What is an Event Roadshow?
Let’s first define an event roadshow before moving on to examples of roadshows. An event roadshow is a mobile marketing campaign that takes place on the road. It reaches the intended audience directly with the experience. It is intended to spread a message, service, or product that establishes direct communication with stakeholders or customers.
Roadshows can be scaled to any business, from big international companies to tiny local firms. Additionally, road shows break down geographical boundaries by increasing the number of locals who may attend the event. These events are frequently used for employee engagement, to educate the client, brand awareness campaigns and product launches.
Why Event Roadshows Are Different
Here are some of the reasons why roadshows are different:
1. Builds Connection with the Audience:
Event roadshows take the event to people’s cities in order to create a connection with the audience. By doing this, brands and their consumers may communicate more effectively. By adjusting to consumers wants and needs, this strategy enables the brand to engage with various communities.
2. Personalized and Interactive Experiences:
The in-person interaction that roadshows offer is unmatchable by TV ads and billboards. In roadshows people can test the product, take part in enjoyable activities and speak with company representatives one-on-one. Additionally, it helps the product stick in people’s minds and it also makes the brand more relatable to their audiences.
3. Fear of Missing Out:
Since roadshows are location-specific and time-limited, audiences feel a sense of urgency as they are aware that the experience might not be available for long, this motivates them to attend the event. This exclusivity creates excitement and motivates customers to participate in the event.
4. Real-Time Customer Feedback:
The ability to get quick feedback is one of the biggest benefits of event roadshows. Companies have the ability to watch firsthand how consumers use their goods and services, as well as gather feedback via surveys, casual discussions, or real-time polls. This information aids the brand in understanding consumer preferences and improving their marketing tactics.
5. Boosted Social Media Buzz:
Roadshows thrill people and inspire them to post about their experiences online. Whether it’s an engaging product demonstration or an interactive booth, guests are likely to share their experiences on social media. Companies can encourage more people to do this by holding a photo contest or providing incentives for utilizing their own hashtags. This contributes to the event’s increased online visibility.
6. Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy:
Roadshows are less expensive than holding large events for businesses trying to reach a wide range of geographic areas. Depending on your budget, you can change the event’s offerings, size, or scope and still have a significant impact.
Importance of Event Roadshows
Here’s why roadshows matter:
1. Mixing Old-School and New-Age Marketing:
Roadshows bring together ideas, where people are involved in person while using technology to make things more fun. This mix of in-person and technology helps the brands reach all segments of people, no matter what they like.
2. Making Marketing Fit Local Needs:
Roadshows often reflect local trends, preferences and cultures, which makes the host brands seem more relatable, down-to-earth and easy to connect with.
3. Getting People Excited and Talking:
Because roadshows are constantly on-the-move and don’t stay in one place for long, they encourage people to attend the event more actively. When a roadshow is planned well, it gets people talking on social media, which helps spread the word about the brand even more.
10 Visionary Event Roadshow Examples
Listed here below are 10 examples of event roadshows that showcase innovative roadshow design and effective corporate roadshow strategies.
1. Coca-Cola’s FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour:
Coca-Cola combined sports and branding in its FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. The event took the iconic World Cup trophy to various countries, creating a buzz among fans. Fans could take photos with the actual trophy and the roadshow also featured live entertainment, interactive games and branded merchandise for the fans.
Coca-Cola used a globally recognized event, i.e. the FIFA World Cup, to amplify its reach and engage audiences emotionally.
2. Nike’s “Choose Go” Campaign Roadshow:
To promote its running shoes Nike hosted a Choose Go Roadshow for blending fitness and community engagement.
Nike organized pop-up running events in urban locations where participants could try Nike running shoes during the events. Celebrity runners also made a surprise appearance.
Nike aligned its roadshow with its core philosophy of encouraging movement and fitness, while giving customers a chance to try the product.
3. Red Bull’s “Can You Make It?” Challenge:
Red Bull’s ‘Can You Make It?’ roadshow turned into a global phenomenon where university students traveled across Europe using only Red Bull cans as currency.
