The "Scale" Strategy: Should Events Aim for Size?
Organizing a Guinness-style event like "Ten Thousand People Eating Oysters" or "One Thousand People Eating Oysters" can create significant impact. Through participants' WeChat "Moments" sharing, the event can quickly spread across the city. Is such an event effective? In our view, it is excellent, much like the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which undoubtedly attracts attention.
However, there are some concerns: First, as a social charity event, the "Ice Bucket Challenge" had high attention and participation, but for corporate events, can the same effect and influence be achieved? This is worth considering. Corporate event planning differs from social charity event planning; while ensuring "attention," it is crucial to enhance "relevance" to leave a stronger impression. Otherwise, spreading resources too thin may waste manpower and materials, putting the company in a difficult position.
Second, whether it's "ten thousand" or "one thousand," how many of these participants will become future target customers? Considering that Korean oysters are not a mass-market product and may not yet "enter the average household," is a scale-driven event appropriate? Does such a low-end event match the slightly high-end positioning of Korean oysters? This is the second concern.
The "High-End" Strategy: Should Events Go Upscale?
In fact, events like "Korean Mayor Eating Oysters" are designed not only for "attention" but also with "relevance" in mind, aiming to combine the two effectively. Undoubtedly, a foreign mayor traveling "thousands of miles" to China and "playing the foodie" in front of hundreds of Chinese citizens demonstrates a spirit of dedication and courage. Such "attention" is naturally high. By closely integrating the mayor's personal endorsement with "Korean oysters" in the event planning, "relevance" is greatly enhanced.
From the feedback after the event, such highly relevant activities played a significant 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 the primary duty of managing municipal affairs. Coming to China to be a "foodie" is clearly not their role and seems inconsistent with their status. However, the more unconventional it appears, the more it attracts attention. Thus, creating an event where the mayor "neglects his duties" ensures both "attention" and "relevance." With proper groundwork and design, subsequent marketing becomes a natural progression.
The "Specialty" Strategy: Should Events Be Unique?
If the "scale" strategy suits mass-market products and the "high-end" strategy suits premium products, then the "specialty" strategy can encompass both. For example, "beautiful women eating oysters" or "newlyweds eating oysters" are examples of specialty strategies, as "beautiful women" and "newlyweds" can appeal to both high-end and mass audiences.
Of course, these ideas are all good, but how can they meet Chairman Ren's need for "widespread publicity"? Considering his identity, we proposed a bold idea: organize a grand "specialty" strategy event.
The "Boutique" Strategy: What You Need Most is Boutique Planning
If your product is a mass-market product, we suggest trying the "scale" strategy. If your product is high-end or niche, we suggest the "high-end" strategy. If you want your product planning to be sharper and more closely aligned with product functions, we suggest the "specialty" strategy.
But regardless of whether it's the "scale," "high-end," or "specialty" strategy, what you need most is "boutique planning." In our era, it is not difficult to come up with a plan or a decent plan; the challenge is to create a plan that truly resonates with people, is unforgettable, and becomes a talking point among your city's residents and target audience.