What is experiential marketing? It’s creating a unique brand experience for consumers that results in the engagement of their hearts and minds. This emotional bond, if done right, translates into customer loyalty and will impact ROI.
Here’s how Jim cuts through the clutter and turns an event into a memorable experience:
- Who’s Coming? Before any hearts and minds can be engaged you have to know the target audience demographics and develop an event strategy accordingly. The event should feel like it was built with the attendees in mind.
- It’s all in the details. If you want to create a fantastic event incorporate a theme and thread the theme throughout the event from: the invitation/evite, décor, activity(s), food and beverages to music. All these elements work together to enhance the participants’ experience. Important: align the theme with brand strategy.
- S-u-r-prise! As the event rolls out it should be fun for participants and a great way to engage them is to incorporate an element of surprise rather than roll out a cookie cutter event with no dazzle factor. Be it an unexpected gift, or a helicopter ride, as long as it’s unexpected, it will keep people talking long after the event’s been packed up.
- Multi-Sensory Explosion. How do you up the dazzle factor? Appeal to the five senses. Ensure the experience is interactive and incorporate technology—especially if the attendees are millennials.
Anyone can create an experience; the challenge lies in creating one that’s unforgettable. In 2019, it’s more important than ever to get it right and I can tell you that’s why a marketer and event planner’s experience counts.
