EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS-TOP MISTAKES TO AVOID

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EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS TOP MISTAKES
TO AVOID

• By BIG DIGITAL

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• Brands are pouring more and more money these days
  into experiential marketing campaigns. Although
  social media engagement is still a strong tool,
  in-person interactions are proving much more
  useful in driving sales. But treating your
  experiences like a conference or tradeshow booth
  wont give you the success youre looking for.
  Whether its a whimsical display that caters to
  the senses or interactive gaming stations that
  invoke fun and laughter, theres a ton of ways to
  get creative. To help ensure your experiential
  event is a success, weve come up with a list of
  common mistakes to avoid.
• Mistake 1 Not understanding the customer
  experience
• If you want customers to stay loyal, you must
  invest in the customer experience. When you put
  the consumer first, the rewards are immense. When
  using experiential marketing campaigns, you must
  go beyond handing out promotions and free
  samples.

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• Its all about catering to needs and desires
  instead. You must foster positive emotions in
  people, even if those positive emotions are not
  directly linked to the product or service youre
  selling. Simply put, you want potential customers
  to associate your brand with a certain feeling.
  That feeling must make them feel confident,
  worthy and fulfilled.
• So when designing your experience, its helpful
  to momentarily forget about how you can get a
  sale out of your customers. Focus on how to make
  them feel good and appreciated instead.

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• Mistake 2 Lack of big-picture thinking
• Avoid viewing each experience as a one-off event.
  Rather, think of your marketing campaign on a
  macro level. Plan out how each experience will
  tie into your overarching business objectives.
  Use the leverage from your experiential event to
  launch other marketing initiatives that will keep
  the dialogue going. After all, retaining
  customers is sometimes more valuable than
  acquiring new ones. Build off your experiential
  event to strengthen your relationships
• Give more value than you take. The more value a
  customer can draw from your experience, the
  better their perceived relationship with your
  brand will be.
• Reward loyal customers. Spend money on customers
  who keep coming back to your brand the feeling
  of exclusivity will empower them, making their
  business feel valued.
• Bring customers into the boardroom. Get feedback
  from loyal customers who know your business
  theyll happily do it because theyll want to be
  involved in improving the products they already
  love

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• Mistake 3 No chances for audience engagement
• When planning your experiential campaign, think
  of all the ways in which participants can engage
  with your brand. Give your audience a world-class
  experience with big, bright visuals they can
  interact with. Gaming stations, video walls, and
  free Internet connectivity are all useful ways to
  get customers involved. Make sure your
  activations are bold enough to invoke curiosity.
  Here are some of the ways in which you can engage
  your audience
• Live videocast capabilities using Facebook Live
  and Periscope
• Green screen photo/video booths with social media
  connectivity
• Touchscreen surveys with incentives and instant
  giveaways
• Virtual Reality (VR) headsets
• Hire a company like Big Digital that specializes
  in impactful displays to help you achieve
  successful results. A good experiential campaign
  should put your customers on a journey theyll
  remember for a long time.

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• Mistake 4 Not leveraging the power of social
  media influencers
• Your experiential campaign must have a strong
  social media strategy in order to be relevant and
  successful. Influencers are social media users
  who have a strong following, usually with
  credibility in a certain area. Never
  underestimate their power. When you connect with
  an influencer who loves your brand, you can bet
  theyll spread the word. A good portion of your
  marketing strategy should focus on finding and
  cultivating influencers. Here are some added
  benefits of leveraging these powerhouses
• Content shared by an influencer does not feel
  spammy or aggressive
• Average people trust the opinions of influencers
  nearly as much as friends and family
• They have a large following of very specific
  audiences that your brand can tap into

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• To find social media influencers, use hashtags to
  find ones that are already interested in your
  product. Search hashtags that are relevant to
  your company or target market. Then reach out to
  those who have the Top Posts for that particular
  tag. You can also search through your own social
  media followers to see if any of them have a
  large following themselves. Youll have an easier
  time convincing them to promote your brand if
  theyre already a huge fan.
• By avoiding the above pitfalls, you can ensure
  your experiential marketing campaign has covered
  all its bases. As mentioned before, never think
  of your experience as a one-off event. Instead,
  think of it as the foundation of a solid
  marketing strategy.
• For more information about pop-up marketing
  solutions, call Big Digital at 1-855-621-2842
  or contact us here.

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• BIG Digital Corp. 116 Geary Avenue, 202a
• Toronto, ON
• M6H 4H1
• info_at_bigdigital.ca