A Brand Experience That Engages

June 16th, 2010 | by Andrew Miller |

Lori Turner

Let’s face it – consumers are simply bombarded with marketing clutter everywhere they turn. Standing out from the pack takes ingenuity, which is at the heart of guerrilla marketing.

Experiential marketing, a form of guerrilla marketing seeing a resurgence of late, allows customers to experience your brand first hand. It allows consumers to interact emotionally, engaging as many of the five senses as possible.

Furniture behemoth IKEA set up a cost-conscious replica of the Oval Office in Union Station in Washington during Obama’s inauguration week using their furniture line. Passersby had an interesting place to relax while waiting for their train, and IKEA was able to generate trial, engaging thousands of potential consumers.

So, does this type of marketing work? In a 2006 study conducted by global brand experience agency, Jack Morton, survey respondents ranked experiential marketing as the No. 1 marketing medium most likely to result in a purchase. Eighty percent indicated this form of marketing is more likely to lead to understanding the brand than other forms of communication. Plus, 50 percent of respondents indicated they would share their experience with someone through word of mouth, engage with the company via the Internet or contact the company after the experience.

Experiential marketing can create a level of sensory engagement that average print ads or billboards can’t. It’s about creating dialogue and buzz – two-way communication. It’s ultimately about generating trial, assuming the experience is a good one, which is a fast path to purchase.

Customers want memorable experiences, and they are often willing to pay a premium for them. The Disney brand isn’t selling vacations – they’re selling family memories that last a lifetime. Apple isn’t really selling the same commodity of a computer that the other brands are selling. They’re selling an experience, which is why Apple stores are designed to encourage active trial.

While Apple products may be an obvious choice for experiential marketing, would you ever think that toilet paper could be?

Charmin brand execs rented a two-story space in Times Square and converted it into the “Charmin Restrooms.” Speakers blasted the Charmin theme song and their mascots – the Charmin Bears – urged passersby to make a pit stop and test-drive their toilet paper, which wasn’t a difficult sell considering the shortage of public restrooms in Times Square.

Visitors traveled up an escalator, passing under flat screens broadcasting the theme song and were escorted to one of the 20 powder rooms with individual sinks and an abundant supply of Charmin. In a plush blue-carpet lounge, visitors could learn the Charmin cha-cha or be entertained by the Charmin bear juggling rolls of toilet paper under a disco ball.

You don’t have to be a big brand to win at experiential marketing. Consider the kitchen store that offers free cooking classes or the plant nursery that coaches you on creating an herb garden. They’re actually creating experiences around your product interaction.

What multi-sensory experience can you create around your product or service?

Lori Turner is managing partner at RedRover Sales & Marketing, redrovercompany.com

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