Experiential marketing, also known as live marketing or event marketing, is a strategy where consumers are engaged via branded experiences. Experiential marketing is a way for businesses to build brand awareness through face-to-face connections with consumers. Experiential marketing campaigns are immersive, live, and memorable and help businesses attract the attention of their target audience without distraction.
Contents
Understanding experiential marketing
Note that these campaigns do more than just promote a product or service. Instead, they are designed to encourage customers to actively engage with the core values of a brand.
Almost 75% of consumers say that branded event marketing experiences make them more likely to buy the product being promoted. Compared to traditional marketing strategies, branded events create a much stronger impression in consumers’ minds. Experiential marketing events may take the form of trade shows, sponsorships, test drives, kiosks, contests, in-store experiences, and in-person surveys. Some of these events may cater to thousands of people, but each will come away with an experience that is unique to them.
In an age characterized by consumers craving personalized experiences and meaningful interactions before purchasing from a brand, experiential marketing is now seen as a fundamental pillar of any marketing strategy.
The three key pillars of experiential marketing
To understand experiential marketing, we must first understand the elements that constitute a great branded experience.
Such an experience should always contain the following three pillars.
1 – Active participation and engagement
First and foremost, the consumer must be able to actively engage with a brand. Active engagement may constitute anything from taking a photo and sharing it on social media to participating in a game.
Chocolate brand Milka produced 10 million bars of chocolate with a single piece missing. The company then set up a website offering confused customers a choice: they could opt to have the missing piece of chocolate posted to them or have it sent to a friend or family member instead.
This campaign gave fans the chance to interact with the company in a meaningful way.
2 – Brand message and values promotion
Experiential marketing should always be about the brand itself. The businesses must allow consumers to experience the brand – simply telling them that the brand is the best is not enough.
Budget airline Scoot set up makeshift change rooms in the middle of Melbourne, a large Australian city with a population of approximately 5 million. Pedestrians were encouraged to dress in a Grecian toga for their chance to win airline tickets to Athens.
The campaign caused much energy and enthusiasm and allowed Scoot to reinforce its fun, contemporary brand.
3 – Long-lasting value
Experiential marketing should provide long-term value to an audience. Value is facilitated through a memorable brand experience that sticks in the mind of consumers long after the event has taken place.
Athleisure brand Lululemon organizes free yoga classes in selected retail stores. This allows the company to build authentic, long-term relationships with customers by providing the sort of value it knows customers appreciate.
Key takeaways:
- Experiential marketing is a way for businesses to build brand awareness through face-to-face connections with consumers.
- Experiential marketing events may take the form of trade shows, sponsorships, test drives, kiosks, contests, in-store experiences, and in-person surveys. Some events cater to thousands of people, but each consumer walks away with a unique, personalized experience.
- Experiential marketing is based on the three key pillars of a branded experience: active participation and engagement, brand message and values promotion, and long-lasting value.
Other Types Of Marketing














Main Free Guides: