Experiential Marketing: The Next Big Thing for Brands

Marketers across the globe are buzzing about experiential marketing, the next hot marketing trend that has brands and consumers participating. Experiential marketing is commonly known as engagement marketing, event marketing or participation marketing because it allows the consumer to engage with the evolution of a brand through an interactive experience. Through experiential marketing, brands can share their culture and values with the consumer on a deeper level.

The primary purpose of experiential marketing is to create a tangible, offline connection with the consumer at an event, prompting consumers to Tweet, Snap, or Instagram what a great time they had at the brand’s event. Examples of experiential marketing include pop-up shops, augmented reality, etc.

The partnership between social media and experiential marketing is predicted to take over media and broadcast advertisement engagement with Millennials and Generation Z. Both generations are hesitant to interact with advertisers. Experiential marketing bridges the gap between advertising and younger generations by allowing consumers to interact with brands without even knowing they are being “interrupted” by a marketing strategy.

Below are a few of our favorite examples of successful experiential campaigns that really stood out to consumers and advertisers across the globe.

29Rooms by Refinery29

Over the past three years, Refinery29, a popular lifestyle brand, created art and fashion centered “funhouses.” The traveling exhibit is called “29Rooms” and includes 29 rooms packed with multi-sensory experiences, branded content and one unifying theme. This year, the overall theme, “Turn It Into Art,” encouraged consumers to walk through the rooms and create their own art with materials provided in each room. The 29Rooms exhibit is a hands-on way for people to interact with the brand and each other while embracing the style, culture and technological trends Refinery29 represents.

Check out the 2017 29Rooms funhouse below:  

 

#WeighThis by Lean Cuisine

Lean Cuisine is known for its healthy microwavable meals that help you keep your dieting goals. Because the words “lean” and “diet” have the potential to add extra stress to women and their body images, Lean Cuisine wanted to empower women rather than have them focus on their weight. They set up a gallery of scales at Grand Central Station in New York and asked women to “weigh-in” by describing how they would like to be weighed in their lives. This interactive event was a successful example of experiential marketing because no participant directly interacted with a Lean Cuisine product, nor were they disrupted by an advertising message. They were simply asked about themselves and their own values in order to connect on a deeper level with the brand.

Take a look into the #WeighThis campaign below:

Cheetos Museum by Cheetos

The idea for this innovative marketing campaign came from what was already buzzing on social media. Consumers were comparing Cheetos to people, characters and objects and some of those Cheetos snacks went viral, so Cheetos decided to show them off, too. The Cheetos Museum received multiple awards in the food and drink category at the 2017 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

See this rather “cheesy” campaign come to life:

 

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