Resident Welfare Association (RWA) Activation is a high-focus zone in retail marketing. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, many retail businesses that suffered huge losses aim for a resurgence. The crucial need of the hour is to re-establish a connection with the target audience. Visiting residential societies for advertising and promotional events is a sure-shot way to captivate the attention of families. It is also an excellent way to create a positive buzz around the brand, with society members spreading the word. The more clearly and enticingly retail businesses convey their offers, the higher the probability of attendees sharing the same with their friends, colleagues, etc. More than anything else, RWA promotions enable businesses to interact with potential customers directly, seek feedback, and enhance the brand image. As a result, integrating the right approach can positively impact retail store footfall.
Salient Features of RWA Events and RWA Activation:
Typically, retail businesses do not possess RWA events’ required knowledge and expertise. Since this strategy is critical, retailers prefer to outsource it to reputed third-party vendors. A marketing agency specializing in organizing retail promotions and events in residential zones is the apt choice for retailers. However, before going ahead and entrusting these responsibilities to an agency, it is best to be aware of the salient features of RWA events and activations:
- RWA activation focuses on creating a loyal customer base for a business’s products by targeting multiple housing societies in a city. There are numerous ways of achieving these objectives, with hoardings, cultural events, sampling sessions, product demos, etc.
- RWA events foster a direct connection between brands and consumers. Hence, soliciting genuine customer feedback (via surveys and other methods) is feasible.
- Creating the right visualizers is instrumental for the success of RWA activation. The best examples are attractive hoardings, product display stalls, engaging leaflets, newspaper inserts, and brochures.
- The prime differentiator is to tailor an exceptional consumer experience with multiple brands vying for consumers’ attention. Conducting innovative events with the brand at the forefront is the key to success.
Understanding the Different RWA Events:
Depending on the products/services retailers aiming to advertise and the retail solutions used, it is possible to plan multiple RWA promotional events. Here is an overview:
- Putting up Stalls for Product Sampling
- Guerrilla Marketing Tactics like putting up eye-catching brand visualizers and logos in unexpected places
- Using Human Banners with an element of Entertainment Marketing
- Cultural Events during Festivals with underlying brand promotions
- Conducting App Launch Promotional Events with hi-tech retail solutions
- Distributing pamphlets door-to-door manually or via attractive newspaper inserts
- Pop-up Events with a high element of surprise
- Engaging Product Demonstrations with Free Trials
- Crowd-building events like Contests, Games, Lucky Draws, and so on
- Food and Beverage Sampling for FMCG Brands
- RWA Brands Activation with entertaining events, costume characters, mascots, and street teams
- Setting up kiosks to showcase the best products and latest offers
Using Retail Solutions to Coordinate RWA Events:
When RWA promotions have to be conducted on a large scale, relying on manual coordination can be challenging. Hence, when outsourcing RWA Brand Activation requirements to a marketing agency, it is best to make sure these professionals use the right software. Similarly, if residential society promotions are organized by in-house retail marketers, using cutting-edge retail solutions to coordinate these events is a must. The advantages of using retail marketing software can be listed as follows:
- It ensures that all the targeted geographical zones are covered adequately, and no residential society is left out.
- Helps in workforce planning, deploying the required number of employees at the right time to the right place.
- Aids in effective on-site communication for better synchronization of events and activities
- Mobile app integration helps systematically map and document on-site consumer feedback to generate insightful reports.
Conclusion
RWA Promotions have always been an essential component of retail marketing. While telemarketing and digital marketing have pros and cons, RWA is miles apart in creating a direct impact. Especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, these activities are crucial when consumer trends and preferences have drastically changed. Before approaching a marketing agency for RWA activation, retail businesses should list the critical requirements. Gain an understanding of the scale/scope of the intended promotional events with contractual guarantees. Lastly and most importantly, enquire about the software used for efficiently managing these events on a large scale.
