It’s Coachella 2019 and influencers from all around the world will be present to share content. Not just ordinary content, but branded content. How do brands stand out at Coachella and is it worth it to be part of the ultimate desert party?
Coachella has turned into a social media playground, where brands encourage attendees to experience them offline but share them online. In 2018, there were over 465K posts over the course of both weekends of Coachella. 195K were hashtagged #coachella with Revolve’s #revolvefestival generating the highest brand hashtag usage. In all, over 32 million people attend one or more music festivals in the United States each year, with 14.7 million of them being Millennials. Because Millennials don’t typically respond to traditional marketing, festivals are a perfect opportunity to provide them a unique opportunity to share content.
So what are brands doing at Coachella 2019? Here’s a brief list of activations that most likely filled your feed:
YSL Gas Station:
Yves Saint Laurent built its first pop-up shop – a gas station. Attendees will walk through the store where cosmetic products replace snacks and gas station essentials. The best part? A makeup vending machine, virtual makeup stations and instant beauty tips from experts.
Adidas
The Adidas “You Had to be There” was a phone-free party full of surprises. Encouraging fans to live in the moment, Adidas rented out a secret location where influencers and celebrities could partake only if they received an invite. Don’t expect to see pics from this event due to the strict no phone policy, but definitely expect to hear people talking about it.
Revolve Festival
Revolve quickly took over Neon Carnival’s coveted spot as the must-go party of Coachella. This year, they teamed up with artists such as SZA, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Zacari, and 2 Chainz for their Revolve party series: Revolve Hotel, TAO x REVOLVE Desert Nights, #REVOLVEfestival, and the Superdown Night Party.
What do you think about Coachella and brand presence? Is it worth it or should brands stick to other experiential activations?
-Nic Mercado
Associate Director of Operations