WWTBD - What would the brand do? Altus Entertainment

WWTBD - What would the brand do? Companies use events to promote their brands.  That’s not big news.  It happens every day. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Planning an event promoting your company’s brand is a tricky task.  It’s easy to make mistakes.  And the biggest mistake event planners make is making choices that run contrary to what the brand stands for.  You can’t choose an event theme or venue that runs counter to your brand’s image.

What would the brand do? - Altus Entertainment

Let’s say your brand targets families and children.  Holding an alcohol-fueled event with aerialist bartenders is not consistent with your brand’s image or audience.  In this case, you would want to select a family-friendly theme and venue for your event.  You want to make choices that are consistent with what your brand stands for and which are appropriate for the audience you are targeting.

You have to think like your brand and remember WWTBD: What would the brand do?

This brand-centric thinking, putting yourself in your brand’s shoes, extends beyond decisions about theme and venue.  It also applies to the choices you will make about entertainment for your event.

Sometimes, the choices are easy.  There are certain types of entertainment that only work for certain types of brands.  A burlesque show is never the right entertainment choice for a brand targeting families and children but can work for adult-oriented brands.  The same holds true for staging casino nights.  Similarly, a fairytale storyteller or a petting zoo are ideal entertainment options for events and brands focused on young children. For adult-oriented brands, not so much.

If your brand targets adults, your entertainment can do the same.  If your brand targets a younger audience, your entertainment needs are as well.

Some entertainment categories work for all age groups and consumer targets, but there are nuances to consider.  For example, music appeals to everyone and is always a good event entertainment option.  But the same music that appeals to an over-60 audience – and make no mistake, there are lots of brands which target that very demographic – will probably not be the ideal music choice for an event and brand targeting 25–34-year-olds.  Your grandmother doesn’t want to hear a U2 tribute band, and your college-age kids don’t want to hear a swing band or vocal trio in a supper club setting.

That doesn’t mean music won’t work for your event.  It just means that you have to find the music options which appeal to your brand’s target audience and the expected audience for your event.

There are a number of entertainment categories that appeal to audiences of all ages.  Magic is one.  Comedy is another.  Acrobatics is a third option.  There are more.  The trick to using an entertainer in one of these cross-generational categories is making sure that your entertainer is clear on the profile of your event’s audience and – equally important – can adapt their material (their magic tricks, their jokes, the way they tell a story) to be audience-appropriate.

There are lots of entertainers who can adapt their material and their performances to fit your needs and be appropriate for your expected audience.  Some entertainers can even incorporate your brands or products into their performances, whether they are magicians, ice sculptors, demonstration chefs, face painters, or comedians.

WWTBD? Altus Entertainment

Your entertainment options will be many.  Some will support what your brand stands for.  Some will create confusion and weaken your brand identity.  Remember, the key to choosing event entertainment that is on-brand is simple: WWTBD.