Hidden Festival (MK) Milton Keynes: Unraveling the challenges of their marketing approach…
Hidden festival MK
👂🏽 Did you hear about it?
🤔 Or know about it?
No?!
Well, we’re taking a little deep dive into why that might be…
Now, this isn’t going to be a blog post you might be expecting to read.
Is it a little controversial - yes! But… That’s how we roll.
We wouldn’t be ‘The rebellious agency with the professional edge’ would we… Let’s be honest! However, it’s coming from a perspective of a consumer and marketing expert (me, Rochelle).
Setting the scene… I came across hidden festival MK (Milton Keynes) on Instagram back around March/April 2023 (in the real early days). It peaked my interest as being a regular festival goer and raver of course this caught my attention.
For context having a background in events and worked/work in the space I have a (some might say judgement eye 👀). I wanted to see what it was saying, what the DJ line-up would be and as it was ‘HIDDEN’ and to be held in MK, I wanted to find out more as they said it would be in a secret location - I guess the intrigue got the better of me.. So, it’s safe to say it had captured my attention and started off strong!
Being an MK native, I always get a little excited when anything music festival or concert wise comes to town (🙌🏽 ReggaeLand soon come). With London and Birmingham being close, MK tends to be overlooked when it comes to big festivals.
Yes, I’m a marketer but also a consumer at the same time and so I can see things from both side. I have an eye for marketing comms surround events - especially new ones.
With MK being seen as a vibrant city with a range of demographics this event looked great.
Now, coming from a marketing comms perspective (not a personal one to make that clear), I feel that they could of done much better with their marketing effort.
One of the main things I spotted straight away was the inconsistency on the brand name…
For example:
The website is branded ‘Hidden City’ yet all the comms on there say ‘Hidden Festival’. Yet the socials read ‘HiddenFestivalMK’ and the hashtag used was ‘hiddencity’.
Although these may seem like small things and of course sound similar, consistency is key in brand building and association. It would of been clearer to keep the ‘Hidden City’ as overall brand name and everything else be branded as ‘HiddenFestivalMK’. These leaves the main name to be used to build on various events they decide to launch and run.
It really did fall short with impact and reach due to lack of effective marketing strategies to support the festival.
Before you think I’m being too harsh as they’re a new festival ‘RELAX’ and hold the phone!
Remember: building brands, marketing and PR is what we do best, not to mention specialising in marketing to Millennials and Gen Z consumers.
Before I get into the detail, this is coming from a brand building/ comms perspective and where I think they could of been more strategic in their approach to be able to;
📣 Reach wider audiences
👣 Engage more potential festival go-ers
🫶🏽 Create search, hype and demand!
So, why the blog?
Well, this isn’t to dig out the festival… far from it.
It’s a little deep dive into what they could of done to improve their marketing and online presence. To be clear I have no idea on their data or the success. I don’t know if the event was a sell out or even if they covered the cost of breaking even - but that’s not the point.
As I mentioned this is purely based on an outside perspective looking at the marketing, brand building (for the future if looking to do the festival again) and attracting, reaching and engaging with the intended target audiences.
So, let’s get into it…
📸: Image from MKFM
The marketing conundrum:
Like anything new a comprehensive marketing strategy is crucial.
Why… I hear you cry?
Because no-one knows who you are, what you’re about, what you’re selling etc. Marketing is a key part to launching a brand and is (in some cases) over looked and under valued.
That being said, usually the main focus is heavily based on social media 🤦🏽♀️. There’s usually a lack of having a wider approach that works with the business objectives, goals and vision.
When it comes to a new festival/event having a solid and successful pre-launch is key to driving the desire to attend and build a loyal audience for future events.
👓 Let’s be clear here - No, we don’t mean looking good on “Instagram” and socials - come on now - marketing is more than that. Yes, it plays a part and is an element, but it shouldn’t be the main and only focus.
When it comes to targeting a younger audience Gen Z (and even Millennials), are pretty savvy consumers. They have the power to drive trends on what’s cool and where to go. Getting in with them is KEY for brands especially if looking to be in the minds and mouths of them.
Unfortunately, I feel that they missed a trick here and seemed to overlook this aspect, resulting in missed opportunities for brand awareness and engagement. Young people are digitally savvy, who (for the most part) live with their phones in their hand. The festival line-up on the Saturday was PERFECT for the social loving Gen Z, with them being natural sharers, there was a real opportunity to use and maximise this.
