Brands investing in IRL events to drive sales

Posted by Justin Goldsborough | 3 comments

A lot of the posts I write here are me waxing philosophical or taking a second to get up on the proverbial soapbox. But this one is different. It’s a simple logic equation based in research that leads to a simple result — brands should be investing in In Real Life (IRL) events to drive sales…and many are.

Here’s the equation:

1. Customers trust each other more than targeted marketing messages; besides there friends and family, customers trust influential customers (influencers) the most.

2. Face-to-face (F2F) relationships are more credible than online relationships.

3. So if brands form F2F relationships with customers, especially key influencers, there is a better chance that the most trusted customers will be advocating on their behalf.

4. Influencers and friends impact purchase decisions when they are advocating on a brand’s behalf because customers trust them most.

5.When brands can bring influential customers together F2F at IRL events, it drives sales.

The coolest part…We can now draw a straight line between who customers trust, the best way to form strong relationships with those influencers who are trusted (F2F) and sales.

Here’s the research that supports it:

1. Customers trust other customers and influencers most. (Source: Nielsen)

2. Face-to-face relationships are more credible.

- From USA Today: “75% of conversations in the U.S. still happen face to face; less than 10% take place through the Internet.”

4. Influencers and friends impact purchase decisions. (Source: Mashable)

5. Bringing influential customers together with brands F2F drives sales. (Source: EventTrack: Event Marketing Industry Annual Forecast & Best Practices Study)

So, does the equation make sense to you? Is your company/clients investing in more offline events?