Experiential, it used to be a bit of
sampling and handing out leaflets to uninterested consumers at a shopping
centre, didn’t it? Or staff wearing ill-fitting t-shirts who weren’t sure why
they were there – the brand manager most likely wasn’t either. It was an add-on,
a second thought, a tactic, a spend invested without real intent and purpose.
And whilst this method still has its
advocates, experiential or live experiences are a far cry from what they once
were. Science, strategy and digital now ensure experiential is a much more
thoughtful art, amplified to many and a fully integrated part of the marketing
mix. It now can often be THE creative idea.
Go deeper with GlobalData
But why? Over the last few years (and
thanks in part to consumer neuroscience) there has been a realisation that marketing
is human-to-human. Not B2C or B2B, but human-to-human. Marketers now appreciate
that their consumers are emotional, thinking, feeling beings. We are driven by
our values and sense of personal purpose. We are not a cost-per-engagement
figure on a marketing spreadsheet. We are social animals, experiencing life
through multiple senses and emotionally driven by the things we really care
about. Put simply, humans don’t act if they don’t care. And no caring means no
sharing.
With this, brands have become savvier and
not just in terms of what they want from an agency. They are more attuned with
their audience, their deeper values and needs and the measurement of those
outcomes. Genuine planning and brand strategy underpins experiential marketing now.
So where has this taken us? Live
experiences have become powerful, immersive multi-sensory campaignable events. They
compel us to listen, to take part, to enrich our senses. They are something you’re
dying to tell your mates about, something you might eagerly apply for tickets
for, somewhere you might queue to go for dinner.
The blur between live experiences and branded events is now so strong that often we don’t even realise, we are being ‘sold to’
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Company Profile – free sampleThank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData
The blur between live experiences and branded events is now so strong that often we don’t even realise, we are being ‘sold to’. The House of Peroni, the Fandome by Hyundai at Uefa Euro 2016 or our own KitKat Chocolatory personalisation experience. All boldly telling their brand stories through brilliant engagement and immersiveness and proving just how effective live experiential marketing can be.
The purpose and output has also
dramatically changed. The opportunity for consumers to really understand a
brand’s purpose, distinctiveness and messaging was never greater. Through
digital-first, real-time, content-rich experiences that have a buzz and
sharability at their heart, marketers can have value-added conversations with
fans and consumers in much more persuasive ways now. It gives brands the
opportunity to be part of popular culture and enrich people’s lives. Utility
and engagement are powerful relationship builders.
Technology is also rapidly changing the
game with the likes of Augmented and Virtual Reality and the way we use it to
create emotional connections. Jaguar’s Wimbledon sponsorship campaign #FeelWimbledon
is a great example of how combining technology with real human emotions
continued the conversation and captured the spirit of the brand and the
sponsorship.
Unprepared to take calculated risks, some in the industry fall back on what they already know, and are yet to fully embrace the creativity and immersive possibilities that bold experiential campaigns can bring
However, for all the great advancements in technology,
there is still a lot of traditional thinking in the industry. Driven by a fear
of failure, marketers are still embracing the known and the safe. Unprepared to
take calculated risks, some in the industry fall back on what they already know,
and are yet to fully embrace the creativity and immersive possibilities that bold
experiential campaigns can bring.
I feel incredibly positive, though. I’ve
had the fortune of learning off and working with a number of great brands and
leaders at the forefront of sponsorship and experiential thought leadership. They
all share a desire to be more human-centric. To be more connected with people’s
values and needs and to use these insights to deliver bolder, more
emotional campaigns with brand
experience at the heart. It’s a great time to be in our industry.
One final observation. There was an
interesting article in the Huffington Post (Canadian version) on why experiential
marketing will win in 2017, which stated:
“When used as the core component of a
company’s marketing it [experiential marketing] creates more response than
other approaches, that its long-term ROI is greater than that of traditional
advertising channels.”
Good to hear. And great to see that proven
ROI sits at the heart. If we all take a more strategic, scientifically-led
approach in sport and think about how we truly engage our fans as human beings
through their values and multiple senses then we have a very exciting year
ahead. Good luck to everyone.
