TechDogs-"A Marketer’s Guide To Experiential Marketing"

Marketing Technology

A Marketer’s Guide To Experiential Marketing

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Would you agree if we said that modern marketers need to go beyond traditional means? We’re bored of the plain Jane newspaper ads, flyers and radio jingles. Consumers demand more personalized and engaging marketing, which leads to better experiences. Yet not every brand has picked up on this to leverage non-traditional marketing approaches. The ones that do, however, stand out in the customer’s eyes. #BeUnqiue

Think back to when Vodafone installed a slide next to escalators in popular public locations and added a message: “You think escalators are fast? Look at what we’ve got!” This helped consumers associate blazing internet speeds with the telecom brand while also gaining a unique marketing experience. We mean, who doesn’t love slides?

Similarly, other businesses want to use innovative events and interactive marketing tactics to reach out to their consumers. Engaging with customers through creative, unique and memorable interactions significantly improves brand recognition and awareness.

That’s where Experiential Marketing steps in; also called engagement marketing, live marketing or participation marketing. Read on to learn more!
TechDogs-"A Marketer’s Guide To Experiential Marketing" Want To Soar On New Heights Of Marketing Experience?
Do you remember when Felix Baumgartner set the world record for the highest skydive in 2012? The Austrian daredevil skydiver jumped from the stratosphere, roughly 39 kilometers from the Earth’s surface, free-falling in a pressure suit before opening a parachute. The live stream was watched by over 8 million people, which also set a world record for the highest number of concurrent views for a live broadcast. You must also remember the sponsor for the event, right?

The event was part of the Red Bull Stratos project, aimed at exploring the outer layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Naturally, Red Bull had placed its distinctive logo on Felix’s suit and helmet. This is what Experiential Marketing is all about – capturing the audience’s attention. Within six months of the event, Red Bull sales in the US increased by 7% and global sales jumped by 13%. Naturally, other brands have since started exploring ways to use Experiential Marketing to their advantage. #ExperientialMarketingGivesYouWings

If you’re one of them, skydive into this article on Experiential Marketing to learn more!
 

So, What Is Experiential Marketing?


Experiential Marketing is an immersive consumer outreach experience, which often does not focus on directly promoting or mentioning the product or service. Consumers participating in the interactive events recall the positive experiences, which they subsequently link with the brand. This helps brands add more value to consumers’ lives and creates a loyal relationship with the business. Additionally, Experiential Marketing events can be shared on social media or through word-of-mouth, increasing engagement and brand awareness.

The bottom line is this: If you want to stand out in the consumers’ eyes and raise your marketing to a new level, you need to use Experiential Marketing. Yet, who was the genius who thought of this concept?

Read on for the reveal!
 

Evolution And Origins Of Experiential Marketing


The origins of Experiential Marketing date back to over a hundred years ago!

The first documented example of Experiential Marketing was seen at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair when brands such as Wrigley’s, Pabst and Cracker Jack debuted their food products to the world. William Wrigley, Jr., the founder of the Wrigley Jr. Company, himself handed out pieces of Juicy Fruit to attendees. #WhatASugarRush

Then, in the early 1900s, street marketing gained popularity as a new form of consumer outreach. In 1936, Oscar Mayer’s nephew promoted the hot dog brand by building and driving a hot dog vehicle, the Weinermobile, around Chicago. This trend led to guerrilla marketing, which aimed to surprise consumers by advertising in unexpected places. This formed the core of Experiential Marketing.
 
By the mid and late 1990s, guerrilla marketing campaigns had become the norm. Then came the Internet and social media to change the marketing game. Social media allowed businesses to create hashtags, virtual events or contests to engage with a global audience.

Physical marketing also saw innovation through pop-up marketing and flash mob advertising, allowing brands to market products to consumers in public spaces.

Soon, the learning from these various marketing campaigns and strategies was rolled into one, now known as Experiential Marketing. While we have come a long way in the 125 years of Experiential Marketing, most of the tactics behind its working remain the same.

Here’s a brief look!
 

How Does Experiential Marketing Work?


In today’s digital world, everything from marketing emails to business chatbots is automated. Yet, most consumers prefer real human connections when they engage with businesses. Most marketing ads and pitches are not personalized enough to convince or entice consumers to buy the product/service. Replacing it with a personal, human connection can be key in changing the outcome. Hence, brands need innovative approaches to give customers a distinctive experience – such as Experiential Marketing.

