why experiential marketing

Experiential Marketing is the evolution and extension of brand experiences beyond traditional advertising and promotion. According to Wikipedia, it will “connect people with brands in personally relevant and memorable ways –experiencing and participating in a brand moment, rather than the usual disruptive, passive advertising messages we are surrounded by today.”

The live brand experience is becoming the single most powerful tool in experiential marketing according to a new global survey conducted by The International Experiential Marketing Association (www.ixma.org) and its interactive newsgroup, The Experiential Marketing Forum (www. experientialforum.com ).

The informal online survey polled members in 1591 countries and sovereign nations to determine the most successful experiential marketing tactics implemented internationally, as well as the tactics that have the most potential to negatively affect the brand experience.

When asked what they consider the single most powerful tool in Experiential Marketing, and why, replies and comments were:




Respondents were asked to rank marketing tactics in order of effectiveness in creating a fully immersive brand experience.  The rankings from most effective to least are:




“Experiential Marketing emphasizes the idea of communicating the essence of a brand through a personalized experience.” Wikipedia

There is no longer any question in the contemporary marketers mind. Experiential Marketing is the most powerful means we have to engage a community and build lasting loyalty around a brand.

 

      critical considerations

Providing your target audience with an immersive brand experience is the ultimate way to develop true brand loyalty. As a medium of expression, there are a number of methods and tactics available that will significantly increase your chances of success.

Creating an effective experience requires focused attention to all details on multiple fronts during the design phase of your programs. These considerations ultimately define the difference between success and failure in making a lasting audience connection.
 
Effectively assessing and integrating each of these considerations allow you to deliver an experience which will engage, educate and entertain your audience — one that will leave a positive brand impression and a focused call to action. The following considerations are intended as “words to the wise”.

Qualify Your Audience
Effectively qualify your audience using demographics, psychographics, sales cycles and spend patterns.

Set Measurable Objectives
Set measurable quantitative and qualitative success measurements that management approves prior to program design.

Focus Your Message
Create one overarching message that connects with your audience, your brand and your products and/or services.

Develop a Compelling Theme
Define your theme as a representation of your message, but ensure that it can be interpreted in multiple media and formats. If communicating to a global audience, consider that your theme must be clearly understood by those whose first language is not English.  Having a theme ‘lost in translation’ defeats its intended purpose.

Select the Right Venue
Choose a location that reflects your brand and sets the right context for the experience you want to create. The right location becomes the contextual backdrop for your experience.

Create the Right Environment
Enhance the selected location through effective staging, design and environmental branding. Simple considerations such as ensuring effective lighting will go a long way to setting the proper tone and focus.

Sticky Invitations
Deliver an invitation that cuts through the clutter. Forget e-invites and send a dimensional piece that becomes an experience itself. Perhaps a token that requires one’s attendance to receive its value.

Drive Attendance
Based upon your audience qualifications, motivate them to attend and bring others. Develop a ‘Refer a Friend’ incentive program. Individuals maximizing their attendance or referrals may win contest prizes or receive premium gifts.

Creatively Express Your Message
Use relevant graphics, media and talent to communicate your message and bring the experience to life. Ultimately, you are telling a story built upon a metaphor that illustrates your brand promise. Have a brand representative set up the metaphor by way of introduction, thereby tying it to your objectives.

Infuse Audience Interactivity
Use strong well qualified presenters, hosts and talent that you know will interactively connect on a personal level with your audience. The quality of their rapport directly represents the brand experience.

Close the Deal
Based upon your objectives, ensure you schedule follow-up meetings and give your attendees incentives to “close the deal”.

Balancing Budget and Design
Start with a program “blue-sky” concept, following through with a comprehensive budget that encompasses all aspects of the program.

 

     what BLACKBOX offers

Many employee and business-to-business production companies PRODUCE a program. Our difference is our agency approach to communicating your objectives.

Communications Strategy
Blackbox breaks beyond the bounds of the traditional briefing document with a complete process for:
•  strategic development
•  measurement that guides every stage of creative and production
•  engaging clients in our unique brainstorming and collaboration tool

Blackbox learns more about individual brands and applies that understanding to sophisticated, creative business-to-business and employee communications.

Integrated Experiences
•  Blackbox incorporates strategic intent into precise communications campaigns leading to event programming, video production and graphic design.

Transparent Execution
•  our credo: “Imagine Bigger.” “Execute Better”
•  we achieve this with a detailed, flexible and transparent process based upon Resourcing-On-Demand
•  we employ industry-defining producers
•  we utilize advanced technology in both the production process and within the program itself

 

      BLACKBOX services

Blackbox builds comprehensive communications strategies and campaigns that can also include production for events such as employee meetings, user conferences and product launches. Specific services include:

• Strategic auditing of objectives and desired outcomes
• Creative development
• Internal communications tactics
• Media planning
• Visual identity development and print design
• Staging design and production
• Video concept and production
• Digital media support (presentation graphics, podcasts, web-based media)
• Online social media channel development (Twitter, blogs, chat, forums)
• Integrated virtual experience and event development (virtual conferences and tradeshows)
• Speechwriting, speaker coaching and translation services
• Complete on site production and stage management
• Post-program communications measurement

 

notice of proprietary and
confidential information

This document has been prepared by Blackbox Communications Inc. and contains proprietary and confidential information. Distribute this document only to those employees who have a need to know the information contained herein.
This document is not to be disclosed to a third party without written authorization from Blackbox, and all information contained herein shall remain the property of Blackbox and shall be returned to Blackbox upon request.


    © 2010, Blackbox Communications