Consumers are using Social Media more than ever, and brands understand that they can leverage this online social behaviour with creative and valuable face to face meet ups to bring the brand to life more than ever!
At last count 93% of marketers use social media in their work. 70% of brands have a presence on Google Plus. Another 70% are using Facebook to gain new customers, and 34% use Twitter to generate new business leads. We are more connected online than ever before to the people and brands that form our social and consumer neighbourhoods.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Rule of 7”? It’s the old marketing adage that consumers need at least seven many exposures to a brand message before it can make an impact on consumer behaviour. That “Rule of 7” has moved online and due to media proliferation is likely no longer a 7 but a number much larger. So just as our media grandparents dealt with the challenge of gaining brand awareness in the old fashioned world of print and broadcast advertising, their digital-world progeny are similarly looking for ways to be “heard” over all the “noise” of online activities.
Today’s best marketers know that they must match a successful digital strategy with event marketing, which is also called experiential marketing. Experiential marketing satisfies today’s consumer’s interest in a sensory and emotional connection with a brand, by creating positive connections with consumers where they shop and live. Experiential enables the consumer to expand their relationship with a brand by experiencing it prior to purchase. Today we understand that peoples purchase decisions are based on emotion, even more so than logic. Studies have shown that 68% of decisions are made at the shelf. Experiential has become a key element in the marketing mix.
Think about the last social media message you saw – did you feel a connection to the brand that would motivate you to buy? On their own, these messages are often lost in the shuffle. Now imagine that energetic, excited brand ambassador approaching you. They love the brand they’re promoting and want you to love it too. They deliver a brand promise and demonstrate why you should make this brand your first choice. You may walk away with a sample or marketing collateral, but you’ve also walked away with a memorable impression. Now, if you see a social media message from that brand, you will probably be more likely to click through. Gaining consumer trust is easier after a face-to-face interaction.
Here are two of the top experiential campaigns from 2014, both coincidentally featuring pets!
Taking a best in class highly interactive trade show booth on the road, Petcurean – a Canadian leader in pet nutrition since 1989 drew crowds at consumer and pet events across Canada and the US building on it’s highly successful film and campaign by the same name, “Savour Every Moment”. Brand Ambassadors educated animal lovers at each event creating unique and memorable experiences, generating strong brand interest, and promoting product trial.
Cat food company Purina One opened the first cat cafe in North America in 2014. Located in New York, the Cat Cafe was an initiative which aimed to promote conversation among the cat-loving community about feline health and wellbeing, and to promote its new line of cat food
