Brick-and-mortar stores often host grand openings, meet-ups, workshops, and sale-day events to attract crowds, while ecommerce businesses plan virtual events like digital workshops, guest lectures, and livestreams. No matter your business type, hosting an event is an opportunity to strengthen your brand and build community.
Effective event branding is foundational to creating an exceptional event. It gives potential attendees a clear identity to connect with and defines what makes the gathering special. This article covers what makes event branding important and how to execute it well—and also includes advice from Niall Horgan, co-founder of athleisure wear retailer Gym+Coffee, on using event branding to build a loyal following.
What is event branding?
Event branding is how a business creates a unique brand identity for a virtual or in-person event. To brand your event, you can use visual elements (logos, colors, typefaces), textual elements (marketing copy, ads, webpages, on-site signage), and event-planning elements (venue, layout, event structure) to communicate your brand story. An event branding strategy communicates your brand’s goals, personality, and values through these branding elements.
For example, a trendy dating app could host an in-person event to help users meet others and form romantic connections. The branding strategy might use bright red signage, cheeky marketing copy on social media, and themed event tents to help event attendees break the ice. The same dating app could also host a virtual event, using digital promotional materials, giveaways on its social media channels, and virtual breakout rooms for customers to connect.
Elements of event branding
Event branding elements help communicate your event’s goals, personality, and values. Consider these core event marketing elements to ensure you have a cohesive visual identity for successful event branding:
- Logo. Your event logo could be the same as your brand’s, or a new logo specific to the entire event. A logo that reinforces your main brand’s visual identity can boost brand awareness.
- Colors. Event colors should communicate the energy of the entire event experience—think warm and bright colors for a brunch meet-up, or subdued maroon for an evening wine tasting. Choose consistent event colors compatible with your brand’s visual identity.
- Typefaces. If you have a custom typeface for your brand, incorporate it into signage and other text. Use no more than three typefaces in your event’s branding materials to avoid confusion.
- Marketing copy. Marketing copy should match the event’s vibe (professional, upbeat, inspirational, urgent, etc.). Keep consistent messaging across your marketing materials.
- Hashtags. A custom hashtag for your event can increase attendee engagement on social media platforms. Even after the event concludes, a successful hashtag can create an online community where the occasion lives on.
- Event website. An event website is one of the best ways to communicate when, where, and why to your target audience. You might even create a custom event app that doubles as an information center, a hub for ticket sales, and an opportunity for interactive elements during the event.
- Event signage. In-person events need many types of signage—from informational placards to banners over booths to crowd-control floor graphics. Maintain consistent branding by using your brand colors and fonts in all of these elements.
- Event management platforms and software. To run a successful event, consider using specialized software or platforms for event management. Try services like Eventbrite for ticket sale management or Whova for organizing speakers and potential attendees with robust data and analytics.
- Event space. For in-person events, consider elements like the venue’s size, location, and parking. If virtual, choose a reliable streaming platform.
- Event structure. Carefully organize the layout of in-person events, including placement of booths, stages, seating, and vendors to optimize flow. For virtual events, consider how you will manage your main meeting room, whether you want to use breakout rooms, and how you will organize speakers and audience engagement with comment sections or Q&As.
- Swag. Event swag bags can make a lasting impression and encourage attendees to post about the memorable experience. If in-person, consider giving away free samples of products, or offer discount codes if virtual.
Tips for branding your event
- Design events around your brand’s core values
- Maintain a consistent visual identity
- Keep event information in a central hub
- Use event management platforms and software
- Share your event on social media
- Give away swag
- Follow up afterward
Event branding can seem daunting—especially if you’ve already spent time branding your business—but these strategies make it easier to create a memorable occasion:
Design events around your brand’s core values
Niall Horgan and his friends started Gym+Coffee because they felt most fulfilled when they exercised and socialized at the same time—something they believed others might also enjoy. “We wanted to create clothing that matched that lifestyle,” he explains on the Shopify Masters podcast. They wanted to make clothing consumers could wear all day long and work out in.
