Experiential Marketing's Lure

As consumers have grown tired of traditional media methods and often find themselves exhausted by the ever-social media, experiential marketing has steadily grown in popularity throughout the years. Changing the marketing approach from simply selling to more of a sell-ucation approach, consumers willingly become educated and exposed to the brand as they experience first hand a brand’s product or service. As the popularity of experiential marketing has increased, brands are equally tasked with standing out to make an impact on each consumer’s top of mind—and help consumers truly experience the brand organically firsthand.

Below are a few of the benefits of an experiential marketing campaign:

1) DIRECT CONSUMER INTERACTION

The more senses you are able to employ, the greater the likelihood a consumer makes a purchase. Experiential marketing taps into this reality by facilitating consumer engagements that appeal to one’s: taste, smell, touch, sound, sight, etc. These sensorial experiences offer brands the unique opportunity to showcase their brand personality and create an intimate and more personal experience with each consumer.

2) SOCIAL MEDIA

Undoubtedly, social media must be leveraged. When used strategically, it serves as the most powerful and cost-effective form of marketing. When combined with experiential marketing, it directly amplifies the power of the event activation, and consequentially leads to increased brand awareness. Both forms of marketing go hand-in-hand; experiential marketing is about creating a consumer experience, and social media is about sharing that experience.

3) INCREASED BRAND AWARENESS

Experiential marketing gives companies the opportunity to show their fun side, create an impact, and directly relate to each consumer. This brand personality transparency resonates with the core audience and appeals to the casually engaged. When someone interacts with a brand and has a positive experience, that person will automatically share that experience and increase the brand’s awareness, either through social media or word of mouth.

4) CONSUMER TARGETING

Another big advantage of using experiential marketing over traditional marketing is the power to directly target a consumer group—improving both brand affinity and a return on investment (ROI). When executed correctly, a brand can choose where, when, and how to focus on a specific group, offering unique experiences tailored to their ideal target audience, enhancing the consumer experience, and improving brand awareness.

5) ON-SITE SALES GENERATION

This advantage is directly correlated with face-to-face consumer interaction. Positive personal engagement provides value for both the brand and consumer. Furthermore, a geographically / demographically targeted campaign will help build a brand’s lead database and further generate new leads for future purchases.