When Events Detour from Strategy: A Cautionary Tale in Brand Experience

At Sage Connections, we talk a lot about strategy. Not the kind that lives in a binder or gets dusted off for quarterly reviews, but the kind that breathes through every touchpoint, every decision, and every customer interaction. Strategy, when executed, becomes culture. It becomes clarity. It becomes the connective tissue between your brand and the people it serves.

So let’s talk about what happens when we detour from that.

Events—launches, activations, summits, galas—can be sensational. They promise visibility, buzz, and a chance to “show up big.” But too often, they become expensive spectacles that miss the mark. Not because the catering was off or the lighting was flat, but because they were built in isolation or history/precedence drives it. Sometimes it is one functional role with the loudest voice that drives your events. Either way, if it is detached from the strategy and disconnected from the overarching vision that drives your business, it shows up in the customer experience.

Here’s the pattern we see:

• A brand invests deeply in strategic messaging, customer journey mapping, and vendor partnerships that reflect its values.

• Often, when it’s time to “go live,” the event is handed off to a third-party team with little context, little continuity, and a mandate to impress. (Here is a secret: those same vendors may repurpose materials at a cost to you and little customization for your event.) – Or the vision isn’t shared through to your internal event team.

• The result? A beautiful moment that feels off. Like a costume party where no one knows the theme.

Strategy-driven events that resonate don’t just look good; they also deliver results. They feel aligned. They carry the same tone, rhythm, and intention as the rest of your brand. They honor the relationships you’ve built and the goals you’ve set before your customer ever enters your booth, briefing center, or meeting room. They’re not just about showing up. They’re about showing up as yourself – your authentic brand.

This isn’t a call to cancel your events. It’s a call to reframe them.

What if your next event wasn’t a standalone splash, but a strategic extension of what it is like to experience your brand?

What if it were designed with the same care you give to your customer onboarding, your vendor partnerships, and your internal culture?

What if it invited your audience into a moment that felt unmistakably “you”—not just visually, but emotionally?

When the customer’s experience, the business’s goals, and the brand’s identity all converge. Not in a pitch, but in every detail of your presence.

That’s where the magic happens.

So before you greenlight the next big spend, ask:

·         Is this event or the “talent” you are hiring in service of your strategy, or a distraction from it?

·         Are you reinforcing relationships and value messaging in experiences that connect the attendee to the brand

·         Will the audience leave with a clearer sense of who we are, or just a tote bag?

Events can be powerful. But only when they’re rooted. Rooted in strategy and rooted in the kind of clarity that makes your brand unforgettable.

But, most importantly, they are rooted in the experience for your customer and the goals of the business.

Like this blog and comment your email address for an event workshop checklist to shake up your next big “event” planning session.