The "Scale" Approach: Should Events Aim for Size?
Organizing a Guinness-style event like "Ten Thousand People Eating Oysters" or "A Thousand People Eating Oysters" can create significant impact, spreading rapidly through participants' WeChat Moments to every corner of the city. Is such an event good? In our view, it is excellent—just like the "Ice Bucket Challenge," it certainly attracts attention without any problem.
However, there are a few concerns: First, as a social charity event, the "Ice Bucket Challenge" had high attention and participation without issue. But for a corporate event, can it achieve the same effect and influence? This is worth considering. Corporate event planning differs from social charity event planning. While paying attention to "attention," it should strive to enhance the impression in terms of "relevance." Otherwise, the event may stretch too long, waste significant human and material resources, and put the company in a difficult position.
Second, whether it's "ten thousand" or "a thousand," how many of these participants will become future target customers? Considering that Korean oysters are not a mass-market product and are not yet ready to "enter ordinary households," is such a scale-driven event appropriate? Does this somewhat low-end event match the slightly high-end Korean oysters? This is the second concern.
The "Prestige" Approach: Should Events Go High-End?
In fact, events like "Korean Mayor Eating Oysters" are important not only for "attention" but also for "relevance," aiming to create a combined effect. Undoubtedly, a foreign mayor traveling "thousands of miles" to China and acting as a "foodie" in front of hundreds of Chinese citizens—what a spirit of dedication! What courage does that require? Such "attention" will naturally be high. By closely integrating the mayor's personal endorsement with "Korean oysters" throughout the event planning, the "relevance" is greatly enhanced.
Judging from the feedback afterward, such highly relevant events played a crucial role in boosting the sales of Korean oysters in Jinan.
In the eyes of ordinary people, a "mayor" should be dressed in a suit and tie, sitting upright, with municipal management as their primary duty. Coming to China to be a "foodie" is clearly not their role and does not match their identity. In the eyes of the public, it seems inappropriate, but the more inappropriate it seems, the more attractive it becomes. Thus, creating an event where the mayor "neglects his duties" ensures both "attention" and "relevance." With the groundwork and design in place, the subsequent marketing naturally follows.
The "Uniqueness" Approach: Should Events Be Distinctive?
If the "Scale" approach suits mass-market products and the "Prestige" approach suits high-end products, then the "Uniqueness" approach can encompass both types. For example, "beautiful women eating oysters" is a manifestation of the "Uniqueness" approach, as is "inviting newlyweds to eat oysters." However, "beautiful women" and "newlyweds" can be both high-end and mass-market.
Of course, these ideas are all good, but how can they meet Director Ren's need for "widespread publicity"? In this regard, considering the identity characteristics, we proposed a bold idea: organize a grand "Uniqueness"-type event.
The "Excellence" Approach: You Need Boutique Planning
If your product is a mass-market product, we suggest you try some "Scale"-type planning. If your product is high-end or niche, we suggest you try some "Prestige"-type planning. If you want your product planning to be sharper and more closely aligned with product functions, we suggest you try some "Uniqueness"-type planning.
But whether it's "Scale," "Prestige," or "Uniqueness" planning, what you really need is "boutique planning." In our era, it is not difficult to create a plan or a decent plan; the difficulty lies in creating a plan that truly resonates with people, is unforgettable, and is talked about with relish by your city's residents and target audience.