Experiential Marketing THEN and NOW

365 Lab article published in Marketing mreža magazine. Author Mihailo Zlatanović, COO.

THE STONE AGE OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

The very beginnings of experiential marketing are mostly linked to dry presentations aimed at direct sales. My first memory of this type of experiential marketing is when a salesman for a well-known vacuum cleaner brand rang our doorbell to present and ultimately sell the product. Neither then nor now was that approach very dear to me.

Today, it is all much more subtle, so direct sales is not always the first and main goal, but rather raising brand awareness, linking the brand to certain values, and creating an emotional connection between the consumer and the brand, which ultimately leads to sales.

From this, it can be noted that the goal is still sales, but sales in the long run—creating loyal consumers who will return to you again and again.

EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING X DIGITAL MARKETING

With the emergence and growing popularity of social networks, marketing on them appeared as well, becoming increasingly attractive over time due to its characteristics—primarily global reach, flexibility, and financial efficiency compared to advertising on traditional media.

When we mention experiential and digital marketing, questions always arise: does one exclude the other? Or can these two marketing spheres function in synergy? The answer to the second question is an absolute YES!

The possibilities for cooperation between these two directions are numerous: whether as online sharing of physical experiences, creating omnichannel strategies that start in the digital world and continue at a physical event and vice versa, using digital platforms to track feedback on event success, and many others.

What is certain is that the combination of these two approaches creates a killer tandem, and with the help of new technologies, the integration of these two approaches is becoming easier, and the opportunity to impress your consumers is growing.

A NEW ERA HAS ARRIVED

The “new era” in the field of experiential marketing has three main characteristics: the use of advanced technologies, the creation of immersive experiences, and content gamification. Often, these three characteristics can be used together to create a unique and unforgettable experience for consumers.

The use of advanced technologies primarily includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI).

The second characteristic of the new era in experiential marketing is immersive events that aim to provide consumers with a user experience in a completely new and striking way. The main properties of immersive experiences are:

• Interactivity – giving the user the ability to influence the environment through real-time decision-making

• Multi-sensory stimulation – engaging multiple senses at once to enhance the experience

• Emotional involvement – through immersive experiences, we strive to evoke strong emotional reactions in people so that the event/brand stays in their memory as long as possible

• Personalization – as an additional immersion booster, where through the possibility of choosing according to wishes and preferences, we create an additional emotional connection between the user and the product.

The third feature characterizing new-age experiential marketing, particularly popular among the younger population, is gamification.

Gamification is a phenomenon that has become increasingly present in the world, and Serbia has not been bypassed. Moreover, a large number of interactive activations here are actually based on some kind of competition, point collection, or challenges.

One good example in our region is the web-based Ultra challenge application, which was part of a prize game for an energy drink brand where participants could collect points through a game and thus win valuable prizes.

The main advantages of this approach are certainly the creation of a community and increasing motivation to participate in a campaign.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

Today’s trends show us the path that experiential marketing will take in the future.

Personalization at a level higher than ever, the use of new technologies, events that integrate physical and digital experiences, and content gamification are certainly trends that are here to stay for the next few years, and it is up to us to create some new trends with our vision.