Millennials value experiences over things.

Each step of millennials’ life is getting upgraded to a ubiquitous experience.  Either if it is about dining, traveling or the way they are shopping, the overall experience is becoming more and more important in order to create a sense of identity in their life.

Harris group found that millennials believe that living a meaningful and happy life isn’t about possessions and rather about creating memories through experiences. Their spending on live experiences and events relative to total U.S. consumer spending increased 70 percent comparing to the previous generation.

Why millennials trump things over experiences-

Creating a meaningful life through experiences

The concept of meaningful life, started markedly with the need of millennials to become more conscious regarding their emotional wellbeing and health. The need of experiences rather than things can be associated to a higher level of awareness brought by both self and social responsibility.

  • Eating habits changed (trying to eat more healthy and giving up meat);
  • Being aware of Carbon footprint- many people adopted eco friendly ways of transportation (bicycles or public transport)
  • Living a healthy life – serves as a “cultural semaphore for discipline and success”- Farrah Starr Evening Standard

Awareness of both positive and negative factors influencing our life is possible through the power of media, that grew exponentially in the past years. Most of the millennials are well informed with strong beliefs and eager to support different causes.

1% of Millennials are influenced by advertising

Only 1 percent of Millennials say they are influenced in any way by advertising (Elite Day). Millennials don’t trust what the brand has to say about itself. They need to believe in it in order to adopt it, and the best way of doing this is through memorable experiences. These experiences will allow them to identify themselves and their values with the brand’s.

The experience offered by an event is unique because it gives not one but 3 stages: the anticipation, the event itself and the memories after. “Not only does that final stage last forever, but you can also share it”(Jack Huang, Bloomberg).

Millennials expect their whole life to be an experience full of excitement. An experience that can generate a familiar bouquet of beliefs that matches their core values. Consequently most of millennials are anxious about challenges that not only correspond to their values but as well will help promote their personal identity through social media. The use of brands has an important role in creating a higher impact and credibility for their social media content.

Experience is the ultimate status symbol

Millennials are more prone to adopt and become loyal to a brand with whom they shared a memorable experience. Succeeding in doing this will end up being beneficial for both parties. The brand will win new adopters and the adopters will start to develop a shared identity with the brand’s core values. This may be considered the key milestone in the process of acquiring new adopters and especially millennials.

Millennials love brands who bring experiences

  • 82% say they noticed a brand sponsoring at an event
  • 1 in 3 have a more positive opinion of that brand after the even  (Pandora Advertising 2016)

Boomers spent 12% less on experiences

Comparing Millennials with the Boomers Generation, their spending on experiences grew with 12% and they are considered “digital natives” with 43.5 percent of them who say they use social media to spread the word about products or services.

67% Millennials prefer investing in experiences

With the desire of creating as many memorable experiences as possible, 67 percentage of Millennials would rather spend their money on ‘experiences’ than ‘things’’; from which 75 percentage of women prefer experiences over things than 58.5 percentage man. (Pandora Advertising, 2016)

Brands or organisations that create experiences for their audience need to truly “get”  Millennials in order to engage with them appropriately and create an opportunity to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and forge long-term relationship with their customers.

What does it mean to truly “get” Millennials?

Being true and following your mission at all times. Having the vision to aspire high and always greed of offering your consumer the best quality, price and services.

And nevertheless immerse your consumers in memorable experiences because today experiences are like a merry-go-round – you can never get off.

Further reading:

https://www.bcg.com/documents/file103894.pdf

https://s1.q4cdn.com/959385532/files/doc_downloads/research/2016-Millennials-and-Money-Research-Report.pdf

https://pandoraadvertising.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/experiences_are_unforgettable2.pdf

April 26, 2017 Events 2 comments

Embrace technology for a great event

You have crafted a plan for the perfect event. A well-known influencer/artist is the keynote speaker/leading star, you have a long long list of sponsors, great venue, excellent catering and a perfect weather forecast (ok, this in fact is a myth, but you get the picture). So, as a friend of mine likes to say, you are “jacked up and good to go”.

But the work is only half done (to say the least) and here are a few things that can go terribly wrong of surprisingly well (luckily today’s event management technology can help you).

Delivering tickets

Tickets. Maybe you have the perfect marketing plan and everyone hears about your event but, if your attendees need to go the extra mile to buy them, then you have a problem. If you use social media for marketing make sure that the ticket is only a few clicks away from your fb/twitter/instagram account (better said a few screen touches away). Every extra step that the customer has to take to buy your ticket decreases the chances that he will actually finish the process. Here’s a hint: use an event registration software that allows you to sell tickets on your personal site/blog.

Check-in and registration

One of the most annoying things in the world is waiting in the line with a paid ticket in your phone (3 years ago i would’ve said pocket). Today you can use a simple application (downloaded on your personal phone) to check-in your guests and have real time access to relevant data about who arrived when. Don’t disrespect your customers by making them wait while you verify printed check-lists.

Do more with a ticket

Help attendees do more with just one ticket. For example,at a concert, the VIP tickets can include a free t-shirt, a backstage pass and 2 bottles of water, all in the same QR code. The same e-ticket (stored on your client’s phone) will be used at the front gate, at the bar, at the souvenir shop and at backstage entrance.

Embrace technology, offer a memorable experience to your clients and the word will spread like wildfire.

April 21, 2017 Events No comments yet

Tips and tricks for organizing a successful concert

If you plan on organizing a big concert, in order for it to be an unforgettable event, you will need, of course, great music. But, besides this, you still need to pay attention to a few very important aspects. Take a look at some of the things you need to manage prior to your big night.

Easy access

If you want people to enjoy your concert, make sure the access to your event is simple and they don’t have to wait more than a few minutes to enter the location. Choose a user-friendly event registration software, such as Oveit, that allows event organizers to manage events, registration data, customer relationship and cash flow. Oveit runs embedded on your website and implementation is as easy as copy and paste.

Pre-concert activations

Before the concert, you need some smart activities available for the guests, so they do not get bored. If you have sponsors, this task is an easy one – they can make some nice activations for the participants. If not, choose simple, yet effective methods. You can make a real life size cut-out with the band, where people can take photos to post on social media, or have a cocktail bar, with drinks inspired from the songs from your new album.

Food and drinks

Make sure people have enough choices of foods and drinks at the location. Remember, they have to be able to eat this quickly and without getting their hands too dirty, so you can have sandwiches, popcorn, sweets and beverages. A good idea is to give them something free, like a bottle of cold water, if your concert is on a summer day, or a hot tea, if it’s winter.

Involve the crowds

During the concert, don’t just stand there and sing. Of course, people are there for your music, but involving them in the concert is always a good idea. For example, give them LED wristbands that contain light – emitting diodes and radio frequency receivers. The lights inside the wristband can be controlled by a software program, which sends signals to the wristband, instructing it to light up or blink, for example. Don’t tell your guests what the wristbands really are – you can just tell them that it’s their ticket to the concert. Then, during the show, at a very special song, you can turn them on, creating a very special and unforgettable atmosphere.

Take a break

If you plan on singing more than one hour and a half, consider taking a break. This is good not only for you, but also for your public, because it allows them to get extra drinks and snacks, smoking a cigarette or using the toilet, without missing your performance. Nevertheless, you can sell CDs and merchandise during breaks.

After party for the people with VIP tickets

Usually, after the show, the band and the staff celebrate the success of the concert, right at the location, most of the times backstage. You can create a special type of tickets, such as VIP or Special Pass, which cost more than the regular ones, but have certain benefits, such as access to the after party organized by the band. You can offer them a glass of champagne and the great opportunity of talking to you, taking pictures of you and spending half an hour with you.

March 16, 2017 Concerts, Festivals No comments yet

Seven creative ideas for the perfect goodie bag

Goodie bags are an effective way to thank people for attending your event. Here are some ideas of gifts you can offer in your goodie bags, so that your attendees won’t throw them right after they exit the location. Remember, a successful goodie bag contains original items, that not only look cool, but are also useful!

1. Gadgets and accessories

One thing you should always put in your goodie bags are USB flash drives, loaded with relevant information about the event and the topics discussed, especially if you invited media representatives to your event. You can also offer headphones or mini mice for laptops, branded with your logo. Anyone needs these items, so your gift will be highly appreciated.

