Four Approaches to Event Planning: Scale, High-End, Specialty, and Boutique

"Scale" Planning: Should Events Pursue Size?

Organizing a Guinness-style "10,000 People Eating Oysters" or "1,000 People Eating Oysters" event can create impact and spread quickly to every corner of the city through participants' WeChat Moments. 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 a few 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 social charity planning. While aiming for "attention," it should strive to enhance "relevance" to leave a positive impression. Otherwise, the event may stretch too thin, wasting human and material resources, and putting the company in a difficult position.

Second, whether it's "10,000 people" or "1,000 people," how many of them will become future target customers? Considering that Korean oysters are not a mass-market product and are not yet "common household fare," is such a scale-driven event appropriate? Does this somewhat low-end event match the slightly high-end Korean oysters? This is the second concern.

"High-End" Planning: Should Events Go Upscale?

In fact, an event like "Korean Mayor Eating Oysters" was designed not only for "attention" but also with full consideration of "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 dedication and courage does that require? Such "attention" is naturally high. By closely integrating the mayor's personal endorsement with "Korean oysters" in the event design, "relevance" was greatly enhanced.

Judging from the feedback afterward, such a highly relevant event played a crucial role in boosting Korean oyster sales in Jinan.

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

"Specialty" Planning: Should Events Be Distinctive?

If "scale" planning suits mass-market products and "high-end" planning suits premium products, then "specialty" planning can encompass both. For example, "beautiful women eating oysters" is a specialty approach, as is "newlyweds eating oysters." But "beautiful women" and "newlyweds" can be both high-end and mass-market.

Of course, these ideas are all good, but how do they meet Chairman Ren's need for "widespread publicity"? Considering his identity, we proposed a bold idea: organize a grand "specialty" event.

"Boutique" Planning: What You Need Most Is Boutique Planning

If your product is mass-market, we suggest trying "scale" planning. If your product is high-end or niche, we suggest "high-end" planning. If you want your product planning to be sharper and more closely aligned with product functions, we suggest "specialty" planning.

But regardless of whether it's "scale," "high-end," or "specialty" planning, what you need most is "boutique planning." In this era, it's not difficult to come up with a plan or a decent plan; what's difficult is to create a plan that truly resonates with people, is unforgettable, and is talked about by your city's residents and target audience.