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EuBEA Exclusive: Dino Büscher (BBDO) talks about the main issues regarding the world of events
Our special interviews with the most important professionals in the world of events continue: we met Dino Büscher, Managing Director BBDO Live, a brand of BBDO
Proximity GmbH.
Can you describe the main markets where you are operating, from Germany onwards, in terms of attitude of the clients towards the events, investment, etc.?
The teams at our headquarters in Bonn, our offices in Berlin and Munich, and our associate office in Doha (Qatar) work for clients such as Deutsche Post, DHL, Postbank, Bosch, Audi, smart, Volkswagen, Linde Material Handling and Aareal Bank. The majority of our projects are based in Germany, but firms are increasingly asking us to draw on our expertise in events, sponsorship, promotions, corporate architecture and supporting PR work for their international projects too. For example, we have executed world premieres in New York, Berlin and Shanghai for Volkswagen. We recently also organised the launch of the new Passat in Jordan.
We have noticed that event budgets are steadily growing in Germany. Companies see events as a crucial aspect of integrated brand management and have realised that their success depends on demonstrating a long-term, sustainable commitment. Our clients primarily use events in conjunction with social media.
The market for live communication is also developing steadily in the Middle East, where there is a huge need for professional service providers who can guarantee international standards of quality. And that’s exactly what we can do.
According to your experience with your clients are live events considered as a strategic ‘medium’ to communicate with the different targets? Do the clients distracts investments from other media (if yes which ones and why)?
Events have long since become an important element of emotional brand management and are considered an essential part of a company’s communication mix. That is because events give a brand emotional appeal and transform it into a unique experience. Events therefore have a convincing, long-lasting and sustainable effect. Many companies recognised this a long time ago and reallocated part of their communication budget accordingly.
What is your strategy in combining events and social media. How do you think this ‘link’ will evolve?
Events and social media now go hand in hand – and we take that into account during conceptualisation.
Social media offer new ways of expanding on event marketing activities. For instance, using social media enables an event’s reach to be improved and allows the way in which content is communicated to be optimised.
Creativity and technology (audio, video,etc.). How this relationship has evolved?
Without technology, there would be much less scope for creativity. Sophisticated technology in particular makes it possible to create exceptional events. For example, at our gala event ‘125 years of Bosch’ we used a live multimedia performance to immerse guests in the company’s 125-year-old success story.
Musical Bosch employees were brought together as a unique orchestral ensemble for the first time specially for the event. They presented an exclusively arranged anniversary symphony. Their performance was accompanied by an impressive multimedia show. Guests were wowed by the unusual imagery, which was presented on a screen measuring 120 metres by seven metres. This fascinating interplay of live music and state-of-the-art technology made the gala an unforgettable experience.
Which are the most common ‘mistakes’ that clients do in approaching and producing events?
A lot of companies often make isolated use of events, without linking them with other communication tools. Marketing campaigns of this kind have quite simply had their day. The key is to move away from spectacular one-off events and come up with distinctive ideas which stand out from the competition instead. Events must be linked with other communication channels in order to serve as a successful brand communication tool.
Do you happen to organize events on an European basis? Do you think this could be a trend?
Events depend on the product, company, market situation and – above all – the target group’s needs. These are the parameters which have to be taken into account during conceptualisation and they vary from one European country to another.
However, our successful network places us in a position to accommodate European specifics during the conceptualisation of events.
How do you think will evolve the competitive arena regarding the agencies in Europe. How do you think the big networks will impact on the independent agencies like yours?
BBDO Live is part of the BBDO Germany agency network. This alliance of agencies with different specialisms enables us to act as a one-stop shop for integrated marketing. There is a genuine spirit of partnership in the way we work together. This allows us to offer our clients throughout Europe a comprehensive range of interlinked services – ideal for 360-degree communications.
Do you have a particular experience in one specific market or segment? How is this market evolving, what this industry is demanding today?
We specialise mainly in offering comprehensive services for direct, personal target group communication. We bring the brand and the target group together and translate marketing messages into palpable events. Event communication is not the only thing we do; we also have interdisciplinary capabilities and interlinked services. The intelligent combination of our strengths with other BBDO Germany specialisms is a critical success factor.
Sustainability is a real issue for the clients? How do you answer to this request?
Companies are increasingly focusing on sustainability and CSR. Ecological and social issues are becoming more important and our clients have incorporated CSR into their corporate communications. We take this into account during conceptualisation, of course, and comply with the highest standards. For instance, when planning an event we pay attention to the conservation of resources and energy usage both at the event and in conjunction with it (travel to the event, communication). We also ensure that the natural environment is protected and biodiversity is maintained at the event venues.
However, being sustainable is not just about being eco-friendly: it also means having a lasting impact. This means that sustainable events should use resources and budgets efficiently and promote shared objectives or experiences even after the event. We make this possible with our innovative concepts.
Finally let’s talk about effectiveness and ROI. How do you approach this matter?
Effectiveness checks form a key part of our work, of course. Even during the conceptualisation phase, what the client hopes to achieve is a crucial question. Clear targets are important because they alone enable us to assess whether these goals were achieved and how effective the communication activities were. We use a range of monitoring tools, such as surveys of participants, feedback forms and statistics.