COVID 19 and unequivocally reset our entire way of life. The way people connect, create, and consume are all vastly different than before thanks to precautions, restrictions and new protocols that govern the way we work and play. In-person events took a backseat as social distancing quite literally separated businesses from their workforces and customers alike. This distance made it especially challenging for companies to celebrate wins and milestones in a post-COVID era as we became all screens, all the time.
Our Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 clients were looking to connect with their key stakeholders through virtual and interactive experiences that felt as intimate and genuine as their traditional in-person activations. In a world inundated with ordinary Zoom calls and Google Meets, we set out to create unique activations for our tech clients such as Nutanix, AT&T, Lenovo, HP, Edge Solutions, JTEK Data Solutions, eGroup to foster deep, meaningful relationships all over the world that truly have a lasting business impact. This choice led to the creation of an entirely new capability for our agency with outstanding results.
Understanding the challenges our tech clients faced, we partnered with our Field Marketing and Channel Marketing team to develop compelling virtual event strategies that aligned with their brand core identity, but were engaging as well.
Anchored by lifestyle influencers, renowned names or field experts within their subject matter, our premium custom programming included:
Ultimate Survivor: A custom survival kit in which attendees were shipped a curated kit by outdoor survival experts that included the essentials they’ll need to have a truly “hands-on” experience. Kit options included: Branded survival dry bag, Compass carabiner, Survival cards, Ultralight triage kit, shovel, and more!
Holiday Gift Exchange: A custom user experience via an interactive platform that was fully brandable and customizable to generate brand affinity and connection between vendor and customer. Complex logic and intuitive design allowed users to choose, steal, and ultimately virtually award themselves the prize of their choice. HGE programs were executed over 150 times and 3,750+ custom branded kits were sent to eager customers across the nation.
Hands On Heat: A virtual experience hosted by hot sauce expert, YouTube influencer Johnny Scoville (109k subscribers). During the programming, participants were guided through everything from identifying ingredients, selecting chilis, understanding Scoville units (heat), combining unique flavors, to blending and bottling their own custom hot sauce. Prior to the event, participants received a curated, company-branded event package including a hand-crafted recipe guide along with all the ingredients and tools needed to follow along with the step-by-step workshop.
Mastery of Whiskey and Ice: An hour-long whiskey tasting session and masterclass led by whiskey expert Niko Novak of N2 Mixology. Participants were guided through a tasting of (6) hand-selected premium American whiskeys. After being guided through five tastings, participants were asked to put their knowledge to the test. Attendees were challenged with tasting a mystery whiskey then identifying the whiskey type and origin.
Build A Board: Participants were invited to a virtual / hybrid “build a board” interactive workshop hosted by a culinary influencer, best-selling author, & cheese-board expert Marissa Mullen (16.6k followers). During the programming, Marissa guided participants through her foolproof step-by-step “Cheese By Numbers' ' method to build an impressive, stylish, & creative cheese board display. The 90-120 minute event also included a company “cheese & chat” networking & happy hour session.
It worked! Our events division successfully brought more than 600+ virtual experiences to fruition that have been met with remarkable, quantifiable improvements in the way they reach and engage their customers. MRN's tech clients have seen post-event engagement with their prospects increase by more than 33% and a 70% increase in event attendance. Going beyond a passive experience, expertly curated programming leaves attendees focused and engaged not because they have to, but because they want to, averaging 80% camera on.
We certainly didn’t invent the virtual event experience, but we do believe we’ve elevated it! Unlike traditional zoom-type workshops or masterclass sessions, we have developed a format that actively encourages an interactive & experiential moment.