Red Bull combined adventure, creativity and the power of social media to align with its brand’s ethos of pushing boundaries and living boldly.
4. Guinness Open Gate Brewery Tour:
Guinness created a traveling brewery experience where fans could taste exclusive beers, learn about brewing techniques and engage with Guinness brewmasters.
By creating a sensory beer-tasting roadshow, Guinness deepened customer appreciation for its craftsmanship and heritage.
5. Adobe Creative Jam Roadshow:
Adobe’s Creative Jam events travel to various cities, inviting creative professionals to compete in timed design challenges using Adobe software. The roadshows include workshops and networking opportunities.
Adobe’s roadshow engaged the creative community by allowing people to showcase their skills while promoting Adobe’s tools as essential for their work.
6. Starbucks Reserve Roastery Roadshow:
Starbucks toured its Reserve Roastery experience by offering tastings of rare coffee blends, brewing workshops and coffee storytelling.
Starbucks brought its high-end coffee culture to new audiences, highlighting its dedication to quality and innovation in the coffee industry.
7. Vans Warped Tour Pop-Up Events:
Vans combined its music festival Warped Tour with pop-up skateboarding events across the country. These events featured local bands, skateboarding demos and exclusive merchandise.
Vans blended its core audience’s passions such as music and skateboarding into a traveling cultural celebration of its brand.
8. Microsoft Ignite Roadshow:
Microsoft’s Ignite Roadshow aimed to provide IT professionals and developers with hands-on training and insights into the latest tech innovations. Attendees could participate in workshops, network and hear from industry experts.
Microsoft educated its audience while showcasing the practical applications of its products, positioning itself as a leader in the tech space.
9. LEGO’s “Rebuild the World” Campaign:
LEGO launched an interactive roadshow to inspire creativity in children and families. The campaign included hands-on building workshops and large-scale LEGO art installations.
LEGO brought its brand message to life through hands-on activities by reinforcing its image as a champion of creativity and innovation.
10. Under Armour’s Test of Will Roadshow
Under Armour organized fitness challenges across major cities by inviting participants to test their endurance and compete for prizes.
By aligning the roadshow with fitness challenges, Under Armour demonstrated its product’s performance benefits in a practical and engaging way.
By studying these examples, you can draw inspiration to design roadshows that amplify your brand’s message, while offering value to your audience.
11) Wimbledon W12 Experience
Wimbledon ran a unique advertising experience from July 3 to July 16, 2023, so that fans who could not attend the tournament in person could enjoy the championship matches and feel like they were in a real tennis arena.
At Westfield Square in Westfield London, they installed an Ocean Outdoor giant screen that showed all the action from Wimbledon from 11 am every day. They modified the garden space into a pleasant and picturesque setting, featuring lawns, flower beds, table tennis, a giant Vodafone racket seat, and living walls.
They also included ana photo booth where members of the public can create an animated GIF to show their support for their favorite player on Ocean’s two large advertising screens in the square. Fans sat in the sun and enjoyed the top tennis matches shown in high definition resolution, all for free.
12) Shell’s Product Training Roadshow
Shell is a British multinational oil and gas company that conducted an experiential campaign across the UK to promote its new V-Power premium fuels. They developed engaging event spaces at each forecourt across the country to interact with their customers and promote Shell V-Power.
The company created a campaign that engaged consumers both face-to-face and digitally. In this, they worked with thousands of Shell service staff nationwide, equipping them with the tools to effectively communicate the benefits of Shell V-Power. Customers responded highly to this campaign, which resulted in a significant sales jump and strengthened the brand’s reputation for quality and efficiency.
13) BMW Roadshow by The Clear Idea
BMW’s official agency in Greece, Amuse, created an unforgettable launch experience for the new BMW X2 in 2023 to introduce this remarkable vehicle to potential customers and BMW car dealers. They designed and built a special roadshow truck to transport and display the car.
A 6m x 2.5m transparent display was placed on the truck chassis so that people could clearly see the car from the outside. To make the car glow in the dark and stand out, the LED panels were mounted on the interior. The truck now appeared to be more of a moving show than a vehicle and and the BMW X2 was ready to leave an indelible impression.
