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HelpEXPERIENTIAL MARKETING: ENGAGEMENT TIPS FOR EVENT PLANNERS
What exactly is experiential marketing?
The term is often used somewhat loosely because everyone seems to have a different interpretation as to what constitutes experiential marketing. For the most part, though, the term can be best defined as any form of marketing that allows for a direct and tangible experience with a company and its products/service. The intent is to create some sort of emotion that the consumer can associate with the product/service.
Here are a few experiential event marketing tips you can try out for yourself to give your consumers a whole new way of interacting with your company.
Quick Side Note
It’s important to point out that experiential marketing isn’t just limited to offline marketing. Many people are under the impression that experiential marketing always entails some sort of physical interaction. This isn’t always the case; many event planners, in fact, consider various tried-and-true forms of online promotion to fall under the definition of experiential marketing.
1. Product Demos
Give your consumers some way of directly interacting with the product or service. If you have a new physical product that’s being introduced at a company event, then allow people to actually touch it and use it. For software, digital products, or an online service, provide a trial offer. Streaming services like Netflix (Hello, Stranger Things!) and Hulu, for example, often provide the first month of service for free. The same goes with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program.
Product demos are effective because people are naturally hesitant to risk their money on something that may not live up to the hype. A demo allows consumers to test out the product or service before deciding whether it’s for them.
2. Interactive Games
Provide some form of interactive adventure. Interactive kiosks are a great way to do this. Place a few throughout the venue that attendees can engage with at their leisure. Whatever the type of kiosk you use, it should include some type of game that directly promotes the brand.
Red Bull did this to perfection by placing a kiosk at a mall. Through motion tracking, guests can interact with a virtual BMX biker. At the end of the game, a code is revealed that participants can enter on an adjacent vending machine for a free can of Red Bull.
Interactive kiosks work well because they require some form of physical action to interact with a simulated world. Self check-in kiosks are just one example of encouraging attendee participation. This creates a direct experience that’s likely to be remembered.
3. Open a Pop-Up Store
A pop-up store can merely be a side booth for your event. It can also be held several days prior to the event as a promotional stint. A pop-up should be a miniature version of your normal store, if you have one. It should include the latest product releases and even demos. You can open a pop-up even if you only provide digital products or a service. Use the temporary makeshift store to get people to sign up and provide demo stations.
To promote its latest sneakers, Adidas held a popup store in London that featured a guest appearance from NBA player Derrick Rose. The store also included an interior where the sneakers were placed on a shelf 10-feet high. Participants were challenged to try to get the sneakers off the shelf. If they manage to do so, then the footwear is theirs to keep.
4. Give Out Free Samples
This s similar to providing product demonstrations. Look for ways to hand out free samples of a company product. This can be something small like an event swag. Here’s the catch: be creative in your manner of delivery. Instead of just having a staff member hand them out, think of out-of-the-box methods.
Mountain Dew did just that during a UK festival. One way it gave out free bottles of its soft drink was by placing a bottle in a remote control truck and delivering them to unsuspecting festival attendees. In addition, it also held other activities, such as a chance for guests to partake in a boxing match with oversized gloves.
In this instance, it’s more of the manner of delivery rather than the free sample itself that creates a memorable experience for the consumer.
5. Reduce the Paper Trail
Do away with paper flyers and schedules. You can print out a few copies for attendees who prefer them, but try to transition everything into a digital format. The best way to do this is via event app where the schedule, a map of the facility, notices, surveys, and more can be uploaded into the attendees’ mobile device.
On the surface, eliminating the paper trail itself does not appear to be an experiential marketing method. However, the transition of everything into a digital format does create a whole new user experience. Though event apps have been around for a few years now, many event planners are just beginning to implement them for the first time, which means attendees are also new to them. This creates a novel experience that’s sure to resonate well with most guests.
Experiential marketing is all about giving your consumers a direct experience that they can associate with your brand. By utilizing the latest event trends, you can build on your brand by creating share-worthy moments.
Guest Author Bio: Dan McCarthy is an Event Manager at JD Parties, an event management company based in the UK. Dan has 5 years of event project management under his belt. He has worked on many successful events, and currently, he shares his knowledge by writing on the company blog. Follow him on Twitter @DanCarthy2.
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