Experiential marketing is all the rage these days. This kind of marketing strategy aims to connect with consumers by offering them the chance to be involved in an experience that will last in their memory and excite their emotions. Companies are only now coming to terms with the ineffectuality of empty brand awareness – seeking instead to truly connect with their target audiences. ‘Experiential marketing’ is a very broad term that has been used to describe all sorts of marketing efforts. Here is a quick rundown of 5 effective kinds of experiential marketing campaign.
- Pop Up Shops
Experiential marketing campaigns involving the opening of pop up shops have proven relatively successful. Of course, a regular shop is not going to cultivate a memorable experience for consumers. Instead, something unusual or inspiring will create the desired impact. Ahead of the release of a season of Arrested Development, marketers set up a pop up banana stand resembling the stand in the show. Customers could, of course, buy bananas. While doing so, they were reminded of the returning show’s charm and were exposed to information about the release of a new season. The stunt provided lots of opportunities for viral media coverage. Viral media coverage is incredibly useful when marketing a brand or product.
- Convention Stalls
Actually engaging with consumers one on one at a convention is extremely effective as a marketing tactic. Consumer focused companies should attend every trade convention which their audience is likely to be in attendance. Convention stalls are great places to reveal new products, offer free samples and distribute marketing materials. They also allow a company to collect accurate data about their audience – including their contact details.
- Festivals
Music and film festivals allow brands to engage directly with customers via sponsorships and giveaways. One company that has capitalized hugely on music festival sponsorship is the bootmaker Dr. Martens. The shoe company sponsors stages at festivals around the word and distributes boots to musicians to wear on stage – further cementing their identity as a brand that is aimed at creatives.
- Launch Parties
Don’t settle for a soft launch! A proper knees-up will ensure that a company gets the maximum amount of engagement from the release of a new product or service. Launch parties provide people with an experience that will stick in the memory and provoke a bit of work spreading from attendees to their friends and associates. Inviting influencers and prominent people to an experiential marketing oriented launch party can be a very profitable move.
- Interactive Technology
The latest trend in experiential marketing is the use of interactive technology to really include a consumer as opposed to just marketing at them. Interactive games and competitions are by far the most common kinds of technology used in experiential marketing. An increasing number of companies are making use of Virtual Reality technology to offer a truly immersive experience. Companies that engage their consumers deeply are more likely to form lasting relationships with them.
