ELECTRIC PICNIC: BRAND PRESENCE VS. BRAND PARTICIPATION

Last weekend, I packed my tent & headed to Stradbally to Ireland’s best boutique music & arts festival, Electric Picnic.  3 days of theatre, pantomime, food and holistic health, hot tubs, laughter yoga & last but definitely not least great music.

However, the planner in me never switches off so I eagerly noted various brands presence at the festival & how festival goers were reacting to them and/or interacting with them.

Many brands were just there to promote their names and hawk their wares but a few brands ‘got it’. They understood the essence of the picnic, it’s draw &  they added something special to people’s overall experience.

ESB got into the festival spirit with a novel idea ‘Picnic Power’.  Essentially, ESB asked festival goers to hop on Bikes, see saws & even a human sized hamster wheel to create sustainable power that generated hot water for a free shower.

Oxfam’s Open Mic Oxjam hosted in a teepee invited local musicians to perform in order to raise awareness & make positive global impact.

The festival lesson for brands is to not only have a presence but to create authentic participation.