In a world of ad-blockers, streaming services, spam emails and monotonous television adverts, getting through to your customers in a way that resonates can be profoundly difficult – but fear not; this is where experiential marketing comes in. It’s marketing with a difference, as it aims to engage audiences through participatory methods and experiences, driving brand awareness in a more tangible capacity.
Whether this is done through social media competitions, online games, prize draws, augmented reality opportunities or any other form that encourages people to actively approach your brand, this type of audience engagement can be important in the positive growth of any business.
If you’re hoping to grow your brand then regardless of your industry, it is critical to come up with an innovative and efficient marketing strategy. If you need some more pointers to get you started off on the path to success, it’s worth reading up on some real life examples.
The Brand Experience
Experiential marketing can help your business to form strong connections with your target audience, allowing potential customers to experience your brand story for themselves – a crucial detail any company hoping to build a desirable, trustworthy image must recognise.
It’s a vital aspect of marketing because it’s effective at establishing an emotional tie between the brand and the customer. The stronger this tie, the greater the brand loyalty, provided you manage to design campaigns to target the needs and values of a specific audience.
It’s worth thinking about brands that you enjoy personally and why you’ve come to that conclusion – you might discover it’s a result of the way that the brand’s story has been told and the first-hand interactions that you’ve had with it along the way.
Fostering Long-Term Connections with Customers
If you want to foster long-term connections with customers – an ongoing and continuous act that’s important for repeat business, developing brand ambassadors and plenty of other neat benefits – it’s worth pushing the boundaries of marketing. One way to do so is to use experiential methods that keep the customer coming back for more, which is one of the major keys to tapping into customer loyalty.
For instance, say you happen to be in the health and beauty industry; you could utilise augmented reality to develop an interactive makeup palette on your website that your customers could use to try out new products from the comfort of their own homes – We recently seen L’Oréal patent software that explored a similar idea . This innovative feature could add convenience to your brand experience and showcase new products whilst providing your audience with a digital touch point.
No matter what niche your business happens to be in, augmented reality solutions involving audience participation can be a hyper-modern way to help you drive engagement rates. However, there’s no need to confine yourself to the digital realm; popup stalls, concept stores, events and spectacles are all viable interactive marketing options, too – just look at Red Bull’s weird and wonderful events as a prime example. As such, don’t be afraid to innovate, challenge the norm and explore new horizons with your marketing efforts.
Breaking Tradition
Deviating from traditional marketing methods in favour of an experiential, bespoke approach to building brand awareness can set you apart from the crowd (ideally, a mix of the two should be considered).
In a saturated market, finding new ways to stand out has never been so important to companies wishing to expand their borders and grow their customer base. This is easily achievable through experiential marketing – all it takes is a rock-solid understanding of your audience and your brand and some truly creative thinking. Get your head in this game, master its landscape, and your business can achieve new heights!
Need Help With An Experiential Marketing Campaign?
Whether you need hourly support or would like us to take charge and manage everything, we can create a package best suited for your budget. Get in touch via pr@rumourmillcomms.com for more info.