What happens to the festival industry in a year when the greatest show on earth, Glastonbury, takes a year out, asks Orla Ryan of ignis

When Glastonbury, a festival the size of Southern England’s seventh largest city, takes a fallow year, you would think that the rest of the festival calendar would reap the rewards – but has it?

Yes, some of the events have filled their fields, some have even hit record numbers. Others have struggled, some have even fallen by the way-side. By no means has it been a bumper year for the industry. So where have the Glastonbury masses gone? And how do you ensure your brand is  investing in an event that is going to deliver?

With 135,000 tickets on offer and two million applicants, each year’s Glastonbury show brings disappointment to roughly 1,865,000 people. That’s a lot of people who have gathered to plan and plot their festival attendance. Having collectively bought into the concept of the festival experience, all it takes is for one of the group to ask, ‘so where now?’ and plans are re-plotted elsewhere. In a year without Glastonbury, these fledgling festival plans never got off the ground, and the disappointed masses were simply not there to be absorbed.

So, what does it all mean for next year? We have digested the 2018 season, beyond the promoter stats and demographics, to analyse some of the trends when considering brand investment in festivals in 2019.

It’s a sell out! (or is it…?)

The true attendance figures of each festival are always difficult to unpick. No show ever wants to admit that they have under-achieved. Having rattled around festival fields for a few years now like we have, you get the feel (and the data) to tell you when an event is under-performing, and 2018 has seen a few of those.

As a brand, how do you know whether or not to believe in the audience figures that are being sold to you? The only answers I can give you are knowledge, experience and a view of the wider picture than the individual promoter is selling you. Be sure of the credentials behind new events, beware of exaggerated growth claims and consider whether the event is delivering ‘best in class’ in the genre in which it exists.

With the disappointed 1,865,000 back in the mix and with so many great events on offer, 2019 has all the credentials to be a booming festival year.

Does the experience outweigh the effort?

Emerging onto the scene in 2004, Bestival and Secret Garden Party were refreshing new concepts – music festivals that were not about the music.

Now, 14 years later, Secret Garden Party is no more, and Bestival has been refreshed after a few tough years. But why? What went wrong for these festival pioneers?

I don’t believe that the concept of putting on a fabulous party is, or ever will be, dead. It’s more that the rest of the festival industry caught up with the realisation that a festival is about experience, and so there are now more events than ever delivering truly great experiences, and the competition is fierce.

In essence, in order to attract the audiences, it comes down to whether the experience is worth the effort of the festival hardships: the travel, the weather, the tent, the port-a-loos… The cons list is long.

When you are no longer the stand out and most unusual event of the year, you need to remove obstacles to remain relevant. For example, in order to survive, Bestival removed one significant obstacle – the Isle of Wight ferry – by shifting location from the island to the Lulworth estate in Dorset!

Urbanisation

One genre of festival that cuts out a number of the festival obstacles is the urban festival. For those less keen on the idea of three days of camping and with more attainably-priced day tickets on offer, urban events become a more accessible option.

With articles on ‘how to ace a one-day festival’ appearing in this year’s Time Out festival guide, you get a real sense of the growth of these events.

The ‘promoter chess’ (which has seen Wireless move to Finsbury Park, Lovebox to Gunnersbury, Field Day to Brockwell and All Points East stake a claim in Victoria Park) just shows how much competition and appetite there is.

London is not the only city hosting these Urban shows – TRNSMT, Parklife and Tramlines are increasingly popular events held in Urban spaces across the country.

These urban parks are also playing host to a wide array of events, aside from pure music festivals. Melas (from the Sanskrit for a gathering, festival or fair) delivering culture and creativity, and festive shows taking winter residencies, provide colour and choice to the event space. The diversity of events on offer provide distinct audiences and an array of opportunities relevant to different brands.

With a reduced initial outlay, and fewer days to budget for, the on-site spend at these events is often much higher, which can make them an attractive option where sales are a factor.

