When I first discovered or used brand activation as a marketing tool, I was amazed at its simplicity and ability to deliver instant results. Yes, I said it, instant results. Most marketers are interested in the brand equity side of brand building because it is easy to execute and not easy to measure in the short term i.e. it takes commissioned market research to measure attitude changes brought about by the consumption of media products such as print, electronic and outdoor advertising, while the value, i.e. the sales volume side of the brand, can be instantly measured by performing a volume check for which you can set specific volume goals.

Brand activation in its simplest form is a road show where you bring a brand to people so they can experience it. Your favorite band is a brand and when you attend their live show and experience their brand of music firsthand, that’s activation. It is known as experiential marketing and is a popular method of creating brand experiences for the customer or consumer. It works brilliantly for fast moving consumer goods in my experience.

There are products that are not always in demand and sometimes there is a drop in demand. Brand activation is a tactic you can use to gain sales for a limited period of time. The goal may be to inform and educate members of the public about key attributes of the product and to demonstrate its use. The benefit of this is that the response is immediate since it is interactive. It can be a launch or post-launch event.

I’m intrigued by the concept because a bar of soap is a bar of soap and brands don’t exist except in the minds of consumers where perception is reality. When you activate a brand, whether it’s at home, in the store or even outdoors, you’re reinforcing brand attributes and etching even deeper into the consumer’s psyche as they touch, feel, taste and use your product.

This activity not only creates excitement and leaves the company wondering why so much money was invested and what the return was. Participation in the fun activities around the brand where many prizes can be awarded is based on the actual purchase of that brand, so it is easy for the sales manager to measure the effectiveness through incremental sales. When he creates opportunities for the brand to come to life in relevant channels, he connects well with consumers and thereby builds brand awareness.