Reaching beyond traditional advertising, experiential marketing actively engages consumers to create a memorable experience or build an emotional association. Through experience marketing, companies forge customer-brand relationships, improve brand loyalty, and increase word-of-mouth advocacy.
Brand Activation and Building Relationships
Experiential marketing campaigns are an excellent way to introduce a new product, line, or service. With a memorable experience and positive association (a delicious sample, for example), your brand activation forges a personal connection. Consumers relate to the product in a more meaningful way and become part of your brand story.
Digital Media Expands Your Reach
According to Adweek, experiential marketing and social media are a “killer combo.”
Although an experiential marketing campaign is often a live experience, the digital component expands your reach. Social sharing and lively online dialogue expand brand awareness.
Below are five seriously inspiring examples of experiential marketing.
1. IKEA Sleepover
In direct response to a Facebook group called “I wanna have a sleepover in IKEA,” IKEA hosted a Big Sleepover in 2011 with 100 winners from the group. Since then, its hosted similar events in stores around the world.
For the first sleepover, both men and women were welcome. They were given goodie bags with items like an eye mask, a flashlight, a midnight snack, a towel, and slippers. Massages, manicures, and a movie were all on the evening’s entertainment agenda, with warm drinks and dessert available at the cafe.
2. State Farm Neighborhood of Good at Music Festivals
The popularity of State Farm’s Neighborhood of Good shows people want to contribute but aren’t sure how. Recently State Farm brought volunteerism to music festivals.
The Neighborhood of Good presence at music festivals included four houses. One where attendees could lounge and receive free festival gear, and three other houses with immediate volunteer opportunities, like assembling food kits of nonperishable items for donation or building musical instruments from kits to support school programs.
3. Merrell Virtual Hike
To promote their advanced Capra hiking boot, Merrell took the boots and a 4-D virtual reality set to the Cannes film festival. Participants tested the boot in an immersive, motion-tracked experience.
4. Coke and Ice at the Beach
Experiential marketing takes the product to where people need it most. On a hot day at the beach in Brazil, Coke delivered 500 cans inside a giant block of ice. The challenge of freeing the coke from the 8 tons of ice made the interesting experience unforgettable.
5. Luke’s Diner Pop-Ups
In 2016 Netflix captivated fans of Gilmore Girls by turning over 200 cafes into Luke’s Diner from the show. Customers waited in long lines to soak up the nostalgia.
Build Lasting Connections With Experience Marketing
Today’s consumers crave exchange and connection. Customers appreciate brands that respect their time and intelligence by engaging meaningfully. Experience marketing helps your brand cut through the noise of traditional advertising and build connections that solidify customer loyalty. Attack! delivers experiential marketing programs that are unforgettable in all the right ways.
Meta - These experiential marketing campaigns are fantastic examples of how to connect with your audience in person.