The Genius Aspects of Brand Marketing at Coachella

Photo: Jérôme LaMaar Via: Vogue

Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival is a popular music festival held in Indio, California in the Coachella Valley. The festival has been going on since the 1990s. Each year the hottest musical talents perform and many celebrities and influencers come out to the desert to listen to their favorite artists. The biggest part of Coachella besides the music is the brand offerings, as they have taken over the festival and created their own little marketing worlds within. Many brands bank on Coachella coming every year to give festival goers unique experiences that align with their brands value. Many brands also sponsor the event and do giveaways and have VIP lounges at the festival.

American Express Lounge at 2022 Coachella Photo: Dan Steinberg via: Event Marketer 

Lounges

Many brands set up exclusive lounges at Coachella to get festival goers out of the sun and also advertise their products. These lounges are set up throughout the festival and offer various experiences. For instance, last year, American Express had a lounge exclusively for their Amex card members where they had a pop shop with limited edition merchandise designed by musical artists Billie Eilish and Conan Gray. Not only does it give their current card member exclusive and memorable experiences at the festival but it also intrigues festival goers that are not card members. The exclusivity of the  lounge will make more people want to sign up for an Amex American Express card.  

Absolut Metaverse Bar Photo: Marissa Joy Photography via: Bizbash 

Discount Codes

Brands will often give consumers discount codes to use either at the festival or for a limited time after. This tactic allows consumers to want to go to brand experiences at the festival and look at the brand more. A real life example of this was last year, the vodka brand Absolut gave festival goers discount codes for their cocktail kits in their metaverse house. This gave consumers a unique experience with the brand in a digital space that they will remember. It also allows them to come back if the brand is having an experience next Coachella. 

Photo: ​​Inge Fonteyne via: Vogue

Sponsorships and Giveaways

Brands often will sponsor an influencer and a plus one to go to Coachella. Usually, the influencer has to wear their garments or use their products in a video for their followers so these sponsorships usually come with giveaways for influencers. These brands can also sponsor a giveaway to an influencer's followers with an influencer. This allows brands to get more consumer eyes on them and build brand’s relationships with influencers for the future. Bigger brands will sometimes sponsor the entire music festival. These sponsors typically have exclusive brand experiences at the festival that festival goers can go to.

Lay’s “Potadomes” Photo: Lays via: Smith Design

Brand Experiences

Many brands host experiences for consumers to go to while they are at the festival. These can vary depending what the brand does or is known for. Some brands invite specific influencers that they have sponsored to their events. Some will also invite musicians and DJs to be and perform at their events. These days, brands are using new technological advances like the Metaverse, AI and NFTs for these experiences. For instance, last year, the chip brand Lay’s had “Potadomes” placed throughout the festival where they offered an immersive four course tasting experience that people could reserve at the festival and they offered a food sampling room in their lounge for guests. 

Paris Hilton at the Neon Carnival Photo: CHELSEA LAUREN  via: WWD

Parties

This is one of the most popular attractions at Coachella besides the music. Many celebrities come to this part of the festival the most. Brands often host these parties as a part of their brand experiences. Sometimes these parties are off the Coachella grounds but are still close by for people to get too. The biggest annual Coachella party and attraction is the Neon Carnival, which is free for anyone at the festival with a wristband. The Neon Carnival lights up the Coachella in luminescent lights and has rides, bars and performances.    

Coachella is a great marketing channel for any brand to use to promote themselves. Many brands use various forms of brand experiences to peak consumer interests and can build brand identity or awareness. Coachella offers an interesting landscape for brands to work with. With Coachella coming April 14th, it will be exciting to see what brands do this year in collaboration with the beloved festival.