Businesses may now more easily reach out to customers directly and in creative ways thanks to social media and technology. These marketing strategies don’t, however, have the same level of engagement as traditional media.
Just consider how many pop-ups you see flash across your tiny screen, which you eventually eliminate each day. You most likely will not remember any because they do not have an experiential marketing element.
A approach known as experiential marketing involves immersing the customer in the brand or service by simulating a real-world encounter. It creates an immersive, multi-textured experience similar to what you might have experienced at a live event or musical performance.
Because it immerses the customer in the brand in real time, experiential marketing is also known as “live marketing,” “participation marketing,” or “brand activation.”
Different Forms of Immersion Marketing
It is also a lot of fun and among the most inventive, if difficult, marketing strategies. Let us start the conversation by looking at a few of the most inventive experiences in marketing.
“Google Cupcake Ambush” at Zappos
Google started driving a cupcake truck around the main lanes and side streets of Austin, Texas, to help advertise its new picture app. The special feature was that individuals may claim a cupcake in a gift box bearing the Zappos logo in exchange for taking a selfie using the Google app and paying for the cupcakes with cash. Prospects are also willing to stop and try out the new software since who can say “NO” to a free lunch? Once past this first obstacle, they become addicted.
It should go without saying that for a product to captivate consumers in this way, it must be exceptionally excellent from the start!
And in this deft trade-off, Las Vegas-based online shoe and apparel store Zappos also emerged victorious! A smart move to place their product line next to Google and split the profits from this kind of ambush-style experiential co-marketing was to use a box-on-feet.
Lessons Learned by Marketers
- Make use of co-branding opportunities with experiential marketing.
- Select a brand partner who may be in a different product line but is aiming for the same market.
Lead a workshop or a class.
In the Disney Channel television series Doc McStuffin, a six-year-old girl uses toys to pretend to be a doctor at her make-believe clinic.
Tesco, Smyths, and Toys R Us in the UK all had Disney construct a doctor’s office to promote the second series, which debuted in 2014. Children received a ten-minute immersive experience when entering the simulated clinic store. As medical professionals, they had to determine Big Ted’s condition.
What was the result?
The event involved around 8,000 kids, who gave it a “good” rating (75% of them), and it increased sales of branded merchandise by 5.3%.
This reminded me a lot of KidZania, an innovative experiential learning center for kids of all ages that showcases high-end goods. Salman Khan, a Bollywood celebrity, invested in KidZania. Following the first store’s successful opening in Mexico in 1999, KidZania Parks are currently operating 24 locations worldwide, with 10 more scheduled to open by 2020.
According to reports, KidZania has hosted over 35 million visitors and is one of the world’s fastest-growing edutainment businesses. Find out more about KidZania’s kid-targeted experiential marketing initiatives here.
Lessons for Marketers
Since it is nearly hard for a brand to meet every individual customer’s requirement, marketers can at least find common wants among consumers in comparable demographic groups in order to precisely segment their market and adjust their offerings accordingly.
Live Product Features Demonstration
Every year, Lush, a cosmetics firm, hosts a Creative Showcase to promote its new product range and increase sales. Around the world, a lot of cosmetic businesses provide interested customers with this kind of immersive experience by having their employees demonstrate products and conduct “makeovers.” Test drives are one way that automakers accomplish this.
Lessons for Marketers
People still prefer to purchase from stalls and wait for the chance to sample before they buy, especially in India, even if the digital age does not support touch-and-feel.
Activations for Brands
Refinery29, a lifestyle brand, has been organizing the 29Rooms event for the past three years. The event is described as “an interactive funhouse of style, culture, & technology.” 29Rooms hosts the event with a new theme every year. Afterwards, it was “Turn It Into Art,” when attendees were free to wander through different rooms and produce something. In one chamber, attendees were asked to put on gloves and strike punching bags in order to create a variety of sounds that resembled a symphony. Watch it right now.
Lessons Learned by Marketers
Go all out to ensure that the visitors have a great time, because otherwise what would be the purpose?
Use of Guerrilla Marketing
Although it sounds a little bit like event marketing, experiential marketing is slightly different.
Coca-Cola presented an augmented reality (AR) experience outside the Zurich train station to commemorate the beginning of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Participants may compete to win the official match ball of the FIFA World Cup, probably one of the biggest sporting events in the world, show off their abilities on screen with Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri, and snap pictures with The Powercube.
Lessons for Marketers
Digital guerrilla marketing has also emerged. Consider the digital spaces where your target is already present, and then introduce them to a taste of your brand.
Create a Buzz Around the Brand
Before a new collection is released, Bharatji, an upscale jewellery firm in Ahmedabad, uses social media to generate a lot of anticipation and enthusiasm. View their YouTube video here and their Facebook posts here.
Lessons for Marketers
Pre-buzz is almost as powerful as post-buzz in experiential marketing.
The Best-Kept Secret of Experience Marketing
Nowadays, it makes sense to use social media in conjunction with your experiential marketing. Allow them to become viral. According to a recent Harris Group survey, 78% of millennials would rather spend money on an event or experience than on a desirable item, and 55% of them said they are now spending more money than ever on live experiences and events.
The best advice for experiential marketing
- Create a Buzz Around the Brand
- Integrate your brand into the immersive activity in a clever way.
- Establish predetermined marketing objectives and track your progress.
- Recognize the action you want users to perform.
- Stress how unique and special the experience is.
- Make it a truly unforgettable experience.
Advantages of Marketing Through Experience
When a product does not merely fulfill a practical requirement but also perfectly fits the target’s lifestyle, experiential marketing works. You should have plenty of inspiration to use your imagination as a result. Additionally, keep in mind that:
- Social media shares are significantly increased by experiential marketing.
- Your brand may generate a lot of buzz with experiential marketing.
- Brand loyalty is increased through engagement.
- Like we did with Bharatji, experiential marketing campaigns garner media attention. View the image below:
To sum up, experiential marketing should educate customers about the benefits of your product in addition to providing them with entertainment. Incorporating a pop of color into your approach is the final step towards creating a memorable brand experience.
The Top A Few Examples of Experience Marketing
Fashion Revolution: Builds Confidence
Fashion Revolution used a superb use of experiential marketing to sell their T-shirts with their 2-euro T-shirt stunt in Berlin. Watch it right now.
Go large with British Airways and VisitBritain!
The “Home of Amazing Moments” print and digital campaign by #OMGB (Oh My GREAT Britain) beautifully captures the amazing experiences visitors can have in Britain. British Airways’ promotion included a competition to win a two-way ticket from South Africa to the UK and airfare discounts of up to 20%.
Make It a Game with Vitamin Water
Vitamin Water built up a straightforward game on a partner website that was modeled around playground games in London. It worked out well for linking visitors’ signatures with the brand’s colors.
Angry Birds: Add Fun to the Experience
T-Mobile put up a booth in Barcelona, Spain, where customers could play Angry Birds and utilize new phones. Watch the action as it happens here.