Yes, content was shared we’re not denying that. However, compared to other festivals - even Saturday Brunch sessions with the girls/ friends I feel it lacked!
📸: Image from Google News Tab
Brand awareness
(pre-campaign planning and inadequate local coverage)
One of the critical elements that seemed to be overlooked was pre-campaign planning - sorry guys.
There was a lack of well-thought-out local coverage - a quick and simple search on Google supports this. The only coverage that is online is in the early stages of the announcement of the festival (April and March) 😬.
The festival failed to generate a strong buzz and excitement before the event itself. Although they had DJs sharing posts about the event, if you don’t already follow them or know who they are, you would of missed that content.
Without an early start in promoting, potential attendees were left unaware of its existence, which (I’m guessing) could of hindered ticket sales and overall attendance (Yes, a lot of people didn’t even know it was happening until post event).
Relying on paying for ad space in the MK Citizen newspaper 😬 was not the most effective approach, as it failed to tap into the digital channels where younger audiences actively consume information. Plus, sadly most people now only receive the free version through the door and it usually ends up in the bin… real talk. Unless you’re trying to reach Gen X consumers, understanding where to best spend budgets is key.
There should of been a comprehensive and creative approach, including various social media campaigns, targeted online advertisements and collaborations/partnerships with local creators “influencers”, could have significantly improved visibility within the desired demographics.
Understanding strong content creator marketing strategy:
In the era of digital influence, leveraging content creators can significantly impact brand awareness. However, there was a clear lacked a coherent content creator marketing strategy. Creator marketing is an area we’re not only well versed and connected in, but something we actively do. We’ve not only done it for years, but we have a solid understanding of the importance of brand alignment when working with them.
It’s crucial to identify and collaborate with influencers and content creators who align with the event's values and target audience. Inviting influencers who merely sought a free experience rather than supporting the event's vision only further diluted its authenticity. You might read this thinking I’m digging out the ones who did attend - NO! However, there are some very influential creators locally as well as regionally that wasn’t invited or in attendance.
🤔How do I know this… I work a lot with Creators nationally and locally and speak to them regularly.
Side note: We’ve seen the content from the ‘Influencer’ marketing strategy for this event 😬. To be honest, it wasn’t well thought out or well aligned to the intended audiences. There should of be campaigns created pre, during and post event, have a mix of diverse and inclusive creators across the board, they should of been invited with a purpose and so much more.
Overall, it didn’t really support the branding of the event. I don’t think that the creators audiences were considered apart from being a ‘local person with a following’. Creator marketing isn’t about that and the inexperience shows. What the true ROI was of them attended I won’t know, but if it was for vanity metics like follower counts, Likes and Views - it says a lot! It looked like, local ‘influencers’ got to have a good time for FREE just because they have a following!
Brand partnerships and aligning the event with the target audience:
Now, let’s get onto brand partnerships. They play a crucial role in amplifying reach and attracting the right audience. As much as the festival partnered with Pink Punters for the after party on the Saturday night, it failed to establish meaningful partnerships that would resonate with the target audiences. There was some great opportunities to work and collaborate with more local brands (especially around the area of the event) to tap into their customers base. By aligning and supporting these local businesses who share similar values and interests, they could have positioned themselves as an authentic MK based festival working and supporting each other. It could of been appealing and really build on the ‘Hidden MK’ name (this could of really utilised).
Mixed messaging and lack of shareable moments:
Another setback was the mixed messaging surrounding the event.
What do I mean by this?
Well, Saturday was for over 18s and Sunday was a family day. However, a very blanket marketing approach was used across their Instagram.
Yes, this can work for brand building - but again think about it…
Do Gen Z want to be raving with Kids on the Sunday?
I’m guessing NO!
There’s nothing wrong with mixed ages and demographics at events as Glasto and Nottinghill carnival do this and do it well.
However, clarity and consistency in branding as well as communication are essential for capturing the attention of Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Why do say this?
Just look at all the content shared on their main Instagram feed, tagged images and the hashtag #Hiddenfestival there is very little ‘FAMILY CONTENT’, majority of posts are of ravers aka festival goers (Gen Z and Millennials) and the DJs in attendance.
