OVERVIEW
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Hundreds of performers, 16 stages, and four days. Once a year, tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world gather along the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee to dance, sing, eat, drink, explore, celebrate, and revel in the World’s Largest Irish Music Festival: Milwaukee Irish Fest.
Defining the challenge
Milwaukee is known as the City of Festivals, and cultural and ethnic festivals fill the summer months across the area. We needed a way to differentiate Milwaukee Irish Fest, and also grow an audience beyond an aging audience consisting mostly of people with Irish Heritage. Our goal was to elevate Milwaukee Irish Fest beyond the local ethnic festival, positioning it as a unique, can’t-miss, global event for everyone.
The Solution
Walt Disney once said, “I prefer to amuse people in the hope that they will learn, than to teach them in the hope that they will have fun.” And since Milwaukee Irish Fest founder Ed Ward was a Disney fan, we leaned into that. For Irish Fest, it’s first and foremost a massive music festival. Known globally to some countries as “Milwaukee Fest” or simply “The Fest”, Milwaukee Irish Fest needed a shift in positioning and brand voice. The creative modeled the look and feel of a gig poster with messaging that likened the event to Coachella, Bonnaroo, or Lollapalooza. We put emphasis on the lineup, creating anticipatory energy and inviting attendees to plan their trip around performances.
The Result
In 2021—what should have been a down year—Irish Fest saw festival attendance exceed projections. Growth continued in 2022, and in 2023, they exceeded projections again, bringing in more than 93,000 attendees. Ticket sales supported by campaign creative and messaging were equally impacted. And when people came in to see the music, they were greeted by so much more—a full cultural experience of sport, history, literature, art, and more, with truly something for everyone.
15%
Increase in Ticket Sales vs. 2022
46.2K+
Views of daily live stream
7x
Increase in social likes due to influencer campaign
When we set out to find a new agency to assist in our marketing and PR efforts, we were unanimously impressed by EPIC Creative. They are equipped with a fun, friendly, professional, and super creative staff. They tailor their expertise to meet our specific needs. If we say we need a fresh and unique approach to something that needs changing, they take the time to brainstorm, research, and come back with feasible options. Ultimately, EPIC works to ensure your company’s meeting its marketing goals by implementing results-driven strategies.
– Melissa Ward, Former Director of Marketing & PR and Milwaukee Irish Fest Entertainment Staff