I can’t believe that as I sit here and write this blog, there’s still so much uncertainty surrounding Covid, which has put paid to events & guerrilla marketing. We’ve been in and out of lockdown so many times that we may as well have been doing the Hokey Cokey, and at this point, who really knows what’s going on? If you’d said to me in April 2019, just days after Boris put us in our first (three-week!) lockdown, that we would still be living with restrictions more than 20 months later I’d have laughed at you… but who’s laughing now? None of us!
Many times throughout the past 18 months or so we have heard the term ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, and at one point last year many of us started to believe we were coming out the other end of this mess. This optimism would have no doubt led to CMOs at some of the world’s biggest brands rubbing their hands together, as they can finally get back to work and launch campaigns and events bigger than ever before, fighting among themselves for share of voice and plaudits from the world’s media.
Now, while the media landscape right now is far from ideal with Covid and other negative news dominating the news agenda, I still expect brands to throw the kitchen sink at 2022. In uncertainty there is often opportunity and the idea of making a huge splash in what is currently a relatively small pond, may prove far too tempting for those companies with huge budgets – and this is why I’m anticipating events and guerrilla marketing to be two leading trends for this year.
Firstly, I absolutely love events. I don’t think anything sells a product or experience quite like an immersive get-together. Unfortunately, due to Cov… (I don’t even want to say it anymore at this point), so many events got cancelled, which, understandably, led to brands leaving them out of marketing plans and rethinking strategies for the near future. However, it’s time to BRING BACK EVENTS (well sort of!).
Even if brands aren’t comfortable with hosting their own events yet, I expect them to capitalise on what is already in the calendar, and there really is so much for them to choose from them. As a sports marketing agency, Nifty will be keeping a close eye as some of the country’s biggest events are looking promising to go ahead to their full potential. One that particularly stands out must be Wimbledon, it’s a staple of the worldwide sporting calendar and was unfortunately played behind closed doors last year. This hugely popular occasion offers so much potential for marketeers and I think we’ll see a few of the world’s most recognisable brands grabbing this opportunity with both hands.
I’ve also heard murmurings of ‘hybrid events’ so don’t be surprised if they take off in the UK 2022 as they’re already proving popular stateside. A recent US study revealed that 73% of marketeers expect hybrid events to be more prevalent than others, with more than a third of event organisers saying they expect to invest heavily in this type of event over the next few years. Watch this space!
Secondly, I expect guerrilla marketing to boom this year. With the public being allowed to get out and about and enjoy what the world has to offer, rather than looking at the same four walls day in, day out, brands will utilise some of the planet’s most iconic landmarks to bring their offering to everyone’s attention. Don’t just take my word for it, it seems like Chanel got the early tip off and didn’t even wait until 2022 to get going. The unbelievable drone show at various luxurious locations, including Miami and Dubai, tells you everything you need to know about how the fashion giant is making its mark on the next 12 months.
As exciting as all that is for a marketeer, it’s worth pointing out that events and guerrilla marketing are, to put it bluntly, expensive. So, after what has been a challenging two years for many, I only expect the crème de la crème to have the purse strings to pull off the truly remarkable campaigns… and I can’t wait to see them!