Outstanding in their fields

So which events looked tipped to thrive in 2019?

From the Michelin stars and champagne bars of Wilderness to the immersive theatrical spectacle that is Boomtown, these events are producing true ‘best-in-class’ offerings. Creamfields is another event that has a single-minded purpose in delivering the best EDM (Electronic Dance Music) experience going.

These events attract wildly differing audiences, but they know what they stand for and strive to produce the best in what they do.

Reading and Leeds, on the other hand – with a diversified line-up – missed the mark this year. Their line-up, still an important factor for most music festivals, was found lacking. The traditionally Rock’n’Roll based pair of festivals branched out into a much more Urban scene this year which, rather than attracting a more diverse audience, left it confused. I am sure these festival giants will be back on track next year, but it just shows that even the big events can get it wrong some years too.

Do it different

So how should a brand engage within the festival arena for 2019? It is about fitting in and standing out at the same time.

Find a fit with the festival-going human and be relevant to them. Don’t, however, slavishly follow the standard festival format. Expecting consumers to hunt out your allotted 10 X 10 space is not going to give you the return that you are looking for.

Look to stand out. Do different. Think about how the audience will engage, and what your brand offers that is unique. Consider how you can generate a buzz about your brand, not just about the brand space that you could create.

Hot

Immersive events – the experience is everything

Urban events – making the festival experience more accessible

Whatsapp – the unglamorous glue that holds a festival squad together

Not

Middle of the road – know what you stand for and be the best at it

Secondary ticketing – the rebellion against over-priced tickets is on

Single use plastic – Glastonbury has banned plastic water bottles in 2019

Orla Ryan is Head of Experiential at ignis, a multi-award winning independent brand experience agency based in Fulham. Over its 29-year history, it has worked for a wide range of clients ranging from Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels and Fuller’s, to Betfair and Cuticura. A member of the Institute of Promotional Marketing, ignis won two Gold trophies and a Silver for its #JamesonBeOriginal360 experience work for Pernod Ricard Travel Retail and Jameson in the IPM Awards 2017; the same campaign then went on to win a Silver and a Bronze in the pan-European IMC Awards.

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Calvet Wines has just launched its ‘Rue du Calvet’ campaign at the Blenheim Palace Flower Show this past weekend with an experiential activation featuring sampling and a celebrity chef.

Sampling a Sauvignon Blanc, a Muscadet and a St. Emilion, attendees were invited to try the wines with a selection of complimentary canapes designed by Calvet’s ambassador, Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell.

The activation, created for Calvet by experiential agency ignis, saw Purnell create dishes inspired by his memories and stories of France, then pairing them with the wines. This was captured on video and will be seeded across social channels over the summer. Brand Ambassadors were on hand to educate visitors about the brand and the wider ‘Rue du Calvet’ campaign.

“The Rue du Calvet campaign celebrates everything that is wonderful about France,” says ignis Executive Creative Director, Nick Peters, “at Blenheim we were able to engage with our audience in a tactile and multi-sensorial way, bringing the wine to life with stories that inspire people to take pleasure from great wine and good food in the way that our French friends do.  The quality conversations we had are a testament to this approach, and we’re excited to share this on social and broaden the conversation even further.”

Over the course of the three days (June 22nd to June 24th), six and a half thousand samples of wine were enjoyed by those who engaged with the activity.  The ‘Rue du Calvet’ campaign will run throughout 2018, celebrating and inspiring people to live with a little more ‘joie de vivre’ and create their own unique stories with Calvet.

Calvet Wines was founded in 1818 at Tain l’Hermitage in the Rhône Valley. It is a pan-appellation brand.

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand experience agency based in Fulham. Over its 29-year history it has worked with a wide range of clients ranging from Jameson, Fuller’s to Betfair and Chivas.

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The Marriott Rewards loyalty programme ran a 3,000,000 points giveaway in the UK at the end of January, to demonstrate that it offers much more in addition to hotel stays – and gave one lucky member a trip to the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, USA.

