“Why is she coming?”

The question every brand should ask before hosting an event.

When there's brand news to share, a new product to launch or a campaign to bring to life, organising an event can feel like the natural next step. It's often one of the first things we think about: how can we get this news out and bring our network together in real life?

But before getting too far into the logistics, it's worth taking a step back. At our recent instinct Live Media Briefings event, The Women Re-Writing Mid-Life, Michelle Kennedy, Founder and CEO of Peanut, posed a simple but rather brilliant question for anyone planning an event: “Why is she coming?”

It's a question that gets to the heart of what makes an event worth leaving the house for. And it sparked some interesting discussion among our speakers. Here are a few things we took away:

• Think audience first: It's easy to build an event around what a brand wants to say, launch or showcase, but flip that thinking around. What's in it for the guest? Whether it's access to something new, the chance to meet like-minded people or simply a brilliant day out with the kids, there needs to be something genuinely worthwhile in it for them.

  
  

• Community is more than a follower count: As Michelle pointed out, community isn't measured by the number of followers someone has. It's about people connecting, meeting and mobilising together. In a world where so much happens online, creating opportunities for those connections to happen in real life can be incredibly powerful.

  
  

• Give people a reason to come together: A product launch might provide the initial hook, but is it enough to get people through the door? Kat Farmer highlighted how bringing brands together around a shared experience can make an event feel more social and collaborative, rather than just another launch.

  
  

• Don't let the value end at the door: Attendance figures and social content only tell part of the story. The connections made, conversations started and insight gathered can be just as valuable, helping brands understand their audiences better and build relationships that last beyond the event itself.

• 
  

Ultimately, asking “Why is she coming?” is a useful way to challenge our thinking before the venue is booked and the guest list starts taking shape. It's something we're constantly asking ourselves at instinct, and why we like to think we create events that media genuinely want to be part of.

Want to find out more about our Live Media Briefings? Drop us a note at info@instinct-pr.com for the key takeaways from this session or to get yourself on the guestlist for the next one.