In the experiential marketing world, things change and innovate rapidly. As thought leaders and tech experts come up with new solutions for promoting products and services to customers, marketing techniques also transform, which means that there is often exciting news regarding experiential marketing. Here are some of the most exciting news and events in the live marketing realm.

The Convergence of Adtech and Martech is Inevitable (via Forrester)

Forrester recently hosted a webinar, which was entitled "The convergence of adtech and martech is inevitable." The webinar was hosted by thought leaders Mary Pilecki and Melissa Parrish, and during the event, they discussed the range of people that will ultimately benefit from inevitable assimilation of fintech into martech (including marketers, advertisers, investors and technology vendors).

Pilecki and Parrish explain the great gaping divide that still exists between martech and FinTech, as well as how that divide makes it nearly impossible to provide anything but a disjointed cross channel customer journey.

If you listen to the webinar, you can understand how the convergence is going to happen, what opportunities will exist for your role or industry and how you are going to be able to manage the transition so that it benefits (and does not hinder) you. You can listen to the webinar by Forrester by clicking here.

Super Bowl LII: Experiential Marketing from Minneapolis

In this recent piece from Event Marketer, live marketers can learn about how the recent Super Bowl in Minneapolis became a haven for live marketers who were creating brand events and activations related to the games. At the big event, marketers took the opportunity to create experiences that would be unforgettable for attendees. The article outlines some of the best that took place, including the following:

• Sleep Number: Mattress company Sleep Number is now a wellness partner of the NFL. During the game weekend, the company created a virtual reality experience for attendees: the biggest multiplayer VR football game ever created. Players were drawn into the impressive technology and the competitive aspect of the game, and the company brought awareness to their own brand and its connection to football.
• Ford Sleigh Rides: Auto company Ford offered free sleigh rides to fans to local destinations throughout the Super Bowl weekend. The sleighs were pulled by Ford F-150s, and they could fit up to 18 fans each. The sleigh rides built an appreciation for the brand, since they offered fans convenience and fun.
• Courtyard Marriott: The hotel chain from Marriott hosted a contest, where one fan could wake up in the stadium on game day. They created a suite on the ground level of the stadium, and awarded the stay to a fan who was able to demonstrate their passion for the game via social media photos and hashtags.

Many other brands offered unforgettable live experiences during game weekend, and they are outlined in detail in the piece. You can get a better understanding of how your company may be able to benefit from experiential marketing software and what it can provide potential customers.

Personalize Your Marketing Communications in 2018

Companies that want to work on personalizing marketing efforts in 2018 should check out this piece by John Collins in MarketingProfs. Collins discusses the importance of personalization when it comes to selling your company to consumers. He says that if you want to personalize your communications effectively, it is most important to understand your leads' and customers' behavior.

To do that, understand what consumer behaviors warrant a message from your company, which of those behaviors are more urgent than the others, and what scope of behaviors your customers will take throughout the entirety of their customer journey. Once you understand how a customer behaves and what each of those behaviors mean, you can be "laser-accurate" when it comes to delivering tailored marketing messages. Read more by clicking here.