We all know that marketing moves fast. Marketers are constantly seeking ‘newness’, fighting to keep fingers on the pulse and do something different on the daily.
But while we scramble to react and be ‘in the moment’, it’s easy to overlook the consistent, long-term (and let's be honest, often less exciting) efforts that build brands.
At Image we’re big fans of System1. If you haven’t seen their recent research into ‘compound creativity’, do go and check it out. The crux of it is: creative consistency makes for more effective advertising.
System1 break ‘creative consistency’ down into three building blocks. Consistent Execution, Culture of Consistency, and Creative Foundations. The latter is made up of consistent positioning, creative idea tenure, and agency tenure. That’s right - the research found that the advertising of brands who didn’t change agency in a five-year period was far more distinctive than those who changed agency at least once. Creative quality was rated highest in the ‘no change’ group too.
So if brands should be sticking with agencies, consistently applying a creative idea and maintaining positioning - why do we not see it happening in events?
Tenure seems to be in short supply across many experiential agency-brand partnerships, and more marketers an event-by-event approach to planning. Both cases can be issues limiting brands from reaching their full potential at events and beyond.
So what’s going on?
We should first look at the agencies. Are exhibition stand designers and builders falling short? Unfortunately, we’ve heard a few horror stories from clients who’ve been let down in the past, with missed tasks, forgotten deadlines and sloped shoulders being ‘ordinary’ from many exhibition stand builders. (Luckily, 'ordinary' is not in our vocabulary...)
More short-termism in job roles means many marketers are simply not staying in post long enough to see long-term plans through. According to a report in Marketing Week, two-thirds of marketers have been in their role for less than three years. And with what MW describe as a ‘marketing merry-go-round’, plenty of marketers haven’t got the time to plan for the long-term or build relationships with agencies before they're leaving.
Not only does this mean the slate is frequently being wiped clean, it also means planning cycles tend to be shorter.
Perhaps, short-termism is connected to the expectation for ‘by the minute’ results. Focusing on short-term wins can mean quick, tangible outcomes, which might seem more appealing than the long slog of brand building. But really, it’s preventing creative consistency and restricting the rewards brands will reap in the long run.
What's mustn't be forgotten are the big benefits long-term partnerships and good planning bring:
The longer a relationship is, the better you tend to know each other
An events agency that’s worked with a brand for a long time ‘gets it’. They know the brand, the target audience, and how the team like to work. It usually means that agency and brand are well aligned, making each project much smoother, more efficient, and more streamlined creatively.
Better creative quality
Smoother and more efficient projects, combined with the stronger trust that’s built over time, often mean more opportunities to push creative further. And as the Compound Creativity research shows, brands who stick with the same agency have the highest reported creative quality (as well as the most distinctive ads.)
A snapshot of our exhibition stand portfolio
Reclaimed time
Working with an events partner long-term saves time from a practical perspective, cutting the cycle of researching and contacting agencies, going through endless meetings and pitching processes before the project even kicks off.
Better planned events = more successful events
Reclaimed time means event planning can begin earlier. We always encourage clients to speak to us as early as possible, with our in-house marketing consultancy geared to guide and support from the very beginning. After all, events reward the well-planned exhibitor.
Cost & environmental impact can be stretched across events
With a long-term view, stands and assets can be designed with future use in mind, stretching the spend and meaning you don’t have to hit the reset button every time you exhibit. Not only is reuse kinder to your wallet, it's kinder to the environmental too.
Creative exhibition stand designs for our long-term client Aviva
Now, we’re not saying you should settle for underwhelming design, poor communication or an unreliable service just for the sake of sticking with an agency. Far from it. We’re saying that when you find an event partner that gets you, that you like working with and that delivers extraordinary outcomes, continuing the partnership can mean more effective and more creative marketing. The grass is greener where it's watered in agency/brand relationships.
Building for the future, not just the next event
Events are a long-term play, bringing big benefits to brand building over time. So, they shouldn’t be looked at through a short-term lens. Understanding the value of the long and planning it accordingly will pay dividends to your brand in the future - something we frequently chat about with clients. If that planning can be done with a long-term experiential agency partner, it will be even more effective, distinctive, and creative. Plus, you’ll likely save a lot of time (and money) too.
After all, the research is clear: brands who work with the same agency partner over time have stronger creative foundations, which builds creative consistency. In our eyes, that includes events. And with creative consistency, you’ll have more distinctive AND more effective marketing.
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