Have you heard of experiential marketing, or are you still in the dark about this innovative approach? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the world of marketing, you might be pondering, “What exactly is experiential marketing, and how can it boost my sales?” Look no further. We’re diving into the details, and we’ll showcase some of the most successful experiential marketing campaigns to date!
At its core, experiential marketing is a strategy that engages customers through interactive, enjoyable experiences, sparking conversations about your brand or product.
But that’s not all. It also ensures that your brand stays top-of-mind.
Here’s the cherry on top: Providing a positive and engaging experience for customers fosters a positive emotional connection to your brand. This emotional bond is more important now than ever, especially with the findings from a recent Reader’s Digest survey revealing that millennials are more inclined to remain loyal to brands they know and trust.
With the experiential marketing definition in hand, let’s explore some of the best campaigns in this field. From leveraging social media to creating pop-up spaces to executing daring stunts, these experiential marketing examples illustrate the benefits of this dynamic strategy.
Let’s check them out!
1. Ben & Jerry’s: Tweet to Get Ice Cream
Ben & Jerry’s, known for their memorable flavors, blended experiential and digital marketing to create a winning campaign that highlighted the complementary nature of these two approaches. During their 2011 tour, they allowed consumers to tweet for free ice cream, an innovative way to open up a direct line of communication with their customers.
Not only did Ben & Jerry’s engage with their customers, but they also delivered free ice cream by having their sampling truck show up at customer locations!
What’s the takeaway from this experiential marketing example?
Using social media for marketing, whether it’s experiential or not, can significantly impact your company by building brand awareness, fostering loyalty, and potentially driving sales.
2. Globetrotter: Weather Rooms
Experiential marketing thrives on giving customers the chance to see and use your product firsthand. European sporting equipment company Globetrotter ensured this by incorporating interactive weather rooms into their marketing campaign, allowing shoppers to experience their gear in simulated conditions.
This campaign built on a feature of Globetrotter stores, where customers are encouraged to try on and test their products. Many of their stores even feature a freeze chamber!
For Globetrotter, this campaign resulted in increased word-of-mouth and sales from visitors who tested the gear and fell in love with it, making it a valuable experience for everyone involved.
3. Refinery29: 29Rooms
For three consecutive years, lifestyle brand Refinery29 has hosted a 29Rooms event during New York Fashion Week. This immersive experience features a fun house with museum-like rooms where attendees can touch and interact with art.
The rooms are designed to hold different experiences, while keeping the brand partners in mind, which range from artists and musicians to companies like Dunkin’ Donuts and Cadillac.
This hands-on approach to experiential marketing has been a hit, and the takeaways from this example are clear: No matter how wild your experience is, keep it on-brand and relevant to your audience. Entertainers can help make your event come alive and boost brand awareness.
4. GSK Sensodyne: Great Sensitivity Test
When GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) launched their Sensodyne Complete Protection toothpaste for sensitive teeth, they set up three interactive zones near London’s Tower Bridge, offering a range of activities to promote their new product.
The zones included sensitivity checks with a dentist, photo opportunities with a giant tooth, and an interactive dental hygiene lesson. This event generated approximately 150 social media mentions and raised awareness of their new product.
5. Lean Cuisine #WeighThis
Lean Cuisine’s #WeighThis campaign was a unique approach to experiential marketing, as participants never actually interacted with their products. Instead, they installed a gallery of scales in New York’s Grand Central Station, inviting women to “weigh-in” by sharing their responsibilities rather than their weight.
This campaign emphasized the importance of creating a branded hashtag and considered the link between digital and experiential marketing, while also promoting a message that resonated with users.
6. Google: 2015 Impact Challenge
Google’s 2015 Impact Challenge focused on making a mark on customers’ hearts and minds rather than directly promoting their products. They gave away $5.5 million to non-profits in the San Francisco Bay Area, allowing the public to decide where the money would go through interactive posters.
This experiential marketing campaign showcased how brands can indirectly engage with customers and create memorable experiences, as 72 percent of consumers say they positively view brands that provide great experiences.
7. Adidas: #jumpwithdrose
Adidas set up a pop-up store in London, challenging fans to win a pair of sneakers by taking them off a 10-foot-high shelf. The event was filmed and released to the public, generating over 500,000 views and increasing buzz about the new product.
This campaign demonstrates how to use online media to support an event and how to host an event to boost buzz about a new product.
8. Milka: Pay it Forward with Chocolate
Chocolate company Milka left out a single square of chocolate from some purchased bars, giving customers the choice to have the missing piece mailed to them or to someone else with a personal note. This simple campaign raised brand awareness and encouraged sharing.
9. Red Bull: Stratos Jump
Red Bull’s Stratos Jump, where Felix Baumgartner broke the speed of sound, is one of their most famous experiential marketing campaigns. The live coverage of this event provided incredible brand exposure and emphasized Red Bull’s dominance in this field.
Experiential marketing can generate buzz for your company in numerous ways. Whether you choose to implement a marketing event like these or not, there are valuable takeaways that can be applied to your regular marketing and social media campaigns.
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