11.02.18
By Lisa Major
Turning customers into brand loyalists is one of the top priorities for brands and marketers. And one of the most powerful ways to achieve brand loyalty is through experiential marketing. Face-to-face marketing forges relationships, it creates conversations, and it builds trust. All of those factors ignite a spark, turning consumers into loyalists. In this week’s Happy Hour, we discuss how events lead to brand loyalty. We also take a look at the importance of storytelling, and ways to improve your experiential events.
“Following a live experience, 38 percent of attendees visit the company’s website, 32 percent purchase its products or services and 30 percent use or wear an item with the brand’s logo on it, such as a t-shirt or pen.” ~Kait Shea
Brands who engage with consumers face-to-face not only build relationships, they build trust. And there is no doubt that live events and brand experiences also play a big role in driving brand loyalty. But, a recent study by Citi about the connection between live events and brand loyalty may surprise you. The study concluded that “consumers who interact with brands at events are more loyal and engage more frequently with the company producing them.” And 85 percent said that they have a “much more positive perception of companies after attending their events.” Event Marketer sat down with Jennifer Breithaupt, Citi’s Global Community CMO, to delve a little deeper into the report. Read on to see the findings.
“Consumers are no longer the audience of a story, but the protagonist that let the story get created, shared and acted; meanwhile, companies are no longer narrators but the listeners or even audiences of the stories told by consumers.” ~The Eyepetizer
As more brands seek out ways to form deeper and more meaningful relationships with consumers, they are turning to experiential marketing to make those connections. On the flip side, consumers want more transparency from brands. They want to know more about the companies that they are buying from, who they are, what they believe in, and what sets them apart from their competitors. They want to know their story, experience it, and become a part of the story. And while brands have been embracing the power of storytelling for a few years, digital technology has given brands the opportunity to allow consumers to become immersed in the story. Here, we’ll look at how storytelling and interactive technology can amplify the brand experience.
“Before you call up your old vendor and resign to a booth as uninspired as its visitors are bound to be, consider that there are actionable changes you can implement that will truly transform your trade show booth.” ~Coastal Creative
The trade show floor is evolving. What once was a rather boring and stiff space is morphing into a visually appealing utopia. With so many exhibitors and so little time, trade show marketers understand that they must find ways to stand out from the competition. But with so many new ideas, where do you even start? Which ideas will resonate the most with attendees, attract them to your booth, and keep them hanging around? With so many options to choose from, it’s difficult to know what is a good fit for your brand. Not to worry, the gurus at Coastal Creative have put together a list (and handy infographic) of nine trade show booth ideas that will take your exhibit from meh to marvelous.
“As the experiences-over-goods trend continues to grow, retailers are upping the ante on what defines immersive, in-store engagement.” ~ Marsharelle Tolbert
We’ve been talking a lot about the rise of experiential in the retail industry lately. As more consumers have turned to online shopping over the years, traditional retailers have realized the value of providing engaging experiences to attract and retain customers. And it’s working. The success of experiential retail for brick-and-mortars has prompted e-commerce brands to jump on board the experience train, too. With both traditional retailers and eCommerce brands competing in the same space, we have officially entered what Sparks dubs “Experiential Retail 2.0.” Here, Sparks looks at how experiential retail is changing the entire industry by making the shopping experience unforgettable.
“Speakers at BizBash Live: New York shared their expertise on using events for social good, creating data-driven experiences, how to create meaningful connections among attendees, and more.” ~ Ian Zelaya
Experiential marketing and live events have gained in popularity over the years. And if 2018 has proven anything to marketers, it’s shown that we are very much living in the experience economy. Experiential strategies have had a huge impact on the marketing world, and brands are seeing positive results from these campaigns. As more brands continue to invest in experiential marketing approaches, there is a greater need to keep the momentum moving forward. Recently, event professionals from top brands and agencies gathered for BizBash Live: New York, sharing their viewpoints on a number of topics regarding the state of the events industry. From creating defining moments within your event to getting multicultural marketing right, here are their tips on improving events.
Thanks for joining us for this week’s Happy Hour. Each week, ATN brings you a weekly round-up of all the latest news in the experiential marketing and event industry. Subscribe to our monthly blog and we’ll deliver news directly to your inbox! Cheers!
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