You have a lot on your plate with mastering your inbound marketing strategy, planning your advertising campaigns and ensuring your website and brochures all stay current. Why on earth would you throw in the added stress of event or experiential marketing to your already busy day?
What’s one of the best parts about visiting a brick-and-mortar store? My guess is that your answer is like mine: I get to have brand interactions. I can see that the purple on the fabric REALLY IS the purple I’m looking for. I can ask questions of the sales staff. Including experiential marketing in your communication strategy allows your customers, whomever they may be, to get a real feel not only for the product or service you’re offering but also for your company. Give them an experience they’ll remember and, almost guaranteed, they will remember (and purchase!) your products or services.
It’s true. Wouldn’t you rather take your kids to your friend Frank who is the pediatric dentist than select an unknown dentist from a list? The same is true of all products and services. Interacting with customers during experiential marketing events is a significant way to build relationships. You can talk with them one-on-one and better understand their pain points and the solutions they’re looking for.
We are sometimes asked, "What is experiential marketing?" Before exploring this question we must first agree that the ultimate purpose of any marketing strategy is to drive more leads into the sales funnel. Experiential marketing allows you to target prospects who already have an interest in the product or service you’re offering or they wouldn’t be there. You have an entire host of people who are already warm leads. Now, it’s up to you to design an experience that will entice them to learn more about your brand and, ultimately, become a satisfied, delighted customer.
Integrating experiential marketing into your communication strategy doesn’t have to be painful but it does require some thought about your brand, your messages, and how you want to communicate with your audience. If you have too much on your plate, you can engage an integrated marketing agency to assist you. So be playful, or educational, or mysterious…but give them a marketing experience to remember.
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