Marriott Rewards wanted to highlight the fact that its members can put their points towards exclusive money-can’t-buy experiences, such as Master Chef cooking classes, golf lessons with PGA professionals or trips to the Super Bowl.

Marketing agency ignis was briefed to support the Marriott Rewards programme and communicate its unique ‘Moments’ offering. It created a campaign on Facebook offering users the chance to win 40,000 Marriott Reward during the whole of January 31st 2018, enough to buy a hotel stay or a Marriott Rewards Moment.

To launch the campaign, one Marriott Reward’s Member and NFL fan was recently surprised at BBC Studios with an all-expenses paid trip to the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, USA.  A video features the winning fan, Lee, joining podcasters and BBC Radio Live NFL commentators Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on set as a ‘special guest’ – only to be further surprised with tickets to the 2018 Super Bowl (see pictures). The full video was broadcast across Marriott Rewards social channels and UNILAD on 31st January 2018.

Viewers were invited to comment on the video using the hashtag #MembersGetIt to be in with a chance to win points to put towards their exclusive Marriott ‘Moments’.

Lauren Fitzgerald, Manager, Portfolio Partnership Europe, Marriott International, said: ‘We worked in partnership with the NFL to create authentic content featuring a real Marriott Rewards Member. For us it was essential to capture a genuine moment of surprise and delight.”

Nick Peters, Executive Creative Director at ignis added: “The video and social activity demonstrates that by utilising partnerships effectively you can create inspiring content that will communicate the fantastic Rewards offering to a broad audience.”

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UK agencies collected 15 awards in the IMC European Awards 2017, with two Gold, three Silver and 10 Bronze trophies being shared by seven British agencies.

Gold awards went to TracyLocke for its ‘Dolce by Ferrero Rocher’ campaign in the Event Marketing category, and to Toucan for its ‘Peperami Stunt Animal in the Angry Birds Movie’ campaign in the Sponsorship/Joint Effort/Tie-in category.

Three Silver awards were handed out. TracyLocke won for the ‘Dolce by Ferrero Rocher’ in Brand Building, ignis won for ‘Jameson #BeOriginal360’ in Branded Content and RPM won for ‘Only One Captain Morgan’ in the Innovative Idea or Concept category.

Ten Bronze trophies were awarded. TLC Marketing won two awards for its campaigns ‘Relish Rewards’ (B2B, Loyalty Marketing) and ‘Giant Chip Fork’ (B2B, Direct 1:1) each. Two went to ignis for ‘Jameson #BeOriginal360’ (Digital Communications, Innovative Idea or Concept). Haygarth also received two awards for its ‘Clarins Urban Oasis’ campaign (Event Marketing, Innovative Idea or Concept). Two agencies took a bronze each – TracyLocke for ‘Dolce by Ferrero Rocher’ and Brand & Deliver Marketing for ‘Join the Radeon Rebellion’.

John Sylvester, IPM Chairman, says: “The exceptional work awarded to U.K. agencies this year shows the breadth and creative scope of our talent here. At the IPM we will continue to support this important European award programme.” The IPM are Members of EACA and a key representative of the IMC Council.

Overall, 85 winners have been selected in this year’s IMC European Awards for Integrated Marketing Communications, representing 32 agencies from 7 countries. The country with the most awards in 2017 was Czech Republic with 21 trophies.

For a full list of British trophy winners click here.

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Brand experience agency ignis has launched the first product from its new tech venture, ignovation labs.

Ignis claims its new Retailemetry is “a unique data capture, reporting and insights system that delivers live audience and activity analysis, when activated in a retail promotional environment.”

The launch took place at the recent Tax Free World Association Exhibition & Congress in Cannes, as part of the TFWA Digital Village. TFWA attracts the world’s leading travel retail operators and the brands which sell through the travel retail channel.

Ignis says Retailemetry collects data at point of purchase and allows it to be assessed in real-time to instantly measure how campaigns are performing. Data is automatically uploaded to the cloud with a web app front end meaning that data collection can be made across multiple devices at the same time.

