I’ve been asked many times…What is experiential marketing? I will explain and I’ll give you an example using one of our recent campaigns.
I believe one of the most comprehensive definitions of experiential marketing is offered by Creative Guerrilla which states that it is a form of advertising that focuses primarily on helping consumers experience a brand.
While traditional advertising (radio, print, television) verbally and visually communicates the brand and product benefits, experiential marketing tries to immerse the consumers within the product by engaging as many other human senses as possible. In this way, experiential marketing can encompass a variety of other marketing strategies from individual sampling to large-scale guerrilla marketing.
In the end, the goal of experiential marketing is to form a memorable and emotional connection between the consumer and the brand so that it may generate customer loyalty and influence purchase decision.
A good example of experiential marketing is the ‘Back to the Basics’ event series that I was one of the partners with Ford of Canada on. According to Ford’s annual trend report by their in-house futurist Sheryl Connelly, escapism was identified as a key trend for 2015. That is not to say that people want to throw technology out the window but rather they would like to use technology smartly to make their lives easier so they can spend more time with their families, reconnect with nature or engage in activities they enjoy. This was the premise the campaign was built on and below, is the execution.
For a little escapism 12 bloggers were invited to abandon the hustle and bustle of the city in favour of some back country down time. Events were run across the country; in this post, I will speak about the Mont Tremblant, QC event January 31-Feb 1 and in a future post, Vancouverite’s Fraser River, BC getaway on February 28-March 1st.
Ottawa bloggers set out in 2015 Ford vehicles which gave them the opportunity to experience first-hand the driver assisted technology systems on their way to scenic Mount Tremblant. When they arrived at the luxurious Hotel Quintessence their time was divided between enjoying the simpler things in life such as a Swedish massage, gourmet meals prepared with local foods by Chef Georges Laurier, wine and tea tasting and snow shoeing in the crisp mountain air.
In car activities included car care lessons ranging from how to change a tire, washer fluid and check oil; bloggers also learned road safety tips—all of which better equipped our bloggers for winter driving. I will mention…a highlight for many was the chance to take a brand new Mustang for a spin!
As you can see this event was tailored to provide bloggers with a back to the basics encounter they won’t forget as well as give them the opportunity to experience the brand and its features in a variety of situations. Our time in Tremblant was fantastic and I believe it’s safe to say our bloggers were able to connect to the brand and return to the hustle and bustle of Ottawa more relaxed—I know I certainly was!
You can read more about this event on Paula Roy’s blog.
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