Tips for a Successful Brand Event: The Laughing Cow

The Motherhood recently attended a beautifully executed local influencer event in Seattle, hosted by The Laughing Cow. (Their spreadable wedges of cheese have been a staple in our Pittsburgh HQ’s communal snack stockpile for years.)

Based on what we saw, we’ve compiled a few tips for a successful brand event:

Provide added value. During the event, attendees had the opportunity to partake in several brief workshops appealing to a variety of interests. While they all related to the “Reinvent Snacking” event theme, each provided an engaging twist to offer participants useful and interesting takeaways going beyond snacktime.

For example, the expert host of one workshop provided food photography tips and gave participants a chance to get hands-on, providing colorful patterned napkins, plates, The Laughing Cow cheese wedges and other accessories to mix and match as they took photos (and, incidentally, shared them on Instagram).

In another workshop, to share a taste and convenience message, one local chef demonstrated unique ways of combining sweet and savory flavors with cheese and crackers using leftovers you might find in your refrigerator. Then he gave participants the opportunity to create and enjoy their own pairings.

Give social cues. At a brand event, strategic reminders about the event hashtag and company social handles are key to interacting with influencers and bringing your messaging to the virtual masses. The Laughing Cow had its bases covered with a live feed of #ReinventSnacking social posts projected on the event wall and table signs reminding attendees to tag @TheLaughingCow on Twitter or @TheLaughingCowUSA on Instagram.

Find an appropriate event space. For events, as with real estate, location is key. Before deciding on a location, you should think about your goals – for example, is your event open to the public, or do you have a select group of invitation-only guests? What kind of atmosphere do you hope to cultivate to help highlight the brand’s “personality” – festive, high-end, playful? The Laughing Cow hosted its event at the Fremont Foundry, a multi-level, industrial chic space in a hip neighborhood that reinforced the brand as a sophisticated snack choice.

Give guests a way to take your brand with them. Before leaving, event-goers received The Laughing Cow-branded tote bags filled with materials to help them keep the event experience and tasty snacks top of mind even after returning home.

The Motherhood received an invitation to The Laughing Cow event, but these tips for a successful brand event are not sponsored. All opinions are our own.