Experiential is the buzzword of the year so far, and everyone says it is the future of Advertising and Marketing. The only problem is that the definition of Experience is still a little unclear. Experience means something different to everyone who uses it...and experiences it - no pun intended! So, how do I define experience? The fundamental definition would be an interaction with the physical world. Of course, for those who love to play in the virtual world, you could take it one step further and say it is an interaction with both the physical and/or virtual world.
Once you are able to exemplify how people react to their physical world, you can provide a way for them to experience the physical world through the eyes of your brand or product. That requires research - both psychological and market research to make sure the direction you choose is the right one. Take Febreze as an example. When the product was first launched in 1993, it was marketed as an odor killer and it was a major flop. The reason behind it? The people who need the product the most are immune to the smells that they should be trying to cover up. P&G ended up doing some research by monitoring subjects carrying out daily chores in the house. What the marketers found was that subjects were proud when they had completed a task, they had an emotional connection with the physical world around them. Febreze re-branded their product as a post-cleaning sensory award and the product is now selling $1 billion annually.
So, if you can find the way your product or service helps people physically connect with the world around them - the emotional connection, the spacial connection etc. - you can hone in on one of the strongest tools out there right now - Experience. You can use the connection and integrate it into an event that helps you provide an "AHA" moment for your target group.
Stay tuned this week for more on Experience Marketing and some great case studies.
Have you seen a recent experiential event that was really successful? Do you have thoughts on Experience - The Future of Marketing? Leave a comment below and let's get the discussion flowing...
Related Reading:
FastCompany
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