07.27.18
By Lisa Major
Experiential marketing is one of, if not the most effective ways for brands to reach target consumers. No matter if a brand utilizes a street team or designs a highly immersive and interactive brand experience, the face-to-face engagement that experiential delivers is second to none. But a brand can’t just throw together a campaign and expect great results. The activation has to be carefully planned, and more importantly, it has to fit with the brand – the brand’s values, traits, characteristics, and everything about it. In this week’s Happy Hour, we’ll take a look at the importance of staying true to the brand’s personality when creating a live brand experience. We also cover the most creative brand activations from Comic-Con International, and the best activations and brand stunts of the year (so far).
“If the experience doesn’t feel like your brand, if it doesn’t encapsulate your true brand essence, then it will miss a mark with your audience.” ~dio USA
According to Investopedia, brand personality is defined as a set of human characteristics that are attributed to a brand name that consumers can relate to. Brands that have a well-defined personality are easy to remember; think Nike, Coca-Cola, and Target, for example. With each of those brands, most can easily visualize logos, color, and their characteristics. So how does brand personality affect the live brand experience? As this article points out, each component of an experiential marketing activation must be designed around the personality of the brand, from visual elements to brand ambassadors to brand messaging. This all factors into making real connections with consumers, connections that are meaningful and pure.
“Consumers who come into contact with a new brand through a real-life experience are much more likely to seek out further content and experiences online and through social media.” ~(Hug) London
With the latest stats from EventTrack 2018 showing that an astounding 85% percent of consumers are likely to purchase a product or service after participating in events and experiences, and over 90% have more positive feelings about brands after attending an event, experiential and event marketing is a no-brainer. Experiential marketing does what no other marketing medium does, it gives consumers real-life interactions with the brands that they love or may grow to love. When brands offer consumers a positive and memorable off-screen experience, it creates awareness and builds loyalty. The best thing is that experiential can work with any budget. With so many possibilities ranging from street team events to product samplings to trade show exhibits, any size company can benefit from experiential marketing.
“While many headlines point to a decline in brick-and-mortar sales in the age of e-commerce, the reality is many physical retailers — particularly those that have been able to re-invent themselves to accommodate changing customer expectations — are thriving.” ~Stefan Midford
With mega retail brands like Toys R’ Us closing their doors, retailers must come to grips with the fact that in order to survive, they have to change the way they do business. Today’s consumers want more than a poorly lit store stuffed full of clothing racks that my 10-year-old child can barely fit through (aka living hell). They crave an enjoyable shopping experience, one that doesn’t seem like a chore and is more like a fun outing. From creating retail experiences (and no, they don’t have to be extravagant) to building authenticity to taking a stand on societal issues, this article outlines seven things that retailers can do now to protect their future.
“From escape rooms and human claw machines to an upscale Taco Bell and a murder-themed Party City, here’s how Warner Bros., Hulu, Fox, Amazon, and more stood out at the comics convention.” ~Claire Hoffman
And just like that, it’s over. Comic-Con International, one of the most anticipated conventions on the planet, has come and gone. Each year, the brand activations get bigger and better, more immersive and more interactive. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones who got to attend this year’s event and witness this little slice of heaven on Earth (for experiential marketers, that is), BizBash brings us the most creative brand activations and parties from SDCC 2018.
“2018 has definitely provided a bumper crop of engaging, compelling, and sometimes polarizing stunts.” ~Doug Zanger
We’re more than halfway through 2018, and so far, this year’s experiential brand activations and stunts have not disappointed. From HBO’s Westworld activation at SXSW to Amazon’s biggest delivery ever, Adweek brings us the best activations that we’ve seen this year (so far).
Subscribe to our monthly blog to receive the top experiential news delivered straight to your inbox!
One of the most important elements of the live brand experience is the people representing the brand. Having the right team of brand ambassadors in place can determine whether an activation will be a success or a failure. Brands and agencies have trusted ATN for their experiential staffing needs for over 20 years, and we’re here to help you, too!
