It’s 2020 and consumers are used to being saturated with so much information that it requires a little extra sparkle to capture their attention. Are experiential events the answer to this dilemma that brands and businesses are currently facing?
Experiential events are live, inclusive, memorable, and they can be used to convey whatever message you wish without distractions. The fact that customers can experience something themselves sparks a nice memorable feeling that will stick with them for a very long time. So the next time they encounter your brand or product, they will have an overall positive emotion towards it. Thus, making experiential marketing campaigns the next big thing!
How to plan an impactful experiential event
Your end goal for planning an experiential event, or any other marketing event for that matters, should have a clear end goal. In this case, it should be to engage your customers with an impactful experience that will instill an emotional connection with you and your brand. To do this, some planning is necessary, and it includes the following:
1. Understand your audience
The most important thing any marketer needs to do. Think about who you are planning the event for. Are their tastes in any way different than yours? What are they expecting to experience at the event?
Many marketers today are blinded by their own opinion on things and by the constant need to appeal to modern trends. But say you’re planning a family-themed event. The people there will most likely be parents and children, and they may not be interested in what’s currently perceived as “cool”, but instead, want to see a nice cheerful environment that caters to their needs as well as those of their kids.
2. Craft a clear message and identity
Ideally, you should already have those things as part of your brand identity. Make sure that the event follows that same identity. Is your brand design rather sleek and minimalist? Don’t go overboard with bright colours and fancy decorations.
Essentially, stick to what you do. Otherwise, you are going to alienate your consumers and create a certain cognitive dissonance between them and your brand.
3. Offer them something of value
The most successful marketing campaigns in any field are those that add value to the lives of the people that were exposed to them. This can come in different forms. Knowledge is a great value, depending on your industry a prominent speaker for a short keynote could be a great way to make sure your event stays memorable. You could also simply enlist a good comedian, making people laugh is definitely adding value to their lives. Think about what could be a good fit for your type of event.
Having said this, you can also engage with an experiential events agency. Agencies can help you plan, setup, and execute your event professional as they will have years of experience under their belt. While this will cost you more, it does save time. And sometimes, time is worth more than money.