Experiential Marketing typically happens in a physical space but can also be a hybrid or virtual experience combining social media with location-specific events or challenges. The critical factor is that the campaign needs to be designed based on the target audience. If your product is aimed at people above the age of 60, holding your Experiential Marketing event at a high school isn’t going to be successful!

This is why Experiential Marketing campaigns are based on the target demographic, their preferences, their hotspots, etc., which can create highly engaging experiences. Moreover, Experiential Marketing events are designed around measurable KPIs for your business. So, when you promote your event on social media or via email, you can gauge the response of your audience and tailor the event accordingly.

Most of all, it puts your target consumers in your brand’s bubble, so you can engage, inform and interact with them while holding their entire attention. Take that, competitors!

However, that’s not the only benefit – here are some more advantages of using Experiential Marketing.
 

Benefits Of Experiential Marketing


The Red Bull Stratos event had 8 million eyeballs watching Felix Baumgartner skydive from the atmosphere. What was the most recognizable icon during the event, do you think?
 
Yes, the Red Bull logo!

Experiential Marketing can similarly help businesses in several ways, including:
 

  • Better Brand Awareness

    Experiential Marketing gets your name and logo in front of people and creates new brand activations in the consumer base. When your consumers are engaged in your interactive event, they will have a short respite from their everyday lives and associate it positively with your brand.

  • Brand Affinity And Loyalty

    According to predictive intelligence expert, Motista, consumers are more likely to stay loyal to a brand they are emotionally connected to. Consumers also tend to recommend it to other people (read: potential consumers) at a much higher rate. Building an interactive and experiential marketing campaign forms an emotional bond and moves consumers closer to conversion.

  • Helps Physically Engage With Prospects

    Digital marketing has its own advantages; however, it also has a major letdown. It does not let the prospective consumers touch, feel, taste and handle the products. With Experiential Marketing, consumers can get to know the product better and test it out before purchasing. This generally leads to higher engagement and conversion.

  • Expands Cross-channel Efforts

    On-premises stores have a small regional reach and are not accessible to the entire consumer base. However, combining location-based events with social media competitions or hashtags raises brand awareness and word-of-mouth publicity. This enhances cross-channel engagement and leads to higher coverage for your brand.

  • Better Consumer Feedback

    The primary driver of customer loyalty is customer satisfaction. With Experiential Marketing events, customers can convey their feelings about the product or service directly. It enables businesses to acquire genuine feedback that can help improve their service for future campaigns.

On that note, we want to announce our Experiential Marketing event that can predict the future. You don’t even have to step out of your home – simply scroll on!
 

What’s The Future Of Experiential Marketing?


Although most Experiential Marketing campaigns remain physical, virtual Experiential Marketing will disrupt the world of marketing with the implementation of technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). This will allow marketers to capture consumers’ attention and freshly engage with them.

Another trend will be that of branded art installations, which will dramatically impact the way consumers experience a brand’s presence in outdoor spaces. Moreover, the two trends may merge as brands will explore the concept of having branded installations in the Metaverse. We can’t wait to interact with a McDonald’s burger in the Metaverse that reveals a discount code you can use at your nearest branch!
 

Conclusion

 

It’s not that challenging!

Investing in Experiential Marketing is a smart move for any business. That’s not to say traditional marketing approaches are dead. If executed right, Experiential Marketing strategies can hit the right note with your target consumers. This will increase your brand awareness, strengthen the emotional bond between the business and your consumers, boost brand loyalty and create loads of memorable experiences for consumers!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Experiential Marketing and how does it differ from traditional marketing?


Experiential Marketing is an immersive consumer outreach strategy that prioritizes creating memorable experiences rather than directly promoting products or services. Unlike traditional marketing, which often relies on ads and pitches, Experiential Marketing focuses on engaging consumers through interactive events tailored to their preferences and demographics. By forging personal connections and providing valuable experiences, brands can enhance consumer loyalty and brand awareness.

How can Experiential Marketing benefit my business?


Experiential Marketing offers several advantages for businesses, including increased brand awareness, stronger brand affinity and loyalty, enhanced engagement with prospects through physical interaction, expanded cross-channel efforts combining online and offline strategies, and valuable consumer feedback. By creating memorable experiences that resonate with consumers, businesses can establish emotional connections, foster loyalty, and drive conversions.

What does the future hold for Experiential Marketing?


The future of Experiential Marketing is poised for innovation, with emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) revolutionizing consumer engagement. Additionally, branded art installations and the integration of Experiential Marketing into virtual environments like the Metaverse are anticipated trends. These advancements will enable brands to captivate audiences in new and exciting ways, shaping the future landscape of marketing.

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