Experiential Marketing 2016 – Why Invest?

Experiential Marketing 2016

Since ATN opened its doors 14 years ago it is obvious that experiential marketing has grown exponentially.

Wherever you and I stroll the Spring and Summer of 2016, it is promised we will see even more and more promo events than ever before.

The trends in execution and user experience will always vary to a degree but hands-down, a face-to face experience with a brand or product is quickly becoming the very best place to put our advertising dollars.

Experiential Marketing 2016 – Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Won’t you come see about me?

As consumers, the very first time we meet a product or service IRL helps us to connect with the brand in a way that would be impossible if it were not for this neat-o individual experience we get to have with it.

In 2015 event experiences alone have driven direct purchases and most importantly built relationships with consumers. According to the Event Track 2015 survey a whopping 98% of consumers polled expressed that a positive hands-on experience with a service or product made them far more likely to purchase the promoted brand.

Will you recognize me?

As humans, an experiential event experience is at the core level an ideal way to build relationships to brands. Unlike other forms of advertising which encourage a single point of purchase, experiential marketing opens the gates to serious relationship building. A personal experience with a brand allows for us to connect personally to that brand. A unique experience at an event further reinforces subsequent campaigns and social media following. This breeds loyalty and word of mouth advertising.

Don’t you, forget about me

Through social media and word of mouth as consumers we are able to carry a live experience and interaction with a brand well beyond the mere few minutes we have with it at an event. If we have a successful promotional event experience we will take the message back with us and share, share, share.

In short: A single positive event experience can go a loooong way in connecting us as consumers to a specific brand and then share this with our friends and social media followers.

After all, who doesn’t want to try a product or service before purchasing? This sentiment can be the solitary difference in a consumer investing in any brand or not. Despite experiential marketing trends coming and going, we generally know nothing can replace IRL experiences as a way to generate lasting relationships well after the event has occurred.