Are brands trying too hard at festivals or is festivalization just beginning? [Video]

Brands have not been slow to notice the passion of these audiences. Tapping into it is another matter – a tricky job that they sometimes perform well, said our panelists, but sometimes poorly. The key, as ever in the marketing game, is authenticity.

The ‘festivalization’ of brands

Nicola Murray, managing partner at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, explains that the real strategy behind that buzzword ‘authenticity’ is often as simple as ensuring your brand’s activation adds something to the whole.

“Brands just really want to tap into fan culture – that idea of community and coming together. And there are ways to do that. You come in, and you can badge, and you borrow from the culture. But if a brand is adding to that culture, and …