Major brands are coming up with craftier ways of selling their products. With the rise of social media and Web 2.0, companies are increasing their web presence. However, a new off the web trend is emerging: house parties. The idea is to have consumers throw parties to sell various products. Microsoft, Ford, Verizon, Nestle and S.C. Johnson are among companies that are bringing back the house party.
Brand parties cater to customers who are leery about marketing and advertising methods employed by corporations. Many customers feel that marketing strategies nowadays are deceiving. Moreover, with so much choice available today, it’s hard for consumers to pick out by themselves what products are best for them (instead of having companies choose for them).
For Microsoft, brand parties proved a success. The experiment was tried during the release of Windows 7. This was crucial to Microsoft after it suffered from notoriously bad PR, bad commercials, and fierce competition from Apple.
The Windows 7 parties, according to Microsoft Director of Marketing, John Dougherty involved 60,000 hosts and over 7 million people. These types of parties allow consumers to actually experience the products firsthand. With Windows 7, participants could use the software without having to purchase it first.
Hosts typically receive the products for free as well as accompanying party favors like tote bags or coasters. The cost to the actual companies throwing the house parties is relatively inexpensive compared to the positive results they bring. They usually range from a few hundred thousand dollars to reach a couple thousand people to a few million for parties thrown on a larger scale.
The New York based company House Party has become the leading planner of such brand house-party events. Microsoft used them as well as a number of other companies including Royal Caribbean, Domino’s, Ford, and Fisher Price. House Party researches potential hosts using the brand’s consumer database and then plans from there.
Written by Lani Shadduck
HULIQ.com
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
