Boom Boom Boom, Now Everybody Say WayHome (WAYHOME!)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s why visual media marketing can ultimately be an incredibly effective method of reaching potential audiences. The start-up music festival WayHome, which has amassed incredible success despite only heading into its third year, undoubtedly understands this concept. Through its recent and more distant marketing history, they have time and time again utilized visuals (through Instagram and otherwise) to make followers pay attention.
First, let’s talk about their more general Instagram/image marketing approach. The company has a clear grasp of the meaning of an image and how this can connect to their brand which revolves around the value of an experience. Referring to their about page solidifies this ideology. They discuss a pre-internet society that comes together to take in all the senses that a music festival can provide, concluding with the word “spectacle.” The best way to capture this, of course, is through image. The best way to share an image in 2017? Instagram.
Their Instagram does not come off as blatant marketing at first glance. While there are occasional posts advertising ticket/hotel sales, most of the feed features what they’ve dubbed “Wayhomies” (i.e. their guests) enjoying each others’ company and the experience the festival has provided them. They position themselves as entirely authentic, which I personally think contributes to their strong insta game. They’ve also made smart use of the new feature on Instagram that allows for multiple photos/videos in one post as a way to promote sets of artists on their lineup. This keeps them really active while avoiding over-stimulating their followers.
In terms of campaigning, there have been two recent instances where WayHome used Instagram/images successfully. The first was the release of the 2017 lineup. They released a set of polaroid images (even mailing some to dedicated fans) hinting at the artists on the lineup. They changed their website to redirect to a feed of the images and potential guesses by fans, as well as posting a few on Instagram. This was a highly engaging way to get fans excited about the lineup and the festival itself. After all, it’s probably easy to lose attention/traction when your social media marketing slows down after the previous year’s festival hype winds down. WayHome used images not only for people to look at, but to start a conversation.
The second and most recent campaign has been an Instagram contest to win two GA passes to the upcoming festival. Fans can enter by posting their favourite memories of the festival with the hashtag #YourWayhome. The festival has been reposting “honourable mentions” which may prove to be motivating, as getting featured on a page with thousands of followers probably a) feels pretty cool and b) could gain you a few followers yourself. Again, this campaign engages fans in the conversation and marketing instead of just throwing information at them. It’s also a way more fun contest than a simple entry form, and it gives the festival free promotional material that contributes to their image of authenticity.
Overall, the brand uses Instagram and the concept of the image effectively to market their offerings, to create a brand identity, and to engage their audience in campaigns. With Instagram coming out with new features (like multi-posting and stories) more and more, it’ll be interesting to see how companies like WayHome either use them to their advantage or neglect them completely, missing out on fruitful marketing opportunities in the process.
