When it comes to major sporting events such as surfing and extreme sports contests, it’s hard to compete with the athletes and drive traffic to your marketing booth. After all, you’ve got athletes pulling off amazing tricks and wowing audiences. Why would a spectator step away from live action to visit your booth and watch pre-recorded videos? Nike understood the conundrum when it sponsored the 2008 US Open of Surfing and the 2008 Dew Tour and implemented a spiral branding strategy that drove the masses to its interactive booth.

A bright orange color scheme was prominent throughout the branding, with orange ads, scratch-off prize cards, and a large orange tent. Even the prizes (Nike hats and bandanas) were bright orange. What does the color have to do with the videos spectators would ultimately view in the tent? The color created visibility and curiosity. As more audience members appeared wearing Nike orange hats and bandanas, other spectators quickly understood that the bright orange tent was the “go to” destination.

Inside the tent was an interactive wonderland consisting of Nike videos profiling the athletes as well as an interactive video slot machine that awarded winners gift certificates good for a pair of Nike 6.0 shoes. The videos were unique in that they were activated by Nike scratch-off game cards, Nike ads, and webcams. Once the card or ad appeared on the television screen, it transformed into a game such as the slot machine or a Nike video.

Even after the event, participants were encouraged to view the Nike videos on the Nike6.com Website. Not only could spectators watch the videos online, if they had webcams, they could hold up their Nike ads and activate the related videos. In addition to driving traffic to the tent, Nike drove traffic to its Web site.

Nike’s goal was to get people into its tent at major sporting events. Nike accomplished that goal by incorporating spiral branding. Sure, Nike could have erected a tent, played videos inside, and counted on foot traffic. Instead, Nike increased the “wow” factor by:

• Incorporating strong colors (bright orange and black) and using them in ads, displays, game cards, prizes, and other event marketing materials. Even the tent was bright orange and black.

• Giving prizes to all participants.

• Ensuring that the prizes stood out and created a buzz. Imagine a crowd of spectators wearing bright orange bandanas – wouldn’t you want to get one for yourself? Wouldn’t you suspect that you could get one by visiting that prominent bright orange tent?

• Using webcams and interactive video displays.

• Allowing participants to relive the experience on the Nike6.com Web site.

While Nike’s strategy likely cost the company a princely sum of money, it’s a strategy that can be replicated on a smaller scale using spiral branding techniques. The next time you’re charged with setting up a booth at a trade show or event, how can you use similar techniques to drive traffic to your booth? How can you incorporate video, both at the event as well as afterward on your Web site? How can you make your videos interactive? Are all of your marketing materials coordinated in terms of color as well as message? Do your marketing materials build on each other, creating a spiral effect?