That data, such as demographic, attitudinal and purchase insights, can then be accessed in real-time to monitor, measure and report on the success of each event activation.

An API means Retailemetry can be deployed to work with other tech-driven applications and products. For example, it can be used with intelligent flooring to record footfall in store and produce heat maps of shopper movements in real-time, or it can be used with local weather data to analyse the impact of changes in the weather.

Ignis announced the launch of ignovation labs in September. It is a new in-house department tasked with identifying and developing pioneering technologies and reinforcing a culture of innovation within the agency.

The department is headed up by ignis’ Oliver Carew. Carew says: “Innovation has always been an integral part of ignis’ DNA, and the ignovation labs are an extension of that philosophy. The labs exist to develop several new proprietary technologies each year that solve big problems for existing and new clients. At times parties may feel uncomfortable in the ideas we put forward, but ultimately we hope to inspire them to push boundaries further then they have ever done before.”

As part of ignis’ commitment to innovation, the agency has also invested in DRNK?, a spontaneous socialising app that helps users meet new individuals and groups when they’re out and about.

Stephanie Whitaker, Managing Director of ignis, observes: “Incubating and accelerating growth in tech start-ups allows the agency to operate on the cutting edge. DRNK? has significant potential in its own right, and also provides an interesting opportunity for our current roster of drinks brands to advertise on the platform.”

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Brand experience agency ignis has appointed Ursula Benson as the agency’s Business Development Director.

Benson has had senior positions at a range of major agencies. Most recently, she was Business Director at Rapp; prior to that, she held similar positions at Publicis Group, OgivlyOne Worldwide and Engine.

Her skillset that encompasses retail, FMCG, charity and financial services and her recent pitch wins include Heist, 23andme and Samsung.

Ursula Benson says: “Joining ignis, a multi-award winning and fiercely independent brand experience agency, is an exciting next step. I can’t wait to jump in and help ignis continue their business growth.”

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand experience agency based in Fulham. Over a 29-year history, it has worked with a wide range of clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels, Fuller’s, Betfair and Cuticura.

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Frontier, the new craft lager from brewer Fuller’s, has teamed up with gourmet popcorn brand Joe & Seph’s for an in-pub food pairing campaign encouraging trial of Frontier through the offering of a free packet of Joe & Seph’s popcorn.

The ‘Find Flavour Sessions’, created by marketing agency ignis ltd, see a programme of in-pub events that demonstrate how the unorthodox flavours of Joe & Seph’s popcorn, such as Madras Curry, are perfectly balanced by Frontier’s fruity but refreshing notes. An on-pack mechanic invites consumers to take to social media and voice their opinion on which flavour best pairs with the craft lager.

Jane Jones, Marketing Director for Fuller’s, says: “Collaborating with an exceptional, independent company such as Joe & Seph’s is a fantastic step for Fuller’s, and allows us to showcase Frontier’s food-pairing potential in an extremely innovative way.”

As well as consumer engagement, the campaign also looks to re-connect with the trade. With bar staff identified as the key route to consumers, ignis has developed a 360° brand film to educate staff on the brewing process of Frontier and why the craft beer is so well suited to food pairing.

Nick Peters, Executive Creative Director of ignis, says: “With this campaign we really focussed on what makes the trade tick. We believe the possibility of 360° and VR goes beyond consumer engagement, and can be perfectly applied to training and development within an organisation. We felt 360° was the ideal medium in which to tell the Frontier brand story in an immersive way.”

Frontier Find Flavour Sessions will be launching in selected licensed venues in the coming months. Follow @FrontierLager for more information.

Fuller, Smith and Turner P.L.C. is an independent traditional family brewer founded in 1845 and is based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, where brewing has taken place continuously since 1654. The Fuller’s Beer Company brews a portfolio of premium beers including London Pride, Oliver’s Island, ESB, Organic Honey Dew and Frontier Craft Lager. In June 2013, the Company acquired Cornish Orchards, a craft cider maker producing a range of award-winning ciders and premium soft drinks. Fuller’s is also the UK distributor for Sierra Nevada, the premier US craft beer.