This road trip involved land and sea travel, which made it not so easy. The truck was traveling through Europe, passing through Italy and then arriving in Greece. Amuse revolutionized the way cars are introduced to the world with this campaign that was truly amazing.
14) Speedo’s Mobile Pop-Up Shop
Speedo is the world’s leading swimwear brand that turned a truck into a portable pop-up shop to showcase its swimwear and accessories in an engaging environment. The truck’s interior was customized to create a dynamic and attractive pop-up shop space for displaying Speedo’s products to customers. Shelving and clothes rails were installed, as well as eye-catching graphics to brighten up the pop store space. This innovative campaign helped Speedo to showcase its products to a new audience across the UK.
15) Dell Tech Rally Mobile Truck
Dell aimed to offer the entire line of new Dell products and accessories directly to its customers and partners throughout Europe. Then, Dell organized a roadshow to introduce its latest range of consumer products to the European market. Tech Rally Mobile featured over 100 products on display, including professional, consumer, small business, and gaming monitors and client peripherals.
The roadshow truck was powered by solar energy and an onboard generator, making it both environmentally friendly and efficient. Dell ran this campaign for 12 months, in which they visited 18 countries, traveled 53,000 km, and held 92 appointments.
Key Takeaways from Visionary Roadshows
Here are some key insights:
1. Audience-Centric Design:
The experience of attendees is given top priority in successful roadshows because they are made to engage, inform or amuse the audience in a way that makes an impression on the audience.
2. Innovative Themes and Concepts:
Creative roadshows are distinguished by their innovative themes and concepts. The more original and relatable the idea, the more probable it is to capture the audience’s interest and encourage participation of the audience.
3. Multi-Sensory Engagement:
The most effective roadshows use touch, sound, smell, and in certain cases even taste to engage viewers on several levels.
4. Strong Branding Throughout:
Maintaining a consistent branding strategy guarantees that participants will associate the roadshow experience with the host company. The setup, the activities, and even the freebies should all be in line with the brand’s identity and core values.
5. Leveraging Technology for Interactivity:
One effective way to increase participation in roadshows is using technology. The experience of attendees can be improved by utilizing elements like gamification, augmented reality (AR) and customized QR codes.
6. Community Engagement:
Roadshows that incorporate local culture and engage with their communities can create a stronger bond with their audience.
Conclusion
Event roadshows have grown in popularity as a strategy for companies looking to establish a close relationship with their target market. These event series create exceptional results for the host brand by combining innovation, interactivity, and mobility.
These examples demonstrate how fusing the narrative of your brand with creative execution can leave a lasting impact on your audience. A well-planned event strategy and efficient roadshow management are essential for success in the experiential marketing industry.
FAQ
Roadshows boost branding by strengthening brand image and key messages through hands-on experiences, one-on-one talks, and eye-catching displays. They offer unique opportunities for product demonstrations and experiential marketing.
Eco-friendly roadshows use green materials, generate minimal waste, and highlight earth-friendly practices in their events. This approach can be part of a broader event strategy focusing on sustainability.
QR codes and augmented reality have an enormous impact on roadshows. They make things more interactive and help gather event data, making them key parts of these events, especially in tech roadshows.
Roadshows face several hurdles, including logistical planning, keeping costs in check, and making sure people stay interested at every stop. Effective roadshow management is crucial to overcome these challenges.
To set up a roadshow, start by figuring out your event goals. Then, identify cities you’ll visit, prioritize appropriate venue selection. Consider factors like speaker lineup, attendee promotion, and social media promotion in your roadshow series planning.
The duration of a roadshow can be a very intensive tour lasting weeks to months or a year-long campaign that could involve visits to multiple cities.
- You can run paid campaigns on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, to create a buzz around the roadshow.
- You can partner with influencers and reach their followers
- You can post a countdown post with the hashtag on your social channels 1-2 weeks in advance.
- You can collaborate with local businesses like cafes, hotels, or malls, and ask them to display posters or banners about your event.
- You can run ads on TV or OTT channels.
- You can reach out to media outlets like newspapers or magazines to spread the word about your roadshow.
