Corporate events establish themselves as strategic branding tools

In an increasingly competitive and consumer experience-driven market, corporate events have evolved from being mere occasional gatherings to becoming strategic branding platforms. This is the view defended by Eduardo Zech, Marketing and Operations Director at Panda Inteligência em Eventos, a company specialized in creating corporate experiences focused on brand building.

“We work with the client’s brand objective as our main guideline, considering its attributes, values, behaviors, and key messages they wish to convey,” explains Zech. According to him, every detail of an event—from scenography to visual language—can and should be used as an emotional touchpoint with the audience, reinforcing the brand’s positioning and values.

For Panda, the event planning journey begins with a deep dive into the client’s identity and strategic moment. From there, sensory, visual, and interactive experiences are built, aiming not only for visibility but also for an authentic brand experience. “The idea is always to generate relevance, differentiation, and increased impact through the creation of positive reputation,” states the executive.

From Physical to Digital – The company also invests in digital strategies as a way to amplify the reach of events and prolong their impact. “We plan content for before, during, and after the event through a contact funnel. Additionally, we focus on Instagrammable experiences, partnerships with influencers, hashtags, and digital activations,” reports Zech.

This integration between physical and digital, referred to as the phygital experience, is seen by Panda as an essential trend for the coming years. “In-person events remain irreplaceable in creating human connections. But today, digital extends the reach and longevity of the event. We believe that physical and digital go hand in hand to create complete experiences,” he emphasizes.

Branding with Results – Far from improvisation, branding through events requires planning and result measurement. Panda uses data analysis, benchmarking, KPIs, and even local impact indicators to evaluate the success of projects. “We measure everything from engagement, interactions during activations, and brand perception to territorial development, such as job creation and local revenue,” says Zech.

Cases such as the projects carried out for Anglo American and Localiza illustrate the power of events as positioning tools. In the latter case, according to Eduardo, the concept created for the event was so aligned with the company’s purpose that it became decisive in choosing Panda as the responsible agency.

Brand Culture – For companies that do not yet use events as a branding tool, Panda’s message is straightforward: start with purpose. “Before thinking about the format, think about the why. What message do you want to convey? What feeling do you want to evoke?” advises Zech. He concludes: “Events are experienced with the body, emotion, and senses. When a brand provides a special experience, it ceases to be just a name and begins to occupy a place in the audience’s emotional memory,” he affirms.