Over the past decade, festivals have become a core part of our cultural currency. The number of festivals across the UK has boomed there are now more than 500 music festivals alone (compared with 20 in 1998), and what they offer has changed dramatically - they are now less about music and more about experience.

However, while the format has evolved, the approach of many fmcg brands to it has not. This is surprising as, arguably, it is the fmcg industry that is best-placed to capitalise on the shift.

Today, when a much wider cross-section of the population is attending festivals, the experience consumers encounter is much more akin to what they get in a shopping centre - with everything in one place and brands fighting for their attention.

Fmcg brands have a strong heritage in delivering powerful shopper marketing and social media campaigns. But while they know how to “do social” and have woken up to the fact that festivalgoers will be connected at the event, they are failing to provide an experience that makes them stand out from the crowd.

In an era where consumers self-select most, if not all, of the brand engagements they experience, brands need to ensure they are not just relevant to the festival but to the consumer too.

To capture and retain consumer interest, brands need to think about festivals as an element within a relationship, and apply some of the tactics we see cropping up in stores.

First and foremost, festivals are about having a good time. The only way brands can be seen to be adding to this ‘good time’ is to approach festivals as a long-term partnership between brand, festival and festivalgoer.

Brands that get this wrong could find festivals become nothing more than a shopping centre in a different location, and struggle to achieve cut-through.

However, the potential spoils far outweigh the risks. Brands that offer something that makes festival experience easier and/or better for consumers will find festivals become a key building block on the road to a lasting relationship. In the current climate, that’s an opportunity they cannot afford to miss.

Stephanie Whitaker is MD of Ignis

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