22 Nov Thanksgiving Traditions Your Customers Can Experience

Thanksgiving marks the time of year to pause and reflect on the many ways we feel grateful. As an experiential marketing agency, we are thankful for the growth in our industry, and the evolving technologies that enable our clients to engage with consumers at all stages of a campaign. And while there is so much NEW in the world of digital and social media and finding ways to virtually connect, the foundation of creating a tangible relationship continues to be rooted in events and experiences. The integration of brand ambassadors, street teams, and face-to-face marketing still have a valuable place in the consumer engagement space and events remain among the best medium.

One of the most iconic annual events occurring this November will be the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In between family football games and cooking the best turkey dinner, more than 50 million people will be tuning in nationwide to watch the event from home. On-site, an estimated 3.5 million people will descend the streets of Manhattan to witness the parade in person and over ten-thousand participants will make it all happen.

Massive brand exposure, endless sponsorship and activation possibilities for an engaged, enthusiastic audience—this is what an experiential marketer’s dreams are made of! So if you’ve never considered joining this parade or even a parade at all, we’ve outlined a few key points to help you decide if Parade sponsorship and activation are right for your brand.

Second Helpings

When considering large scale sponsorships, it’s important to think about the long-term benefits of being associated with an event that’s become an American family holiday tradition. Will your consumers be more likely to have a greater emotional connection with your brand as the holiday season approaches? Can this translate into sales following the event? These questions along with ones specific to your needs will help determine what type of large scale sponsorships could be beneficial for your brand.

To Float, Find Unique Ways to Promote

In the instance of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, one potential benefit of becoming a sponsor is the opportunity to showcase a customized float. With a price tag of $50k-$250k for the build-out alone, this non-traditional method of advertising in an incredibly creative way to promote, entertain, and tell the story of your company with big impact. This strategy is likely to appeal to companies who embody lifestyle brands with powerful messages.

Boots on the Ground Activation  

Every sponsorship opportunity should be maximized to the fullest. Beyond the usual logo recognition and signage benefits, how can experiential marketing tactics be integrated into the partnership? For Macy’s Day Parade sponsor Timberland, they infiltrated the audience, giving away footwear and outerwear to parade staff and thousands of volunteers. Timberland recognized the value of a grassroots strategy by activating outside of the typical boundaries brought on by traditional marketing. In doing so, the brand was successful at creating memories with the people they had hope to call future shoppers. And the smart thinking paid off… this year they are the official outerwear provider of the Thanksgiving Day Parade!