Social Media Teaser Campaign:
"Guess where we'll be in 6 weeks? Hint: It involves [festival clue], [related emoji], and exclusive [your product] experience. Comment your guess!"
Why It Works: Creates curiosity, starts conversation, builds anticipation.
Email to Existing Customers:
"Big news! We're partnering with [Festival Name]. Want exclusive early access to something special we're launching there? Reply YES."
Result: Engaged customer list you can activate during festival.
Week 4-5: Engagement Phase
Goal: Get people excited about what you're doing at festival
Tactics:
Sneak Peek Content:
Behind-the-scenes of your booth being built, team preparing, product being created for festival debut.
Contest/Giveaway:
"Win festival passes + VIP access to our branded lounge! To enter: [simple action like tag friends, share post, answer question]"
Why It Works: Drives traffic to YOUR activation specifically, not just festival generally.
Influencer Partnership:
Partner with 3-5 micro-influencers (5K-50K followers) who are attending festival.
Give them: Free product, festival tickets, exclusive access to your activation.
Ask them: Create anticipation content about visiting your booth/lounge/experience.
Cost: ₹15,000-50,000 total Impact: Their followers specifically seek out your activation
Week 2-3: Conversion Phase
Goal: Convert interest into actual booth visits
Tactics:
Festival App Push Notification (if negotiated):
"Visit [Brand] Lounge for [specific offer]. Located at [specific location]. First 100 get [incentive]."
Geo-Targeted Social Ads:
Target people who've engaged with festival's social media pages.
Message: "Going to [Festival]? Visit us at [location] for [compelling offer]."
Budget: ₹10,000-25,000 can reach 20,000-50,000 highly targeted people.
Email Blast (to those who showed interest):
"It's happening! Find us at [specific location] for [specific experience/offer]. Here's a map: [insert map]. Show this email for fast-track entry."
Week 1: Urgency Phase
Goal: Create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Countdown posts: "3 days until [Festival]! 3 reasons to visit our booth: [list them]"
Limited Time Offer: "First 50 people at our booth get [exclusive item]. Festival starts in 48 hours!"
Festival Day Schedule: "We're doing special demos at 11 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM. Set your reminders!"
The Pre-Festival ROI:
This pre-work typically costs ₹50,000-1.5 lakhs extra.
But brands that do this get 3-5x more booth traffic than those who don't.
Your ₹10 lakh investment becomes much more effective when people are actively seeking you out, rather than randomly stumbling upon you.
Phase 4: Festival Day Activation (Execution That Converts)
The Booth/Activation Design
Bad Booth Design:
- Table with brochures
- Staff sitting, looking at phones
- "Come talk to us" signage
- Generic branded backdrop
Result: 20 people stop by all day. 5 give contact info. 0 sales.
Great Activation Design:
Element 1: The Magnet (Stop People)
Something visually compelling, photo-worthy, or experiential that makes people stop.
Examples:
Tech Brand at Music Festival: Built full recording studio booth. Attendees could record 30-second song, get instant video to share on Instagram with festival hashtag.
Result: Lines of 50+ people constantly. Every video tagged the brand. Organic reach: 2.5 million impressions.
Skincare Brand at Outdoor Festival: Set up "cooling station" with misters, face refresher sprays, comfortable seating, phone charging.
Message: "Cool down with [Brand]. Free refresher spray for face. Try our summer skincare line."
Result: 3,000+ people used cooling station. 60% tried products. 800 purchases made on-site or via QR code.
Element 2: The Experience (Engage Deeply)
Don't just show product. Create experience around it.
Food Brand: Not just samples. Live cooking demo every hour. Celebrity chef partnership. Recipe cards with QR code for full video tutorials.
Fitness Brand: Not just booth. 10-minute "festival recovery stretching" sessions every hour. Trainer teaching hangover prevention exercises. Free electrolyte samples.
Element 3: The Value Exchange (Capture Data)
Why should someone give you their contact information?
Weak Value Exchange: "Enter to win [generic prize]." Conversion Rate: 5-10%
Strong Value Exchange: "Get instant [immediate benefit] + enter to win [amazing prize]." Conversion Rate: 40-60%
Examples:
Immediate Benefit Examples:
- Discount code (25% off) sent instantly via SMS
- Free product sample (substantial, not tiny)
- Exclusive access to festival VIP area/lounge for 30 min
- Professional photo at your branded backdrop, sent immediately
- Entry to express lane for main stage
- Free drink/food item (partner with festival vendors)
Element 4: The Staff (Your Secret Weapon)
Bad Staff:
- Sitting down
- Reactive (waiting for people to approach)
- Reading from script
- Can't answer questions
- Look bored
Great Staff:
- Standing, energetic
- Proactive (inviting people in)
- Natural conversationalists
- Product experts
- Genuinely enthusiastic
Hire Specifically for Festivals: Don't just send your regular sales team. Hire 2-3 energetic brand ambassadors who understand festival culture.
Cost: ₹5,000-10,000 per person per day Impact: Can triple engagement rates
Brief Them on:
- Target audience specifics
- Key messages (3 maximum)
- How to handle objections
- Data collection process
- Offer details
- Emergency contacts
The Follow-Up System (Where Money Actually Happens)
The Harsh Truth:
80% of festival leads are never contacted.
The brands that win? They have systematic follow-up.
The 72-Hour Rule:
Every lead must be contacted within 72 hours. Preferably 24 hours.
Why? After 72 hours, people forget the festival, forget your brand, lose the excitement.
The Follow-Up Sequence:
Hour 0 (Immediate - At Festival):
When collecting contact info, send instant SMS/email:
"Thanks for visiting [Brand] at [Festival]! Here's your [promised benefit: discount code/free resource/etc]. Save this message!"
Why: Immediate gratification. Confirms their data was received. First positive touch.
Day 1 (24 Hours Later):
Email/WhatsApp:
Subject: "From [Festival] to Your Inbox - [Specific Benefit]"
Message: "Hey [Name],
Great meeting you at [Festival] yesterday! Hope you're recovering well 😊
Quick reminder: Your exclusive [offer] is valid until [deadline - create urgency].
[Personalized detail - reference your conversation if possible]
Ready to [take next step]? [Clear CTA button]
Why: Personal, references specific interaction, clear next step.
Day 3-4:
Different Medium (If Email Sent, Now SMS. Vice Versa):
"Hi [Name], [Team Member] from [Brand]. We met at [Festival]. Quick question: Did you get a chance to [action you wanted them to take]? Let me know if you need any help!"
Why: Different channel, helpful tone not salesy, direct question prompts response.
Day 7:
Value-Add Content:
Not selling. Providing value related to festival experience.