It's still March, but experiential has already made a splash this year. More brands are using this marketing method to generate leads and engage with existing customers, and marketers are planning creative brand activations for the months ahead. There are some big things going on in the world of experiential right now; here are three you should read about.
Experiential will rule the upcoming SXSW Interactive Festival, which takes place from March 9 to 18 in Austin, Texas. Do you have tickets? The event has always been a hub for creatives to showcase the latest marketing innovations, and this year's event should be no different.
While some brands, notably Microsoft and Yahoo, pulled out of the festival a few years ago, SXSW Interactive is still a great opportunity to test-drive experiential campaigns and network with industry professionals. "This event provides a great venue to make connections that will serve you for the next few days -- and beyond," say event organizers on the SXSW Interactive website.
SXSW Interactive has a wider reach than other marketing festivals, and brands view the event as a loyalty-building experience that lets them engage with industry influencers. As always, you see the latest brand activations -- the best ones will generate media buzz and social media coverage.
In a recent article, content marketing news platform Skyword featured some of the best brand activations from the 2017 festival. There were plenty to choose from -- last year's event was a huge success.
The sports drink brand Gatorade, however, proved to be a real standout, with a brand activation that blended personalization and storytelling. "The interactive experiences allowed attendees to analyze their own physical fitness abilities and compare them [with professional athletes'], including putting themselves in the shoes of a quarterback deciding how to run a play," says Krystal Overmyer, writing for Skyword.
On-demand video service Hulu provided another highlight. A group of handmaids, complete with red dresses and white bonnets, marched through the SXSW Interactive event space to promote the company's new drama series The Handmaid's Tale. "The eerie scene of the women, walking in complete silence, created an immersive experience, bringing to life the storyline of the show and generating plenty of [free] media and social media mentions," says Overmyer.
Gamification and experiential are a match made in marketing heaven. Introducing a gaming element to your campaigns increases interactivity and lets you engage with prospects via their smartphone or mobile tablet.
Research suggests that gamification will have a huge influence on technology and marketing in the next few years. For example, experts predict that gamification revenue will total $5.5 trillion in 2018, while 53 percent of technology stakeholders said that the use of gamification will be "widespread" by the year 2020.
In a recent MarketingProfs article, writer Brett Hyman sets out five rules for using gamification in your experiential campaigns. These include deciding whether gamification is the right fit for your brand, especially if you plan to implement the tech during a trade show or expedition.
"Does the experience have access to reliable Wi-Fi? Will a gamified approach excite or confuse the target consumer?" says Hyman. "Asking the right questions before investing in a gamified strategy will determine whether it makes sense for your campaign."
Hyman also suggests capturing data through gamification apps at an event. This is a win-win for both you and prospective customers: users enjoy an interactive experience, and you can collect data for future campaigns.
"Do it right, and you'll be able to not only gain valuable insights surrounding consumers' preferences and motivations but also prove your experience's return on investment," he says. Experiential marketing software and analytics will optimize your data even further.
Here's a statistic that proves the power of digital marketing -- digital will influence 70 percent of all automobile sales in India by the year 2020.
This research, carried out by Facebook and Bain & Company, suggests that auto manufacturers are spending more of their marketing budgets on digital formats, and technologies like social media and search engines are replacing traditional dealerships. In fact, social media will influence more than 40 percent of auto sales in India by 2020.
How does this relate to experiential? Well, dealerships will need to find new ways to engage with customers if they want to stay on the road.
"Dealerships need to evolve into brand experience centers by using innovative store formats and leveraging new-age tech such as VR/AR, rather being just offering product information and test drives," writes Indian business newspaper Mint.
US auto dealers have already implemented experiential campaigns to reverse sales slumps, and the results have been promising. Interactive test drives, for example, prove popular with customers who want to experience a vehicle before they make a purchase.
Experiential will play a pivotal role at this year's SXSW Interactive Festival, more marketers are incorporating gamification into their campaigns and auto dealers need to create one-of-a-kind experiences if they want to compete in the digital marketplace. These are just three of the latest developments in experiential marketing. What will the rest of 2018 bring?
