The most important part of any event marketing research project is to clearly and accurately define objectives.
Before defining research objectives, you need to know three things:
1. A comprehensive understanding of what the event marketing research intends to measure.
2. The goals and key performance indicators that will define the success of the program.
3. An understanding of what actions the client will want to take as a result of the research.
1. Comprehensive Understanding of the Program
Event marketing research objectives cannot be created if you don’t know anything about the program the research is designed to measure. The planning phase is the time when you must establish research objectives.
During this phase, I always ask the client team for an Activation Strategy Guide: a detailed document that provides everything there is to know about a program’s execution strategy. I also ask for brand strategy materials, which can provide a glimpse into the mind of the client and what they know about the brand. If I am uncertain or unclear about any part of the program, I ask QUESTIONS!
2. Goals and Key Performance Measures
Information about the event marketing goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) of a program is laid out in simple terms in the Activation Strategy Guide (Another great reason to ask your client for it).
Your event marketing research objectives should center on (and, many times, mirror) the overall goals of the program. Event marketing research objectives should be straightforward – almost over-simplified. Avoid ambiguity when describing your research objectives. They are the foundation for the entire process.
3. Understanding Post-Research Actions
The last thing I like to use when I define event marketing research objectives is an understanding of what actions the client/ brand teams plan to take based on the outcomes of the research.
This way, I ensure that my research design delivers on those action items. Defining research objectives is the most critical part of planning for any research project. Those definitions are the basis for every process and tool used during measurement. If you take the time to educate yourselves on the three items above, you should have fantastic event marketing research objectives every time.