Today’s consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements every day – and they’re getting burned out. The constant influx of marketing messages has led people to simply ignore the bulk of them. This makes it incredibly difficult for brands to get through the defenses consumers have built up and influence their buying decisions.
Marketers and event planners striving to make an impact must step outside the box and find creative ways to engage their target customers. Experiential Marketing is one approach that can bring exceptional results. Incorporating this concept into your events can make them both more exciting and more effective.
Ready to learn more? Stick with us as we break down precisely what experiential marketing is and how you can use it to liven up your future events.
What is Experiential Marketing?
Experiential marketing involves using immersive experiences to market a product or a brand. It allows brands to go beyond telling consumers why they should buy a product and instead create an intimate, personal experience with it. This gives consumers the chance to feel the emotions that come with actually using a product and makes them feel like they’re a part of your brand. It also gives the brand a chance to build a stronger relationship with the consumer and demonstrate value.
It’s common for clips of experiential marketing to go viral, thanks to the excitement it creates. These events should be fun, social, and always keep the consumer experience front and center. Using your creativity to weave experiential marketing into your events will help you truly “Wow” your clients and keep you a step ahead of your competitors.
Examples of Experiential Marketing Done Right
Still not clear on what experiential marketing is and how to incorporate it into your next event? Take a look at these three show-stopping examples.
HBO’s Escape Room
Most people are familiar with escape room games. These interactive rooms require you to solve puzzles and find clues so you can “escape” the room within the set time limit. In 2017, HBO made a splash with its own set of escape rooms, which they set up at the South by Southwest® (SXSW) event.
The company created three separate escape rooms based on their popular shows Veep, Silicon Valley, and Game of Thrones. The event was incredibly successful because it required participants to be fully engaged, brought some of their most popular fictional shows to life, and allowed fans to literally become a part of them.
Disney’s CoCo Live Mobile App
When Disney’s event CoCo Live showed at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, patrons were asked to download a smartphone app before the show. Then, during the show, they were able to watch close-ups of characters on stage, receive exciting still clips, and interact in other ways during key performance moments. Based on the success of these types of broadcasts, event planners may consider using their own mobile apps to enhance their experiences in exciting new ways.
Asics “Support Your Marathoner” Campaign
During the NYC Marathon, shoe company Asics used RFID tags embedded in runners’ bibs to project messages from loved ones on big screens as participants passed them. The screens showed texts, still photos, and videos to give the runners the encouragement they needed to finish out their race.
Since the NYC Marathon is one of the largest in the world, this gave the company an incredible amount of exposure in a way that didn’t feel like advertising. Rather than blocking the images out because they were highly personalized, participants and viewers went out of their way to pay attention to them.
Tips for Planning Your Experiential Marketing Event
As you start to plan your next experiential marketing event, there are a few basics you need to know. Be sure to consider the following vital tips.
1. Creativity is Critical
The best experiential marketing campaigns are new and exciting. This means you’ll have to use your creativity to develop an experience that hasn’t been done before. It’s important to note that you don’t have to have a huge budget to pull this off. You’ll need to use your imagination and find a way to make the crowd stop and say, “Wow.”
2. Make it a Sensory Experience
Try to make sure your experience uses all of a person’s five senses – sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. This is the best way to create vivid memories that will stick with your audience well after they’ve gone home.
3. Find Creative Sample Opportunities
It’s important not to be too “sales-y” when creating these experiences. However, if you can find ways to creatively get the product in people’s hands, then you’ll definitely want to do it. This might include a pop-up tasting, free samples, or on-the-spot free trials. Not only will this help get people interested in your brand, but it will also make them more engaged.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Go Big
When planning your experience, do your best to create something shocking. Remember, the point is to get people to pay attention. That’s not always easy to do, so be prepared to go big.
5. Remember Your Call to Action
You don’t want to get people all excited about your brand and then leave them wondering what to do. While you’ve got their attention and their goodwill, be sure to prompt them to take some sort of action.
Experiment with Confidence
Experimenting with new marketing methods is easy when you have the right partners by your side. At eShow, we provide event organizers and planners with all the tools they need to flawlessly plan, execute, and follow up on their events. This gives you the ability to incorporate exciting new ideas and still feel confident that everything will go as smoothly as it should. Contact us today to learn more and request a personal demo!