Experiential marketing connects with consumers in a way that traditional ads no longer can. So if you want to deliver innovative marketing experiences, make a lasting impression on consumers, generate new leads, fill your sales funnel, improve your return on investment, and experience the other key benefits of experiential marketing then you should start allocating a bigger budget toward experiential marketing.
As a content marketer, you probably already recognize that social media and influencers no longer have the same impact they once did with their audiences, explaining why brands are shifting their strategies. Social media exposure and digital marketing are still essential, but to reach consumers, brands need a mix of marketing methods. If a content marketer wants the social media attention, they need to address the specific challenge of giving people something worth posting and absorbing.
Based on everything we described here, investing in experiential campaigns is a smart move for virtually any brand. If executed right, this strategy hits all the right notes with consumers and serves to increase brand awareness, strengthen the emotional connection between the brand and consumers, boost brand loyalty, and create tons of memorable experiences for consumers.
Experiential marketing is a marketing strategy that creates unique experiences and lasting memories by physically engaging with consumers. It can be event-based, but this doesn’t always have to be the case. One of the best examples of experiential marketing is the Red Bull: Stratos campaign where the skydiver, Felix Baumgartner, set the world record for the highest skydive. This dive was streamed live on YouTube, and at the time, it set the record for a live broadcast with the highest number of concurrent views: over 8 million.
The main feature of experiential marketing is that it is a wholly immersive experience. Often, it doesn’t even involve mentioning a product or service. Consumers are free to enjoy the events and experiences and to engage with them however they like, and not a single ad or promotion will interrupt them. In the end, it’s not the advertisements they will remember; it’s the experiential events and that memory will be shared with lots of friends and family via word of mouth and social media.
The Key Benefits of Experiential Marketing
- Rising above the ad clutter
- Building emotional connections with consumers
- Live storytelling
- Expressing authenticity
- Bringing consumers closer to your product
- Improving brand loyalty
- Driving Word of Mouth
- Collecting customer feedback
- Organizing a controlled environment
- Creating unforgettable memories
- Building brand awareness