Event Branding
Every event needs an identity. Looking specifically at event branding, it is leveraging your organization’s brand to create a unique brand experience in live events. While your event brand should reflect your organization’s brand, it should also have a brand of its own.
Event branding includes the event logo, colors, and imagery. It has also grown to include more significant messaging elements that speak to the objective of an event and what attendees should expect to gain from the event.
To achieve an event brand, these elements should come together in a cohesive experience across all of the event’s touchpoints, including the onsite look and feel and event marketing elements and the event’s digital presence.
Why does event branding matter?
Your branding tells a story and says a lot about your business. In the past, branding was seen as a novelty; recent studies show just how vital cohesive branding is for an organization. Today’s most prominent group in the workforce, millennials, places value on branding. 60% of millennials surveyed in a study by SDL expect a consistent experience from brands whether online, in-store or across other platforms.
A cohesive brand experience pays off. Consistent branding across all channels increases revenue by 23%, according to Forbes. Delivering a coherent brand experience is rewarding for your audience and your business.
In addition to revenue, branding can impact a business in multiple ways. According to Branding Mag, branding is essential and robust branding helps an organization:
- Get recognition
- Increase business value
- Generate new customers
- Improve employee pride and satisfaction
- Creates trust within the marketplace
- And strong branding supports marketing and advertising
Foundational elements
Logo. While it can incorporate or pull elements from your organization’s logo, it should be unique.
Colors, fonts, and graphics. It’s crucial to establish these brand elements and stick to them across mediums to create consistency and recognition.
Event theme or tagline. What is your one-line elevator pitch? Now cut that in half, refine it a bit, and you’re creating your event tagline.
Naming conventions. Is your event a conference? A seminar? A symposium? Establish your event and use the naming consistently.
Event Brand Case Example
Hospice of the Chesapeake has a venerable history beginning in 1979 of caring for life. The multifaceted organization supports traditional hospice aims as well as pediatric, supportive and emotional care of those impacted by illness and loss. Gilligan Creative engaged in developing an identity for their annual black-tie gala, which in 2019 was their 40th.
We began with a logo and then built out that logic to invitations, sponsorship packages, menus, signage, ads and the event itself. Decor, menu and cocktail decisions, and the color palette all contributed to a successful event earning upwards of $500,000 for the organization to allow the client to continue their mission of Caring for Life.
The theme was the Roaring Twenties. Taking Art Deco cues in the font selection and theme elements, we continued the theme in the specialty menu and cocktail bar. We selected the ruby red color as the primary tone because forty years is represented by Ruby.
Further collateral and images from the event are shown below.
