higher attention is an opportunity for [launching an] on-ground activation.”

Interestingly, Saha also advises, “Identify when to use humans to interact with prospective [consumers] or when to use augmented reality.”

With AI now all the rage, it won’t be a distant reality to finally see the usage of such tech in the creation of on-ground activations.

Madret said, “Artificial intelligence could be the future of this strategy, specifically the use of [holograms].”

“I think it’s a very good way in terms of engaging with [consumers], he further shares. “When you have a hologram, you don’t need to have the people with you. If you want an event to be safe because you don’t have to be there since you can use the hologram, you can make one activity in as many [places] as you want at the same time. You don’t need to travel anymore, and the quality is so good.”

This feature is done in partnership with Unicom Marketing.

Mumbai, India – In the true nature of the action-packed sequences in the latest movie ‘Red Notice’, streaming platform Netflix in India had launched an on-ground campaign that invited shoppers to become ‘shoplifters’ themselves, much like how the movie was all about heists.

The campaign is activated at the Phoenix Palladium mall in Mumbai. The 3000 square feet space is guarded with lasers, sensors, secret codes, CCTV cameras, alarms, and top-notch security. The heist is successfully completed when one is able to steal from the Red Notice Shop. Prizes include not only tech products and ownable shop merchandise but also three precious gold Faberge eggs from the film with exclusive rewards inside them.

The campaign ran from 25 to 28 November. ‘Red Notice’ is a film that stars Hollywood stars Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. The general premise of the film is that of an FBI agent (played by Johnson) who reluctantly teams up with a renowned art thief (played by Reynolds) in order to catch an even more notorious criminal (played by Gadot).

Speaking about the activation of the campaign, Debashish Ghosh, national creative director at 22feet Tribal Worldwide said, “Most viewers fantasize about being in a role similar to one of their favorite characters or plots in a film. We wanted to give them an unexpected leg-up. So, we set up a shop to pull off a heist where stealers are keepers if you don’t get caught. And if you do, you don’t land up behind bars. Either way, the experience leaves an indelible mark and lodges Netflix and Red Notice in your memory for good.”

To generate buzz about the Red Notice Shop, a promo film was launched that introduced the shop to the fans. The film has been shared by fans including content creators like Abish Mathew, Kumar Varun, Mermaid Scales among others.