What is it?
Experiential marketing, simply put, is a mixing pot of different marketing strategies all with the purpose of engaging customers in as many ways as possible. The goal is to help customers gain memorable connections with a brand, and create customer loyalty. Also known as “live marketing,” immersive and memorable campaigns allow consumers to understand the message without all of the other fluff that can get in the way. Experiential marketing experiences can include some kind of pop-up, an event, or a pop up at an event. The main goal: create a lasting impression on your consumers!
What Makes a Successful Campaign?
First thing to know, the most successful experiential marketing campaigns affect the consumers so emotionally that they cannot do anything but become loyal to the brand. Need an example? Check out Luke’s Diner Pop Ups.
Netflix and Warner Brothers gave Gilmore Girls fans all they could ever need and more by converting 200 Netflix-sponsored cafes for one day. In honor of the Gilmore Girls four-episode revival in 2016, fans had the chance to live out their Laurelei dreams by visiting one of the locations that was totally converted to replicate Luke’s Diner. Employees wore Luke’s aprons, there were Luke’s cups and signs, and there was a classic NO PHONES sign. Not only did the popups bring thousands of customers to local coffee shops, but it was something for the fandom. Gilmore Girls fans traveled from far and wide dressed as their favorite characters to become a part of the Stars Hollow Community.
Big gestures like that aren’t always in the budget, but they don’t need to be. The Arizona Office of Tourism invited 3D chalk artist Tracy Lee Stum to “bring the Grand Canyon to California,” by creating a 3D chalk portrait of the Grand Canyon in Santa Monica, CA. The purpose of this experience was to encourage passersby to #GoSeeAZ. One of ANDERSON’s favorite campaigns was the #RandomActsofKindness movement created by Desert Financial. In an effort to spread kindness amongst the Valley, team members handed out over 3,000 “Random Acts of Kindness” at the Fiesta Bowl Parade, including 25 Chromebooks gifted to Arizona State University students.
Key Takeaways
So what’s the point of experiential marketing, and why should you care? Experiential marketing is one of the most influential ways to gain customer loyalty. The “experience” can range in size from a sidewalk drawing or cute photobooth to an entire restaurant takeover. The goal is to stir up emotions, reactions, feelings, or memories with consumers.
Resources
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/3-trends-to-watch-in-2020-and-2-to-leave-in-the-2010s
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-marketers-are-focusing-on-this-year
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-experiential-marketing-campaigns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engagement_marketing
https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/experiential-marketing-definition-ds00/
https://learn.g2crowd.com/experiential-marketing