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand experience agency based in Fulham. Over a 29-year history, it has worked with a wide range of clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels Fuller’s, Betfair and Cuticura.

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Ballantine’s Hard Fired whisky variant – matured in charred American oak barrels – has introduced multisensory charred bars to Paris airports to highlight the bespoke distillation process.

The Ballantine’s Hard Fired multisensory bar will be a new engagement launching in the travel retail environment, giving passengers the opportunity to ‘fire up’ their journey with a taste of whisky while sitting at a bespoke charred bar, smelling hints of wood smoke and vanilla.

Passengers are also being offered the opportunity to ‘fire up’ their mobile devices for free via charging points built into the bars.

Brand activation agency ignis worked with Ballantine’s to develop a bar that appears to have been constructed from the charred wood of the whisky barrels, which has gone live across airports in Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly and Nice airports.

The double charred barrels will feature in each activation to highlight the unique way in which the smoky taste of Ballantine’s Hard Fired develops during its resting phase.

Emily Ho-Ng, Brand Manager at Pernod Ricard Travel Retail EMEA, says: “The activation not only explains the process behind Ballantine’s Hard Fired, but also instils an emotional connection with the brand through the drama it brings to Paris and Nice.”

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand activation agency based in Fulham. Over its 29-year history it has worked for clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels, Fuller’s, Betfair and Cuticura.

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Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC (Fuller’s), the London brewer and premium pub company, has just launched London Pride Unfiltered, which it says is its biggest beer launch in a generation, at the four-day long Craft Beer Rising event in the former Truman Brewery in London’s East End which took place this weekend.

The event started with a trade-only day on February 22^nd,and opened to the public from February 23^rd until February 25^th. Fulham-based agency marketing agency ignis created an activation space to bring the new product and the Fuller’s brand to life for the event.

London Pride Unfiltered is a 4.1% unfiltered variant of one of the UK’s favourite beers and comes in 30 litre kegs, which Fullers says will open the brand up to a new consumer and a new drinking occasion.

ignis Executive Creative Director, Nick Peters, says: “Craft Beer Rising provides a fantastic opportunity to introduce the brand to a new audience, as well as those well versed in London Pride cask. When it came to designing the space, it was important to ensure that it showcased ‘Unfiltered’, not just as a process, but as a unique attitude, rooted in contemporary London.”

The beer is brewed true to London Pride’s original recipe, but is then dry hopped with Target Hops for added character and flavour. With the goal of making the beer as natural as possible, the beer is centrifuged, but not filtered or pasteurised, to retain taste, complexity and Fuller’s character. The result, according to Fuller’s, is a hazy, hoppy, tasty beer in a keg, served at between 4° and 6° degrees, which delivers quality and flavour.

Fullers Beer Company managing director Simon Dodd observes: “The London Pride brand name has heritage and authenticity and we now feel the time has come to leverage these qualities and bring London Pride to a more contemporary environment. Our excellent brewing team has taken the same great recipe and, by dry hopping the beer at the end, created a beer, in keg, that has balance, flavour and is true to the character of any Fullers beer.”

Fuller, Smith and Turner is an independent traditional family brewer founded in 1845 and based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, where brewing has taken place continuously since 1654. The Fuller’s Beer Company brews a portfolio of premium beers including London Pride, Oliver’s Island, ESB, Organic Honey Dew and Frontier Craft Lager. In June 2013, the Company acquired Cornish Orchards, a craft cider maker producing a range of award-winning ciders and premium soft drinks. Fuller’s is also the UK distributor for premier US craft beer Sierra Nevada.

ignis is a multi-award winning independent brand activation agency based in Fulham. It has worked for clients including Jameson Whiskey, Sheraton Hotels, FST, Betfair and Cuticura.

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