Categories: Business

Experiential Marketing – Revolutionizing Trade Show Marketing

Today, with digital technology and the rise of social media and Google — where answers to anything are found instantly — consumers are exposed to so many different advertising and branding techniques, and they expect immediate results.

Traditional marketing such as print advertisements, TV or radio promotion, and flyers do not have the agency that they once had, as consumers expect more from the brands that they invest in; they want to touch and experience products before purchasing, and they want to be blown away.

IMAGE: PIXABAY

Experiential marketing comprises several strategies that focus on creating immersive brand experiences for consumers. The idea is to foster an emotional connection from the consumer to your brand by creating real-time experiences (such as a pop-up shop or a live interactive game) that are memorable and engaging.

When you work with an event marketing company that utilizes experiential techniques at industry events and trade shows, your exhibit booth will bustle with activity. Consider these two fundamental benefits to incorporating experiential marketing into your next event.

You Will Stand Out From The Crowd With Digital Technology

At industry events, administering experiential marketing techniques can be your greatest asset, because it is a break from the ordinary, and people pay attention to that which is different. Walking around a trade show can often feel repetitive for an attendee: generic banners and marketing signage, ubiquitous kiosks — eventually every booth begins to look the same.

When you add digital technology, your booth stands out and instantly evolves into a unique experience that will attract an audience. Rapidly increasing in popularity among marketers, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) immerse individuals in your brand while developing emotional connections and activating the senses, allowing people to sample your product or service without having to leave your exhibit booth.

Check out this example of experiential branding VR from the shoe brand TOMS, where they bring their charity work to life by taking customers to a small village in Peru, where their product is donated regularly.

Turning sales transactions into an emotional experience, the brand provides a positive memory for customers that they will associate with TOMS for a lifetime. The right event marketing company will have a staff of technology experts who will work with you to develop the best digital solutions for your brand to ensure that you stand out at any event.

You Will Generate Social Media Exposure

Experiential marketing is highly ‘sharable’ because people love to share experiences over social media networks, and this includes exciting interactions with brands. With a captivating trade booth display and engaging brand staff, attendees will want to share what your brand has to offer, and as a result, your brand gains free social media exposure.

Social media is a great promotional tool, and you can customize your posts to attract more people to your event booth by creating personalized hashtags and content, as Sprite did in 2015. Sprite created an outdoor shower that resembled a giant Sprite vending machine, and participants were encouraged to post photos of their experience using #spriteshower.

This outdoor shower experience was memorable because it was unusual and fun. It brought attention to the brand and the event was widely shared over social media, and it is an example of how today’s consumers react to engaging activities rather than traditional marketing. To make sure that your brand receives the attention it deserves, try something a little different and apply experimental marketing to your upcoming event campaign.

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