“It’s essential to activate marketing campaigns via appropriate channels rather than forcing content in spaces that are new to your intended audience. For some people, these channels might not be digital, in which case marketers need to think very creatively about how they can get in front of their target audience,” says Toby Lewis, CEO of Live Group, in an exclusive interview with TalkCMO.
TCMO Bureau: Companies that profited in offline business events are struggling to make ends meet through online forums at the moment. What strategies would you recommend for them?
Toby Lewis: Companies should take this opportunity of a shift from direct to virtual events to rethink their perception of engagement. The technology that is currently available can offer audience data and insights that were previously much harder to gather, meaning that virtual event platforms and communications channels can allow businesses to observe, track and measure attendee behavior and engagement in a way that other marketing channels such as social media have been able to for a long time.
Companies should also use this information to tailor content and extend their event lifecycle. Virtual events offer valuable opportunities for pre-and post-event engagement that is critical to developing meaningful connections between the organizer and participant. This thinking needs to be built into event strategy and planning.
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Audience insights can also be leveraged to ensure that they offer relevant content and engagement options. Now that participation is filtered through a screen, understanding human behaviors is more important than ever. Companies need to appreciate that the world has gone through unprecedented change and audience priorities have shifted as a result; events should be planned to reflect this by listening to what attendees want and need.
Additionally, businesses need to reflect on how the very nature of engagement is being shaped by technology, rather than reverting to what they knew before.
TCMO Bureau: What kind of event technology can help accelerate online events? Do you anticipate any specific technology in the near future?
Toby Lewis: There is currently an abundance of technology available in the events industry, with more being continuously created. However, much of what is being produced is restrictive. While it can be cheap, it doesn’t always provide optimum experiences. This is reducing the value of great technology and limiting exceptional engagement that puts a burden on clients who are either compromising the quality of their work unknowingly or having to spend more time and energy to fully understand their options.
In the future, AI-driven technology like behavioral tracking will use data to analyze attendee preferences, enabling event organizers to enhance and personalize individual experiences even further. If someone is unable to participate in a ‘face-to-face’ event, VR will be able to provide a comparatively high-quality experience to virtual attendees.
It will be important to incorporate the engagement strategies of live experiences into this online world, which is why understanding behavioral changes are crucial. Ethical facial analysis can be used to track individual responses and content by monitoring facial expressions. It is likely that such technology will soon be used for events such as internal meetings.
TCMO Bureau: Virtual events and digital business is on the rise, but in your opinion, what are the possible pitfalls?
Toby Lewis: A challenge of virtual events is creating the ‘water-cooler moments’ that often come naturally from in-person engagement. The ability to be spontaneous and reactive is less possible in a virtual world, so strategies need to be developed to maximize opportunities for delegates to interact. Creating space and content for pre-and post-event engagement will be central to this objective.
The key is to create content and agenda that encourages conversation and reacts to the audience insights that are provided by virtual platforms. Importantly, these strategies must be extended beyond the single moment of the event itself by providing a meaningful arc of engagement that stretches for weeks – if not months – either side.
TCMO Bureau: Digital marketing is the key to business awareness but do you see any drawbacks?
Toby Lewis: COVID-19 restrictions have meant that digital marketing is one of the most effective ways of reaching an audience. As a result, the digital space is currently saturated with content, with countless brands trying for attention in a limited virtual arena. Businesses are not just competing on a professional front; consumers are increasingly using digital mediums on a personal level for relaxation and recreation time. This overwhelming exposure is leading to widespread digital fatigue, and it’s harder than ever to stand out and win valuable engagement.
Also Read: Marketers Gained Increased Audience Reach Via Virtual Events This Year
A further challenge is retaining relevance. To create engagement, businesses need to exist within their audience’s sphere of activity and consistently add value to the content with which they interact. It’s essential to activate marketing campaigns via appropriate channels rather than forcing content in spaces that are new to your intended audience. For some people, these channels might not be digital, in which case marketers need to think very creatively about how they can get in front of their target audience.
The good news is that these situations are fostering innovation. Marketing teams are consistently being challenged to create content that is truly engaging and, crucially, responds to audience needs. Businesses need to be continually looking ahead and generating new ideas rather than reverting to what they knew pre-COVID, whether in digital marketing or virtual event organization.
Toby Lewis is the CEO and Managing Director of LiveGroup. Having transformed Live Group from one of the UK’s leading event agencies into an integrated communications powerhouse, he is on a relentless mission to deliver messages that engage audiences and inspire action. He studied Business and Law from Plymouth University.
