A complete guide to effective event branding

Successful event branding often hinges on the smallest of details. Every decision, from the wording of your email marketing to the navigability of your event registration process, influences how attendees perceive the event. In other words, the devil–and the potential–is in the details. 

To help you dot your i’s and cross your t’s, below we’re going to cover the ins and outs of event branding, providing you with helpful advice along the way. 

What is event branding?

When people think of event branding, logos, and colors typically come to mind. Though the importance of those two factors isn’t to be underestimated, there’s a bigger picture to be considered. 

Event branding can be conceptualized as the vehicle by which an event, or company, expresses its identity. Event branding serves as an extension of a company’s wider marketing strategy, aligning with high-level company objectives, such as reputational enhancement, brand recognition, and the pursuit of customer delight.

For example, if a company has an emphasis on personability across all marketing copy, this would manifest within the event’s branding by ensuring all event copy, from social media captions to signage wording, is personable.

The value of strong event branding 

Event branding takes effort, but it’s not for nothing—it’s a means to an end. Three (interconnected) ends, to be specific:

• Reputation enhancement
• Streamlined, functional, and intuitive user journeys to ensure a seamless user experience
• And, of course, customer delight

After your event is all said and done, successful event branding can be quantified by the way attendees speak of their experience. 

Customer delight, in marketing terms, is all about surpassing user expectations. This is because exceeded expectations turn into customer delight, and customer delight into advocacy. Word-of-mouth marketing reaps a host of benefits for a business, including increased market authority and higher profits.

Event branding must-haves

Whether you’re planning a hybrid, in-person, or virtual event, keep in mind the following event branding must-haves.

Starting with the end in mind 

By getting clear on the purpose of your event, you gain a better understanding of the steps you should take. An all-too-common error among event marketers is the tendency to construct event components on an ad hoc basis, particularly with regard to marketing and registry acquisition.

Consider who the event will serve (their demographics, needs, and pain points) and the purpose that the event is aiming to fulfill, both on the organizational front and for event attendees. By this consideration, you create a lens through which the event’s planning is seen.

Developing a plan for repurposing content   

Event branding shouldn’t stop when your event is over. Quite conversely, repurposing your event content can be a powerful branding strategy to expand your reach, enhance your authority, and attract more attendees to your future events. Planning the logistics of recording your event in advance, whether it’s the entire event or specific highlights like keynote speakers, is an important preemptive step. 

A common practice among marketers is to repurpose content from a past event to promote the next. By doing so, they can enhance social credibility and establish a stronger market authority. This approach enables marketers to build on the success stories of previous events, leverage the audience’s trust and interest, and reinforce the brand’s positioning and messaging. Ultimately, this results in increased engagement, conversions, and loyalty.

In addition to promoting future events, digital marketers often repurpose content from past events across multiple digital marketing channels, such as organic social media posts, email marketing campaigns, and the event website. This allows digital marketers to extend the reach and longevity of their event-related content, maximizing its value.

Considering aesthetics

For many, exploring the world of aesthetics is the fun part (particularly for you creatives out there). 

Firstly, let’s consider your event’s logo. Conventionally, event logos closely resemble the parent company’s logo, often featuring slight modifications. However, in cases where the event operates autonomously without any direct affiliation to a particular organization, there is more space for creative expression. 

Next, consider typography and fonts, as well as the use of brand colors and imagery. Design plays a crucial role in multiple aspects of your event, including the layout and visuals of your event landing page, the look and feel of your social media content, the color palette for your mobile event app, the selection of colors for your photo booth at in-person events, and other related factors. As a general rule of thumb, ensure that the event’s design elements reflect the same brand personality as the company itself. 

In-person events often involve creating merchandise, such as t-shirts, pens, and other swag giveaways. These items serve as a tangible representation of the event brand and should be aesthetically intentional to reinforce the event’s messaging.

Event branding tips for virtual events

Both virtual and hybrid events are increasing in popularity at rapid speeds. Yet, as with any event, gaining registrations is half the battle. Modern event marketers turn to various digital marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and promote their events. Let’s explore digital marketing techniques that you can employ and ways to enhance your overall virtual event experience.

Set up an event landing page

An event’s landing page has a dual purpose: to provide comprehensive event information and a streamlined registration experience. The presentation of the information is just as crucial as the content itself. Ensure the landing page layout is user-friendly and intuitive, allowing visitors to access important details with ease. The informational content should follow a logical order, leading to the call-to-action (i.e., registration). 

The more clicks a user has to take to register, the less likely they are to complete the process. Therefore, it’s essential to keep the registration process as straightforward and seamless as possible. By minimizing barriers to registration, event organizers increase the chances of converting visitors into attendees.

