Many brands are turning to a genre of marketing today known as experiential marketing to reach consumers. Though many people aren’t aware of what is it or how it works, it has become widely adopted in the marketing world and some marketing firms are embracing it more than others as a core part of their offerings.
What Is Experiential Marketing?
Experiential marketing attempts to bring consumers closer to the brand by providing a fun and memorable experience, immersing them in the product.
This means the consumer can come to an event and be exposed to the brand by using the product, touching it, feeling it, and moving it a way that allows the brand to resonate with visitors. These events are often paired with music acts or festivals which experience a large amount of demographically targeted foot traffic. Examples of Experiential Marketing
In the U.K., IKEA hosted a sleepover for 100 members of a Facebook group called “I wanna have a sleepover in IKEA.” The group had almost 100,000 members. IKEA allowed them to spend the night in the warehouse, offering manicures, massages and a bedtime story from a reality TV star. IKEA also made sure a sleep expert was available to offer advice on sleep and how to choose the best new mattress depending on your sleeping style.
Pantone’s Color Experience
The Pantone Color Institute debuted its 2019 Color of the Year at the Royal Palm South Beach resort in another example of experiential marketing. The company built The Pantone Pantry, showcasing the new color “Living Coral” for the public to experience.
The Pantone Pantry had a vintage concierge desk and vintage luggage on a bellhop’s cart, with everything in the “Living Coral” hue. There were cabinets complete with books and gadgets and a hidden door leading to a secret hotel room housing special psychedelic pop animations and digital projections.
Pantone called the project “Tribute Portfolio.” The company designed it as a traveling display with plans to move it to multiple locations.
Multiple marketing companies still continue to use the same old strategies that are starting to become boring and worn out. It’s important to understand that not all companies can utilize experiential marketing as a strategy to create brand or product awareness. It is a very integrated and innovative method and if it is not carried out effectively, the message and branding fall flat.
A company called BMF is considered one of the leaders in experiential marketing. They employ a diverse team of individuals that have a varied skill set who can execute an experiential marketing strategy on any platform, scale or continent. BMF creates authentic narratives for clients that give consumers a more hands-on and interactive experience. Consumers are more likely to use a product or engage with a company if they feel connected to a company or its products. If you want to learn more about BMF and what sets them apart, visit adforum.com
So if you are just starting, or your current marketing strategies don’t bring the desired results, make sure you try experimental marketing. What can you lose anyway?