Given socializing was a core value, in-person events just made sense. Today, Niall and his team organize about 60 events a year—group yoga in local parks, surfing lessons, speed-friending, and diet workshops—to reinforce its brand pillars.
Maintain a consistent visual identity
Compelling physical and digital branding requires two ingredients: the fundamentals of your brand and core design principles. Follow design rules for visually appealingevent content—a serif-type font can feel literary and professional, and a bright color palette can bring energy and welcome customers. For more on branding design, check out our guide on how to build the perfect brand identity.
A powerful event brand is more than good design—it requires defining your event’s goals, as well as how you want it to feel. Professional conference branding looks very different from a casual crafts fair. Research your audience—their interests and pain points, their busy schedules, and the communities they engage in—to shape your branding efforts. Align your event branding with your ecommerce brand to enhance brand recognition and create a cohesive and immersive experience.
Keep event information in a central hub
For big events with a lot of moving parts (events schedule, parking, workshop sign-up, ticket purchase, payment processing, etc.), design an event website or landing page and link it to your main website. This is often an attendee’s first impression of your event, so keep visuals and messaging consistent.
The key is to have a cohesive branding strategy across all event promotion materials. You might even create an event branding guide so organizers stay in sync. Attendees will know they’re in the right place when they arrive at event stands and recognize your event branding efforts from your promotional materials and social media campaigns.
Use event management platforms and software
Event managing software like Eventbrite can streamline the event planning process, simplifying brand asset sharing, ticketing, marketing collateral storage for event organizers, and more. Integrate your event software with your ecommerce shop so both databases share contacts and design assets.
Niall’s team collects contact details at events and inputs the information into its ecommerce database to keep track of who came to Gym+Coffee events and who’s purchasing. “It’s a really great acquisition channel for us,” Niall says. “We were able in a seamless way to track all that and have that integrated into the business.”
Share your event on social media
Advertising on social media before an event is crucial, but remember to document the event itself too. Event footage can provide a ton of content for use on your social channels.
When posting about the first few small events, Niall recalls the techniques his business used to drum up interest. “We were as creative as we could be. Even if there were 10 people in the park, we were tailoring our Instagram stories to make it look a little bit bigger.” By the 10th week of its event series, more than 300 people attended.
In addition, encourage attendees to post about the event on social media. Gym+Coffee used the hashtag #StandStrong at an event to support women experiencing domestic abuse, boosting awareness and engagement.
Give away swag
A study by ad research firm ASI Global found that 85% of consumers who receive branded merchandise remember the company that gave it to them.Ensure giveaways reflect your core values—water bottles work for an exercise brand, but they might not be right for a gourmet restaurant. Relevant swag gives your target audience something it actually wants, and you get a marketing ripple effect when they use it.
For virtual events, consider giving out discount codes or digital freebies, or even shipping swag to attendees. For in-person events, Gym+Coffee often hands out coordinated, branded beanies, which you can see in the main photo for its #StandStrong event. Attendees get a free beanie, Gym+Coffee gets free organic marketing, and the event photos look color-coordinated and eye-catching.
Follow up afterward
The event doesn’t end when the attendees leave. Send a thank-you email or snail mail letter that includes a summary of the event, and invite feedback through a post-event survey to learn how to create an even more memorable event experience next time. Share event photos or highlights on social media to give those who missed it a glimpse of the attendee experience—and spark interest in your next event.
Event branding FAQ
How do you create event branding?
Create a strong event brand by first defining your audience and the purpose of your event. Develop a logo, typeface, and messaging for your event website, promotional materials, and digital or on-site branding elements.
How does branding work?
Branding creates a recognizable visual and personal identity that resonates with a core audience. In the events industry, you want a design approach and event personality that aligns with what attendees will experience.
Are virtual or in-person events more effective for ecommerce businesses?
It depends on your company type and target audience. An online therapy and counseling service might thrive with interactive online events, while a fresh produce subscription box may opt for in-person events to connect customers with local farmers.