Experiential Marketing: What It Is And Examples

Experiential Marketing : The consumer society has been changing over the years, so different aspects that characterize it have also been evolving, such as the purchasing habits of consumers or the way of interacting with companies.

One of the most visible changes is how the way companies try to convince us to buy their product or service has changed. In this sense, traditional marketing has given way to digital marketing , neuromarketing and experiential marketing.

Experiential marketing is further proof that the customer experience is increasingly important for companies , placing the customer at the center of their strategy and trying to link them to the product with more personalized interactions and surprising them emotionally. But… What exactly is experiential marketing? What examples are there today?

Experiential Marketing: What Is It?

Experiential marketing or experiential marketing is based on the premise that a customer chooses a product or service for the experience it offers before purchase and during consumption.

While traditional marketing focuses on merely aspects of the product such as its quality, its characteristics and its benefits, experiential marketing focuses on the customer himself and the experiences he experiences during the marketing and use of the product or service.

It is based on the strategy of creating experiences to reach the customer in a creative and memorable way while creating an emotional bond with the brand. The most important thing is the customer, not the product or the brand itself. This is so because the brands that manage to stimulate the customer’s senses in a positive way will make them live experiences that will remain in their minds.

How Is An Experiential Marketing Strategy Carried Out?

If it is possible to carry out a campaign of this type, it is thanks to technology. The use of Big Data, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics is essential to get to know customers, segment them and know what experiences to offer them so that the strategy is effective.

Technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality (as in Pinterest) are already becoming very important in the sale of products. Also, using the booming social networks like TikTok to spread the experience also adds up.

Once we know, thanks to research, what customers feel when interacting with our brand, we must set the objective we intend to reach. Identify the target and design the most appropriate experience , without forgetting the costs and ROI so that the investment is profitable. After the creative part, we would have to determine what metrics we take into account to see if our objectives are met.

Some key points  that we cannot ignore when establishing the strategy are the following:

• The customer is the center of the strategy.
• Engage users to remember the brand.
• Conscientiously choose the place , physical or digital, where the experience will take place.
• The experience has to be useful to humanize the brand.

Examples Of Experiential Marketing

Coke

The people who received the money will never forget it and surely told everyone they know. In addition, the media echoed this fact and the campaign became highly publicized , to the point of being used during Christmas, linking the brand with happiness: «Coca-Cola, uncover happiness.

IKEA

IKEA set up a pajama party in some establishments in the countries where they are installed. Special pampering sessions and waiter service were some of the benefits of the party. In this way, customers could try the store’s material , such as the beds, first-hand.

Mattel

Mattel put up a billboard in a Canadian shopping center so that people who came by could play Pictionary with the man from the advertising campaign. People who got questions right on different prizes tags. In this way, they created a family experience that from that moment on would be connected to the brand.