Four Approaches to Event Planning: Scale, Prestige, Uniqueness, and Excellence

The "Scale" Approach: Should Events Pursue Size?

Organizing a Guinness-style event like "Ten Thousand People Eating Oysters" or "One Thousand People Eating Oysters" can create significant impact. Through participants' WeChat Moments, the event can quickly spread to every corner of the city. Is such an event good? In our view, it is very good, much like the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which undoubtedly attracts attention.

However, there are some concerns. First, as a social charity event, the "Ice Bucket Challenge" had high attention and participation, but for a corporate event, can it achieve the same effect and influence? This is worth considering. Corporate event planning differs from charity event planning; while attention is important, relevance should also be enhanced to leave a positive impression. Otherwise, the event may stretch resources too thin, wasting manpower and materials, and putting the company in a difficult position.

Second, whether it's "ten thousand" or "one thousand" participants, how many of them will become future target customers? Considering that Korean oysters are not a mass-market product and may not yet be a household staple, is a scale-driven event appropriate? Does a somewhat low-end event match the relatively high-end image of Korean oysters? This is the second concern.

The "Prestige" Approach: Should Events Aim for High-End?

In fact, events like "Korean Mayor Eating Oysters" are important because they consider not only "attention" but also "relevance," aiming to combine the two effectively. Undoubtedly, a foreign mayor traveling "thousands of miles" to China and "acting as a foodie" in front of hundreds of Chinese citizens—what a spirit of dedication! What courage does that require? Such "attention" is naturally high. By closely integrating the mayor's personal endorsement with "Korean oysters" in the event design, the "relevance" is greatly enhanced.

From the feedback after the event, such highly relevant activities played a crucial role in boosting the sales of Korean oysters in Jinan.

In the eyes of ordinary people, a "mayor" should be dressed in a suit and tie, sitting upright, with the primary duty of managing municipal affairs. Coming to China to "act as a foodie" is clearly not his role and seems inconsistent with his status. In the eyes of the public, it may seem inappropriate, but the more inappropriate it seems, the more attractive it becomes. Thus, by creating an event where the mayor "neglects his duties," both "attention" and "relevance" are achieved. With proper groundwork and design, the subsequent marketing follows naturally.

The "Uniqueness" Approach: Should Events Feature Distinctiveness?

If the "Scale" approach suits mass-market products and the "Prestige" approach suits high-end products, what about the "Uniqueness" approach? It can encompass both types. For example, "Beautiful Women Eating Oysters" is an expression of the "Uniqueness" approach, and "Newlyweds Eating Oysters" is also an expression of it. However, "beautiful women" and "newlyweds" can be either high-end or mass-market.

Of course, these ideas are all good, but how can they meet the client's need for "widespread publicity"? In response, considering the client's identity, a bold idea was proposed: organize a grand "Uniqueness"-type event.

The "Excellence" Approach: You Need Refined Planning

If your product is a mass-market product, we suggest you try some "Scale"-type events. If your product is high-end or niche, we suggest you try some "Prestige"-type events. If you want your event to be sharper and more closely aligned with product functionality, we suggest you try some "Uniqueness"-type events.

But regardless of whether it's a "Scale," "Prestige," or "Uniqueness" event, what you need is "refined planning." In our era, it is not difficult to come up with a plan or a decent plan; what is difficult is to create a plan that truly resonates with people, is unforgettable, and becomes a topic of conversation among your city and target audience.