Event Marketer Summer 2023 - 29

" What makes Reddit so special is our communities.
It's the conversations and redditors that make up the
platform. So we always want to make sure that we're
leading experiences through that lens. We want to
make sure that our communities are front and center,
our users are front and center, and we're doing it
justice for them. Reddit is such a unique place-we
want to stay true to what makes Reddit, Reddit. "
-Caroline Absher, Head of Event Marketing
and Industry Marketing Programs, Reddit
Attendees interacted with the orb by pressing
topic-specific buttons that summoned
comments and threads from relevant
subreddits
and
presented
predictions
around the future of everything from gaming
to transportation to Web3.
In a similar vein, over at the
Communi-tea Bar, attendees could grab a
hot mug (no single-use plastic was used at
the event) and read " communi-tea leaves "
on a series of tablets that focused on vertical-specific,
future-forward conversations.
They also snagged branded, biodegradable
tea packets with labels that showcased posts
from various subreddits.
Finally, tying the experience and
messaging together, brand ambassadors
mimicked psychic readings by providing
attendees with Reddit Archetype cards that
conveyed different redditor personas-
another opportunity for brands to find their
people. Among them: The Fool, focused on
memes and humor; The Innovator, interested
in inventions and programming; and
The Enchanter, passionate about fashion
and magic.
Speaking of magic-75 percent of surveyed
attendees reported an increased intent
to spend with Reddit in 2023 as a result of
their CES experience.
THE TECHNOLOGY BALANCING ACT
With community and
connection
eventmarketer.com
as
its foundation, Find Your People was a
decidedly human campaign. But as a digital
platform looking to demonstrate its positioning
as a trailblazer, Reddit also needed to
incorporate technology into its event strategy.
The challenge was balancing the two.
" We know advertisers are consumers,
too. We all like to have fun. We all like to
be spoken to like humans, " says Herman.
" But we also needed to communicate that
Reddit is at the forefront of what's happening
in tech. So [it's about] finding that balance
between something that's impressive and
something that's approachable. And doing
it in a way that invites the person on the
ground, in person, to participate. It's not
a passive viewing of a screen; it's an active
experience of a brand. "
Tech also helped support Reddit's commitment
to sustainability, a top organizational
priority. The brand used QR codes,
for instance, instead of paper handouts,
throughout the event. (Fun fact: The subreddit
r/ZeroWaste has 1 million members with
dozens of conversation threads around the
desire for companies to eliminate swag or
transition to more sustainable options.)
NEXT UP
Reddit's commitment to sustainable practices
is being reinforced this year with a
brand-new partnership launched on June
1 with purpose-led marketing company
Givsly. The " Karma Kash " initiative utilizes
Givsly's Good Marketing platform to
THE GOOD WORD: Interactive touchpoints included
an " Attackronyms " video game that tested attendees'
knowledge of Reddit's most popular acronyms.
provide Reddit's clients with the choice to
opt out of receiving physical swag at events
and meetings, and reallocate that budget to
a nonprofit of their choosing.
Reddit also made a triumphant return
to Cannes this year, where it debuted a
" Reddit Recommends " campaign and activation
strategy supported by all-new research.
Absher says the brand aimed to take the
audience " a click deeper on Reddit's community
landscape, diving into the opportunity
for brands to be present, and take part in,
the discussion where recommendations are
given-and purchase decisions are made. "
As far as future experiential campaigns
are concerned, Reddit may find new ways
to engage attendees around its value proposition,
but its core community-centric
approach is here to stay.
" What makes Reddit so special is our
communities. It's the conversations and redditors
that make up the platform, " says Absher.
" So we always want to make sure that
we're leading experiences through that lens.
We want to make sure that our communities
are front and center, our users are front and
center, and we're doing it justice for them.
Reddit is such a unique place-we want to
stay true to what makes Reddit, Reddit. "
Reddiquette at its finest.
-Kait Shea
SUMMER 2023 EVENT MARKETER
29
http://www.eventmarketer.com
Event Marketer Summer 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Event Marketer Summer 2023
