Brand Partnerships: Wrap up of the 2022 festival season

Why brands more than ever should consider working with festivals, to tap into youth culture, promote themselves and create long-lasting relationships.

State of play

With the first full festival season post pandemic coming to a close, people were back dancing their way through summer without restrictions or even thoughts of illness. Golden opportunities arose again for brands looking to connect with an audience in a personal way.

2022 has seen some game-changing partnerships between festivals and brands. With many brands focusing on taking the festival experience to another level, it’s not only about providing the funds festival organisers need but also enhancing the experience for the attendees. The never-ending growth of social media has enabled brands to reach an entirely new audience, consumers are no longer just there to see their favourite artists but are now sharing everything from pictures to news about the festivals.

Festival revenue opportunities for both parties.

Festivals have multiple revenue streams - from tickets and merchandise to trade partners and sponsorship. Sponsorship enables brands to develop long-lasting relationships that can add value to an event and give something to the consumer to take away. Festival goers are more inclined to try new things and sample new products as they are away from their everyday routine. Also the amount of time spent waiting for things to begin means customers are extremely likely to engage with brands and their activations within festival environments.

Unsurprisingly, tickets are the main source of income but not far behind that is the food and drink market. Brands looking to find potential new customers should look no further than festivals, they’re the gift that keeps on giving. It’s a win-win when it comes to exposure and revenue, whether it be new or existing customers.

Why should brands use festivals to target youth audiences

It is imperative brands target the youth of today to create brand affinity. Creating those long-lasting relationships can go a long way toward passing the brand values through generations for the future. Let’s be honest, consumers are not as loyal as they used to be!

The brands that are successful with their activations are the ones that can adapt to the mobile phone-crazed millennials. Bringing their brand to life through the power of social media and activations that link back to their phones, a classic example is Samsung who always seem to be a step ahead with their activations.

It’s all about getting creative to increase your revenue through sponsorship. The Royal national Institute of Blind People (RNIB) created a very clever karaoke musical eye test. Simple yet highly effective. The idea behind it was to encourage the festival goers to get their eyes checked and keep an eye out for preventable eye conditions (excuse the pun).

Or take a leaf out of Coachella’s book, arguably the best at creating memorable and effective brand activations. Smirnoff brought their new neon ice products to life at the ‘Neon Carnival’ it was as simple as bright neon colours and themes that brought attraction and revenue to both the brand and festival.

Not targeting the youth market? Don’t panic! Not all festivals are aimed at Gen Z! There is a huge opportunity for brands in niche festivals, every festival is different and has different audiences. It comes down to what your campaign goals are and who you’re trying to target of course. There are hundreds of festivals all around the country each one with their own varied demographics, it’s about asking yourself which audience can benefit most from our products and/or services.

Market context and who to choose?!

Let’s not just focus on the mass market here. Don’t get me wrong festivals in the UK are more saturated than ever, never mind festival sponsorship. However, with more and more festivals being introduced each year alongside the rapid growth of smaller festivals, brands are finding their niche, where their sponsorship can generate them (and you of course) revenue, awareness, and engagement.

To emphasise this, once brands find the festival that suits them and what they believe they can achieve, it allows for more personalised experiences and activations. It also gives the attendees / potential future customers the chance to immerse themselves into the experience of a product launch whilst being in a place they feel happy and comfortable.

Which festival genre should you keep an eye on? There has been an exponential growth in Jazz festivals recently, including the now hugely popular We Out Here, festival which has grown huge amounts since its name change in 2018. And the Love Supreme Jazz festival, which this year had Tom Misch performing! With the UK grime scene bigger than ever and seeming to start taking over the hip-hip world and that resurgence of 90’s garage and techno, now is a great time to make your brand visible in the world of music. If you’re a brand owner it’s all about trying to be more creative in your approach - bringing together music, products and festival goers.

Keeping sustainable?

There is no end to how creative you can be. Of course, there are other things to consider when partnering with festivals. Sustainability being an obvious one. Just look at Hunter’s work teaming up with Glastonbury, We all know festivals can leave a heavy carbon footprint, so why not be a part of something and change that? Brands want to help festivals become more sustainable. And they’re perfectly placed to drive change.

Brand or Festival owner looking for advice?

If you’re a brand looking to create that perfect partnership or a one-of-a-kind activation, get in touch with us. We can help you find the right festival for your needs, or alternatively if you’re a festival that’s struggling to find the time to secure the right partnerships for you and your consumers both new and old, then reach out, we have extensive experience in partnering major festivals with the right brands at the right time. We’ll help you drive sales for your proposition. And ensure everyone has a great experience as a result.

Contact us chris.wilson@ingenuity.london.com sam.lavender@ingenuitylondon.com ?