People say getting people to 'know, like, and trust your brand' is the essence of marketing.
The first two are relatively straightforward - trust is more complicated.
Trust is multifaceted and varies widely from person to person.
Here are a few insights, strategies, and ideas to have trust as one of your activation outcome.
Authenticity - To build trust, ensure everything from your concept to ambassadors to where you activate aligns with your brand identity touted on your website and elsewhere.
Show Value - You are probably already doing this, although highlighting how your brand benefits people's individual lives creates trust. Although you want to avoid being showy, best to center value conversations around questions and stories.
Participation - Getting people engaged with demonstrations and brand activities drives trust, as first-hand experiences are more powerful than any other marketing tactic.
Professionalism - A well-designed and seamless experience is essential for establishing trust. Ensure event assets - from table covers to outfits to decor - are top-notch, as people notice when the most minor things are not up to par.
Social Proof - Highlight customer stories and testimonials whenever possible. Sometimes customers can be onsite, although you often direct people via a QR code to your social or website to see what people say about your company.
Consistency - Create a multifaced, ongoing, experiential marketing program to show up in people's lives in various ways. This doesn't mean you must host an activation every week, although popping more than once a month gets people to trust your brand.
Follow-Up - Your experiential may be over, but your relationship is just beginning. Be sure to reconnect with event activation guests via email and text with a 'good to meet you' note and special offers (and, to see how best to collect people's information, check out the Beyond The Event blog post).
The takeaway is that emotions fade, but trust is everlasting.
Bonus Tip: Showing your creative marketing process builds trust. Seeing behind the scenes helps people feel connected and trusting. Sharing is a proven tactic for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and works just as well with creative marketing activations.
