Imagine this: Goats in eveningwear accepting an award on stage. Sounds pretty unforgettable, right? The good news is, you don’t have to imagine it because we have a photo below for your viewing pleasure.

The Filament team on stage at the 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference, with goats Mary and Clover.

You might be wondering, how did goats end up in eveningwear? It all started when the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference went virtual due to COVID-19. As a Sustaining Partner of the conference, the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) asked if Filament would like to fill a 15-minute virtual session break with some sort of engaging entertainment.

We jumped at the opportunity and created “G.O.A.T. Games” — a video comprised of heart-racing competitions between two all-star livestock lineups, with each team led by the goats in gowns themselves, Mary and Clover.

Mary and Clover in their finest attire in the NAMA tradeshow. These lovely ladies live on Filament founder/CEO Ed Peck’s farm.

The goal of the G.O.A.T. Games video was to provide some light-hearted fun for virtual conference-goers while also showcasing Filament’s “We Live It” culture and foundation. The project was initially intended to be a one-off activation, but the fans demanded more Mary and Clover — so like the marketing professionals we are, we decided to give the fans what they wanted and extended the campaign to this year’s NAMA Conference.

But, how could we extend the original ESPN-worthy G.O.A.T. Games? How could we transition our two all-stars, Mary and Clover, from a virtual conference to an in-person event?

For us, it was easy: Hop in a minivan with two goats, trek cross country and deliver live goats to the 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference. Oh, and have custom-made outfits for said goats for extra pizazz.

Mary and Clover with the team in the Filament booth at the NAMA tradeshow.

To increase engagement and attract attendees to our tradeshow booth, we took the activation even further:
• The video below was played for all attendees to generate excitement and encourage conference attendees to stop by the booth.
• At our booth, attendees were able to get their photo taken with the legendary goats while treating them to some goat kibble (aka, Cheerios).
• Visitors could also purchase G.O.A.T. Games merchandise (with proceeds going to the NAMA Foundation), vote for the 2022 G.O.A.T. Games team captains and take home other items showcasing the Filament brand.

Utilizing experiential marketing in this way allowed us to build brand awareness by authentically connecting with the audience and showing them that “We Live It.”

With many events offering virtual options these days, it can be beneficial to remind your audience why it’s fun to attend events in person by offering an experience they can’t miss. People will talk about extraordinary experiences — and the companies that create them. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to bring your brand to life and create long-lasting impressions your audience won’t forget.

Let’s talk about goats in eveningwear or brainstorm ideas on harnessing the power of experiences to build your brand awareness.