03.13.20
By Lisa Major
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the experiential marketing industry. With cancelations and postponements happening left and right, this has certainly been a huge setback in what was shaping up to be an epic year. But, it has also been humbling to see how people across the board are banding together to get through this bump in the road to keep the momentum going.
One thing is for sure, we have some amazing and creative minds in this industry, complete badasses if you ask me, and they are diligently working to create tangible solutions for the immediate future. In this week’s Happy Hour, we lead off with an article that discusses how brand experience agencies are steering clients to modify their experiential marketing plans instead of canceling them altogether, and what the short-term landscape may look like.
While it’s difficult to wrap our heads around this, worrying about the unknown leads us nowhere, so with that said, ATN’s Happy Hour is committed to focusing on the awesomeness of experiential marketing.
“Brand experience agencies implore clients to modify rather than cancel their live plans.” ~Yasmin Arrigo
In January, the experiential marketing industry was prepping for an incredible year that was shaping up to be one for the record books. Fast-forward just a few short weeks and we’re looking at an entirely different scenario. SXSW canceled, Coachella postponed, sporting events on hold, the list goes on and on. The health concerns surrounding COVID-19 has brought the events industry to a standstill. Yet, we are fortunate to have some of the most brilliant minds in the marketing sphere working diligently to get things back on track, from virtual events to smaller-scale, localized events. In this article, Campaign Live talks to five industry experts who discuss the short-term future of events.
“For all the creativity that the ad industry gloats about, the truth is that customers hate to be interrupted with anything they perceive as commercial” ~Stephen George.
Today’s consumers will pay extra to avoid being advertised to. So what does that say about our society? In short, people absolutely hate being advertised to. Traditional ads are noisy, they are intrusive, and they are disruptive. But how else are brands supposed to market to consumers? By actually engaging with them, that’s how. Experiential marketing is the only type of marketing that achieves true engagement. It aims to create meaningful connections that tap into consumers’ emotions, and that’s what leads to real-life relationships. Here’s how businesses can use experiential marketing to generate awareness and forge bonds that last a lifetime.
“Be smart about who you’re targeting.” ~MRA
Mobile marketing tours offer brands the opportunity to take their products and services on the road – nationally, regionally, and locally. From tricked out branded vehicles to logistics to permitting, there’s a lot that goes into planning a tour. But don’t forget about promoting it, too. Promoting your tour will create awareness surrounding your activations to both your target consumers and the media. Here, we look at four things you can do to successfully promote your mobile marketing tour.
“72% of Millennials (today’s parents) want to spend money on experiences, rather than things.” ~Robin Raskin
Photo: CAMP
There has been a lot of talk regarding experiential retail over the past few years. From hands-on product demonstrations to highly immersive AR & VR experiences, experiential has drastically changed the in-store shopping experience as brands seek ways to create closer connections with their customers. And many retail brands are seeing success with their experiential efforts. The trend towards experience-driven shopping is also making waves in the toy industry as toy brands are beginning to embrace the strategy. By creating a face-to-face, hands-on experience that allows parents and children to not only buy products but also play with them inspires happiness and creativity, not to mention, demand for products. Here, we’ll take a look at why toy brands are betting big on experiential retail.
Photo: BizBash
This week’s BizBash roundup includes a hilarious parents’ night out event that included a daycare themed speakeasy, Gucci’s first interactive popup event, and Nike workout classes.
Thanks for joining us for Happy Hour! Despite all of the chaos in the industry right now, we know that the industry will rebound and come out stronger than ever before. Cheers to you all!
ATN Event Staffing is here for you during this time of uncertainty. Reach out to us today to discuss your immediate or future event staffing needs.