Promote on social media 

The choice of which social media platform to promote your event on should align with where your intended audience most commonly consumes content. For instance, if your target audience is in the B2B space, LinkedIn may be the preferred medium. Or, if your audience is less defined, you could rely on Meta’s well-developed advertising algorithm to reach potential attendees. 

Regardless of the platform(s) you choose, tailor your content to suit both the audience and the platform’s unique characteristics. Not all types of content that work well on one platform perform equally well on another. Create content that is optimized for each specific platform and aligned with the audience’s preferences and expectations.

Other common forms of digital marketing for promotional purposes include Google Ads, Pinterest Ads, and influencer marketing, among others. Ultimately, where you choose to advertise largely depends on your target audience, budget, and timeframe. 

Align your in-event branding with your wider branding strategy 

Following a successful digital marketing venture, users will enter an event expecting, whether consciously or subconsciously, the branding to align with previous touchpoints. With access to new, innovative event management technology, it’s never been easier to align and enhance your in-event branding.

To be precise, this could involve modifying the color palette of your event’s desktop interface or providing a personalized app experience for attendees accessing the event over mobile. With advanced technology offering extensive customization options, you have the flexibility to make requisite modifications that support your intended brand experience.

Ensure consistency 

Event branding starts well before the event and extends well after. Consider and hone the various pre- and post-event touchpoints where your target audience may come into contact with your brand—from an eye-catching, highly targeted PPC campaign, to a carefully crafted ‘thank you for attending’ follow-up email.

A key function of event branding is to ensure consistency across all mediums. By taking stock of the minute (perhaps, often overlooked) elements of event branding and making sure they align with the overall brand identity, marketers can increase the likelihood of creating a memorable and impactful event experience that resonates with the audience.

Event branding tips for in-person events

Exceed attendee expectations with these branding tips for in-person events.

Provide a branded registration experience

The event registration page is often the first point of contact between your attendees and your event brand. Therefore, ensuring that it accurately reflects your brand’s identity, message, and visual elements is crucial. A fully-customizable and branded event registration page can help you achieve this.

By incorporating your brand’s colors, fonts, and imagery into the registration page design, you can create a seamless brand experience that begins with the first click. Additionally, customized registration forms can collect data that you can use for marketing purposes and personalizing the attendee experience.

Don’t forget the event check-in experience

Once attendees arrive at your event, continuing to provide a consistent brand experience is essential. One way to achieve this is through fully-branded and customizable event check-in and badge printing software. This software allows you to incorporate your brand’s visual elements into the check-in process and print branded name badges, providing a professional and consistent look.

Customizable software also allows you to create unique check-in experiences that align with your brand messaging, such as personalized greetings, welcome messages, or even interactive elements. Doing so can set the tone for the event and create a positive impression on attendees.

Display compelling signage 

Signage is a tried-and-true means of event branding that continues to prove effective. Signage amplifies your brand’s presence and conveys key messages to your audience, providing them with guidance and event navigation while also serving as a tool for brand recognition. As with all marketing collateral, ensure your signage accurately reflects your brand and is visually and tonally consistent with the overall event marketing strategy.

Ensure consistency with a mobile event app

In today’s digital age, mobile event apps have become a staple at in-person events, providing attendees with a personalized and interactive event experience. To ensure event branding consistency, you need to customize your app to reflect your brand’s identity.

A mobile event app that allows you to customize logos, colors, icons, and messaging can provide a seamless brand experience for attendees. By doing so, attendees can view schedules, event maps, and other event-related information in a branded environment that feels like an extension of your event. This, in turn, can increase brand recognition and promote engagement with your brand long after the event is over.

Watch the video below to learn more about Webex Events mobile event app solution.

Optimize for user-generated content

Photo booths and flower walls draw people in, providing an optimal setting for user-generated content. You can leverage this by encouraging them (through the use of signage) to use a unique event hashtag when posting, resulting in increased organic event visibility.

Use swag to create a memorable experience 

The rationale behind event swag falls into two camps: the principle of customer delight, and the principle of reciprocity. Exceeding expectations is essential for a successful event, and providing attendees with branded swag, such as apparel and bags, can be an effective way to achieve this. 

The other side of the swag coin, however, is the notion of reciprocity. When people receive something for free, they tend to be inclined to reciprocate. In the context of events, this can translate into attendees tagging your brand on social media, providing favorable feedback, attending future events, and becoming brand advocates.

Leveraging technology for event branding

Utilizing innovative event management technology is an effective way to engage attendees seamlessly. With features such as gamification and customizable networking options, you can craft an immersive and personalized event that enhances your brand identity, leaves a lasting impression, and increases the likelihood of repeat attendance.

Webex Events is an all-in-one event management solution, providing you with all of the resources and technology you need to host a successful event, whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid.