We humans are social creatures. Just look at the rise of social media. We share, we keep in touch and yes we even eavesdrop through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and a host of other hot social media sites. I’ve embraced social media and believe it is a great way to stay connected and build business, but in addition to, not in place of, face-to-face meetings. In fact, if anything, social media has taught us all just how hungry employees, franchisees, users, and any other constituents you serve are for meaningful connection. That’s great news for your brand if you know how to do more than just share information through face-to-face meetings.
It’s the funniest thing, companies (and even associations) think that corporate events are only about communicating information. They might also believe that events are about networking or about selling stuff. Wow, if this is their perspective, they are missing 90% of the real value of a company event. The real value of an event is to give every attendee a massive shot of full-throttle brand adrenaline.
Our reputation for injecting brand adrenaline right into the heart through corporate events is hard-earned. We’ve made mistakes and learned from them. We’ve shunned the typical and taken risks to achieve the extraordinary — without breaking the bank. We’ve earned our clients’ trust in our vision and in our ability to produce exceptional results. The payoff is big in terms of every metric you can think of.
Heart & Mind® Branding is the key to creating true, lasting brand adrenaline, and here’s how you can make it happen through your corporate events:
10 Keys to Injecting Heart & Mind Branding Adrenaline into Your Corporate Events
- Go for the emotional connection first - When you connect with people’s hearts, they will let you into their minds.
- Make your theme heart-based, not mind-based – If you don’t feel it, no one else will either. Thinking has nothing to do with theming.
- Throw out any themes that don’t have legs - If you or your CEO can’t get up and talk about the theme for hours, then it’s not a good theme.
- Produce videos that aren’t “talking head” parades – Those are so 1990s. Today’s videos are not about telling; they are about entertaining and through entertainment, inspiring.
- Be demanding – Don’t settle for ordinary or just okay in anything you do at an event. Your show is a showcase of the behavior you want to inspire in others. If you want excellence in others, you must demonstrate it yourself.
- Make an impact – Your corporate event should literally make people laugh and cry, as well as learn. You can achieve these results through what we at HEASLEY&PARTNERS call Moments.
- Spend less money on plants and more on production – Seems obvious, but instead of spending money on flowers and ficus trees, focus your spending on your stage and show. Do what wows!
- Plan a unified program – Make sure your speakers’ presentations aren’t repetitive. They should build on each other. Unity of message at a corporate event is critical.
- Build an ideal world – Your corporate event should be your attendees’ world. Make it high-service and unforgettable. If attendees leave the world you’ve created, you’ve missed an opportunity.
- Don’t cheap out - You’re spending a lot of money, for sure, but if you cheap out — even on seemingly insignificant details — that’s what attendees will notice and that’s what they’ll remember.
Corporate events are a significant investment, so instead of plowing your resources into the same old exercise, instead of merely conveying information, you should look at your corporate events as an outstanding opportunity to inject Heart & Mind Branding adrenaline.
What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.