Kick-started in 2010 by Frukt, the definitive global guide to brand activations at music festivals was born out of an observation that no-one was capturing and analysing the eclectic mix of experiential activity brands were undertaking in the festival sector. There was a real need to showcase the best activity of the year, analyse key trends, and challenge the preconceptions of what it meant to connect with passionate music fans.

Why should you be interested in learning more about music festival sponsorship?
A sizeable 82% of brands are set to actively increase their involvement with music festivals in the coming year. The underlying and unstated takeout here is that festival activations must be working; that brands are seeing notable return on their investment post event, and that fans are receptive to what they are o ering on-site.

This is further echoed by the fact that the vast majority feel brands not only have an “increasingly valuable” role to play in the festival sector, but they also understand that festivals offer up a unique environment to talk to people when they are at their most passionate. Brands are starting to understand that a festivalgoer is a more discerning customer and needs to be handled differently.

From a planning perspective, “on-site visual impact” is something all but 1% of brand managers put as ‘top’ or ‘high’ priority on their want list, proving that there is still a sizeable value placed on visual cut through.

Interestingly, technological innovation and celebrity alignment – those key pillars of music marketing outside the festival space – are perceived as far less valuable, highlighting how brands are starting to understand that the festivalgoer is a more discerning customer and needs to be handled differently from the masses. That said, playing successfully in this space doesn’t mean cutting your activation adrift from your core proposition, with 63% highlighting the ‘essential’ need for a cohesive link back to the brand’s wider marketing message beyond the field.

Download the Guide to brand activations at music festivals 2016.