From Posters to Posts: How the Search for Events Has Gone Digital

The pros and cons of finding events in the digital age.

Picture this: you’re lugging your overpriced tote bag down the streets of campus, cold wind in your hair, running late to your next class. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of something that stands out among the rest. A vivid blue poster with gorgeous models towering over the cityscape, beckoning you to attend the upcoming Youthquaker launch party. 

Plug aside, it’s an exciting feeling when you see an event that actually looks worth-attending physically advertised out in the real-world . Like much else in the digital age, the act of putting up posters as a primary attempt at advertising has gone by the wayside. The effectiveness of online advertising cannot be understated.  But before weighing the pros and cons of poster versus post, let’s do a quick history lesson. 

During the golden days of cable television from [cite years that qualify as the golden age of cable], advertisements during commercial breaks were fairly generic in order to appeal to mass audiences. Commercials for cars or popular restaurant chains were applicable to majority demographics with the most spending power. There were a few exceptions such as toy ads on children’s networks, but for the most part niches were not targeted. 

That is, until the death of cable and the birth of the algorithm. Fast forward to the present day, advertising on platforms like Instagram and TikTok has become hyper-specific, as a result of their algorithms studying your perceived interests. For example, if the content you engage with  is predominantly music-related, more likely than not the ads you receive will also pertain to music. 

This technological development also transformed the way event organizers  spread the word to  their target audience. Flashback to the TMU campus twenty years ago, you would find students scouting for events by word of mouth or through posters on the street. These posters would likely be broad, inviting viewers to campus pub nights or clubbing events  targeted at the masses. 

The rise of the algorithm has simplified the process of  finding events that are better catered to your personal interests. 

There are pros and cons to this new method of event marketing. If the only nightlife events brought to my attention were the ones plastered on posters around campus, I would have been doomed to four years of getting drinks spilled on me by nursing students at Fiction. 

Some of the best events I’ve gone to have been liked or reposted by people I have common interests with or show up on my explore page and feed. Since I am often interacting with queer content,as the algorithm has anticipated,I want to attend queer events.  

Other helpful digital tools are apps like RA that present  events going on in  your city in a centralized guide, allowing you to conveniently scroll through and find one that’s up your alley. 

“I don’t know how else I would find events if it weren’t for Instagram and RA guide,” says Rayyen Irshard, a third-year student at York University, “The only time I come downtown is to party on the weekends and by the time we get down there and pregame it’s too late to look for an event in-person.”As someone based outside of downtown, Irshard is unlikely to be exposed to traditional advertising for centrally-located events. Online advertising becomes essential for people like Irshard to premeditate weekend plans

I spoke with Samir Gokhul and Scotty Smith, the individuals behind the Instagram account for up-and-coming collective, Money Is Tight (@money_is_tight). Smith and Gokhul attribute their success to two factors,  “For us, word of mouth and social media interaction are mutually supported by each other. Word of mouth is more persuasive with the visuals provided on our social media and our social media traffic is increased by our audience actually wanting to share our flyers.” 

Besides the brilliant use of queer cultural references in their social media presence  that speak to  their niche target audience, they also give credit to Instagram’s recent soundbyte feature  on posts, “When scrolling through our Instagram we try our best to share music that is identifiable, current and of varying genres.” This music sample  can make or break someone’s decision to attend the event. 

While online advertising is definitely impactful, there is something to be said for the communal aspect of physical advertising. There is a wonderful sense of community created when one particular event makes a big splash. This happens less and less as events become more and more niche. 

Pep Rally’s annual Halloween event Circus brings in huge crowds of students from across the city. I attended Circus last year and it seemed like everyone I knew was in attendance. It is a rare experience for all your mutuals to be at  the same event. These large events harken back to the classic college experience, but are few and far between. 

In recent years, members of Gen Z have been revisiting outdated forms of technology such as digital cameras, flip-phones and iPods to replicate  less convoluted times. Who knows, maybe the act of putting up posters to advertise events rather than posting them online will have a similar renaissance.