Having successfully run activations at the Minnesota State Fair for years, Mazda had to pivot during the pandemic when the State Fair was cancelled. In lieu of the traditional Great Minnesota Get Together, organizers developed a drive-through Minnesota State Fair Food Parade. Mazda needed a partner who could help build an activation that could be executed quickly and maximize attendee engagement. They turned to Linnihan Foy to make it happen.
Action
In short order we partnered with the regional Mazda marketing team to develop a “Mazda at the Far” activation that:
Promoted the event at local dealerships
Increased awareness of the Mazda model lineup
Encouraged participation in a prize giveaway
Drove traffic to an event specific microsite
Encouraged engagement with local Twin Cities Mazda dealers
Developed brand messaging after the event
A multitude of online and offsite assets were developed to support the event including an event microsite, event signage, dealership promotional assets, attendee takeaways and post activation communications.
Result
Pandemic be darned, the Mazda at the Fair event pivot proved to be a success. Several thousand event attendees visited the dedicated microsite, registered for daily prizes and were introduced to Mazda brand messaging. Thirteen lucky attendees went home with amazing, locally sourced prizes. And perhaps most importantly, countless Minnesotans were able to escape to the Great Minnesota Get Together during a year otherwise hindered by event restrictions.