2. Attractive clothing

The cheapest object where you can display your logo is a T-shirt. Make sure you choose one made out of good fabric, preferably cotton, and only print a small logo, so that people can really wear it on the street, without being ashamed. Remember, if you wouldn’t wear it, no one will. You can also brand hoodies, sun glasses, hats, caps, or even raincoats.

3. Eco-friendly objects

No matter the subject of your event, people will also enjoy an eco-friendly gift – you can give them a refillable water bottle, a baby tree key chain (a small plant that grows inside a capsule which you need to water weekly and take care of) or a solar powered portable phone chargers.

4. Sweets

Another great idea for a goodie bag gift are sweets. For example, everyone enjoys a tasty and nicely decorated cupcake, a box of mints in a colored box or some chocolate candies. You can also offer some personalized cookies, with your logo made out of sugar icing, if your budget allows that.

5. Small toys

You may think that offering toys to your adult guests is a very bad idea, but here is why you are wrong. If you organized an important event for your target audience and the market, people from other cities or even countries will attend. Most of them are busy persons that will not have time to do some shopping for their children. So when they return home, they will already have a special gift for their child, right from your goodie bag. Try something unisex, like a small teddy bear, a wooden yo-yo or a deck of cards. Of course, you can brand each of them with your logo.

6. Special discount vouchers

If you have a recurrent event, a good idea to make sure that your attendees will also come to the next event is to give them a voucher with a special discount for buying tickets. Remember, the discount needs to be real and bigger than early bird or last minute discounts. An event registration software could be a great tool to identify those attendees that qualify for a discount.

7. Objects related to your event’s main topic

If you know your audience very well, you can try to offer targeted gifts. For example, if you organize a gourmet cooking event, you can offer your guests a cooking book, pocket edition. At a conference about healthy living, guests can receive vitamin supplements or eco laundry detergent. If you organize a book fair, you can offer your attendees a discount to a special library in the city. Think of what would you like to receive and try to find an interesting and also cheap alternative for you own event.

March 16, 2017 Business events, Events 1 comment

Hello, future marketing and customer engagement intern.

Hello, future marketing and customer engagement intern.

Do you think that real life experiences such as a concert, a movie, a play or having the time of your life at the next festival are worth building? Have you planned a party, a conference or a get together that helped people meet and experience something together? Oveit is a technology company that helps individuals and companies build experiences. Our mission is to build the best experience technology for those that bring humanity together.

Please apply by sending your resume at contact at oveit.com

Oveit has a fast paced growth rate and we seek talented new team members that can help us respond to this growth. We are seeking those with sharp focus, stamina and the belief that the world is indeed small. As a marketing and customer engagement intern you will be onboarding and helping customers from all over the world to use our technology.

The ideal candidate is fluent in at least one international language (preferably English, French or German). He or she is great with people. Not just face to face but also on the phone, via Skype or any other communication channel. Our future intern is great (or willing to become great) at tech marketing and customer support, thoughtful and creative and most important – self driven and a great team player.

What You Will Learn:

  • How to create digital marketing tactics and build on company strategy
  • How to build community relationships by maintaining Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts.
  • How to track marketing performance using digital tools
  • How to create compelling content that will be shared by influencers.
  • How to engage new and exciting customers using our CRM tools
  • Many other things in related opportunities and projects.

What We Require:

  • Background in Marketing, Communication or other related discipline.
  • Strong communication skills.
  • Great foreign language and inter-cultural understanding.
  • Organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments.
  • Creative and Flexible.
  • Familiarity with social networking sites desired, but we will also train.
  • Familiarity with the world of technology (you will not be writing code but a general overview of how an app works would be great).
  • Willingness to evolve and innovate.

We value your commitment and we will help you start and/or upgrade your carrier. Among the things you will be learning is how to respond to customer requests, following up, create great marketing content and distribute this content across social media and more. You will be learning about how to engage and connect with customers from many cultures. We want you to become a building block of an upcoming globally recognized tech company.

Further reading about Oveit:

March 16, 2017 Jobs No comments yet