As I mentioned we don’t have any data or facts on this, but the messaging should really be aligned with the expectations and interests of the target audiences to build excitement and anticipation.
Festivals are built on gaining traction and thrive through shareable moments and user-generated content (UGC). In an age where attendees are eager to document and share experiences on social media, I feel that there is a lack of compelling moments.
Again, you can search the tagged images most are made up of BTS of the DJs, videographer/ professional images by (what we’re guessing are the teams they worked with) with little UGC being tagged (at time of publishing this blog).
📸: Image from Hidden Festival MK instagram
Even a quick search of the hashtag (which wasn’t actually bespoke to the event as it’s linked to another event from 2019 - this should of been checked or at least had the MK added) has UGC. But, not as much as you would expect. With a lot of then content being hash tagged by the event itself, the teams supporting the event with a few bits of UGC filtered in. But, as the hashtag isn’t bespoke to the event it’s hard to track the true success (this is top level). Things like this can hindered the organic promotion and word-of-mouth marketing potential.
📸: Image from Hidden Festival MK instagram
Before consumers by into brands, events etc they do take the time to check them out across all platforms (even Google and YouTube) and yes, they will check tagged images, who’s talking about it and what it’s saying etc.They want to see if this this is something they would like to be part of and associated with. As in return word of mouth spreads which will drive the search and demand to find out more about it… as most people don’t like FOMO!
There’s a reason why Reggae Land has evolved from Campbell Park MK to MK Bowl this year (2023). I appreciate this is an event that has been building for years, but the level of UGC from the first event, drove conversation, shares, tags etc across social platforms - basically word of mouth in the digital space.
Now, you can’t always predict consumer behaviour, but simply put Reggae Land from day one they had a clear plan of action with their marketing approach and brand building. As a result the brand awareness, attendance and event have grown.
So, after all of this what’s your point? 🤷🏾♂️
Hidden Festival MK presented an exciting opportunity in MK to build on the (creative) name and engage with the Gen Z and Millennials in and around the surrounding areas. It created a concept that is unique and (in my opinion) needed in MK. They could see there was a lack of Summer festivals that would appeal to ravers of all ages, where they could provide great music, support local artist and food venders as well as support the local economy.
However, for me it’s marketing strategy fell short. The lack of pre event campaign planning, understanding how to create strong creator marketing strategy by working with the right people, solid brand partnerships, securing consistent media coverage, weakened the festival's impact locally and regionally. Additionally, mixed messaging and a lack of strong UGC further limited the event's reach and potential for success.
Moving forward, it is crucial for event organisers to invest in a comprehensive marketing strategy that prioritises understanding the various target audiences, aligning with appropriate creators "‘influencers’ and brands to build stronger brand awareness worth sharing.
I’m not clear if this was a one-off or a long term thing, but if this is something that they look to continue they will need to address these challenges for the future of Hidden festival. By doing this it will result in higher brand awareness, stronger engagement and ultimately deliver a festival that people far and wide would want to attend.
Leave your mark…
I would say that there’s a market, want and even need for a festival like this in MK. Because, MK was once the hub of nightlife and raving. Back in the day (90s) people would travel far and wide to venues like Sanctuary Music Arena (where my love of raving come from) which held events like Sidewinder, Godskitchen, Gatecrasher and so much more. Not to mention The Empire MK, which took over for many events like Sidewinder when Sanctuary closed.
In the early to mid 2000s we had the Snowdome (Xscape) open it’s doors with places to go out to like Toad (then Mood), Rev’s and Oceana to then the Theatre District (Now named 12th Street - worst re-brand as no-one calls it that) which had Casa/Bar:Me, Yates, Rat and Parrot and more.
Over the years, the decline of nightlife and regular events at MK Bowl has left a gap in the market and Hidden Festival MK can 100% fill a small portion of that.
The only advice would be for the festival organisers to take the time to understand the vision of the festival (short and/or long term) and work with the right brands and people to secure the longevity. From what I know, this was their first year running the event and I’m unaware of the success.
But, having lots of video content and a nice looking Insta feed will only get you so far. To really make and even leave your mark and be a true ‘HIDDEN’ gem of MK - You should think about levelling up!
If you’re ready for the spotlight?
We can amplify your brand's visibility and secure media coverage that gets you noticed. #facts.
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