EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING EVENT and Why it Rocks!
Give people a brand experience that they'll remember forever
Participatory events transform people into brand advocates
Generate content of people blissfully connecting with your brand
Experiential events help companies standout in a competitive environments
Leverage social and influencers to reach people beyond the event
Track your experiential marketing event impact via engagement, social, and sales
What is an experiential marketing event?
An experiential marketing event is defined as a stand-alone, real-world activation engaging people with brand experiences, at a specific location, to achieve brand objectives.
Often brands and agencies utilize other terms for experiential marketing event ranging from brand activations to live marketing.
Experiential marketing event activations typically include brand demonstrations, product sampling, multi-sensory experiences, and digital integrations.
Experiential marketing events occur outdoors, inside venues, at festivals, sports arenas, beaches, and a host of other locations.
These type of events attract attention, engage people, bring your story to life, plus directly influence brand attitude and purchase behavior.
Experiential events are utilized by Business-to-Consumer (BTC), Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Business-to-Business (B2B), nonprofits, and healthcare companies.
Experiential marketing events can be designed for a single location, a few cities simultaneously, or as a national tour.
Interestingly enough, experiential activations encompass both outbound and inbound marketing tactics.
Social media, influencer marketing, livestream, and phygital elements play an integral role in creating desired outcomes.
Experiential event marketing strategy checklist
1.) Outline your goals
2.) Develop story-centric, multi-sensory ideas people will get excited about
3.) Design your experiences with a brand theme
4.) Scout and secure locations where your audience commutes, shops, or socializes
5.) Allow 2-3 months for permitting and production
6.) Develop experiential marketing event elements that get noticed from afar and spark interest
7.) Build-in participatory and shareable into each experience
8.) Budget for creative asset fabrication, storage, transport, installation, uninstall, and disposal
9.) Review experiential marketing safety protocols
10.) Ensure the insurance covers the public, brand, location, and staff
11.) Integrate influencers, livestreams, and press coverage
12.) Deploy videographers, photographers, and social media specialists
13.) Hype your experiential marketing event on social
14.) Leverage real-time content from the experiential event every which way you can
15.) Measure everything, and apply insights to future events
Environmental impact and social sustainability
Keep environmental and social sustainability top-of-mind when planning experiential marketing events.
Utilize recyclable, eco-conscious materials, and donate one-time-use outfits and furniture to local charities.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Know how experiential marketing choices affects people from the perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
This applies to guests, staff, sponsors, influencers, press, vendors, and local communities.
Ensure you create an event environment where everyone is treated with respect.
A well-planned DEI experiential marketing event includes:
- A bias-free environment
- Paying people a living wage
- ADA compliancy
- Community outreach and contribution
- Culturally and gender diverse talent, guests, and workforce
Being purposeful and intentional with your event planning will create better outcomes for everyone involved.
Experiential marketing services
1.) Story-centric experiential concepts to accomplish specific goals
2.) Brand experience planning and design
3.) Event asset production (e.g., Instagramable displays, tents, stages, booths, lighting, etc.)
4.) Consumer-brand activities (e.g., games, prize wheel, Instagramable installations, etc.)
5.) Event location scouting, negotiation, and contracting
6.) City or venue permit process
7.) Event assets storage, transport, and installation
8.) Onsite management
9.) Securing and training brand ambassadors
10.) Outfits and props production
11.) Liability insurance certificates
12.) Event safety, security, and insurance
13.) Videographer and photographers
14.) Production of marketing materials and giveaways
15.) Performer, press, celebrity, and influencer handlers and management
16.) Track impressions, engagements, feedback, KPIs, and CPIs
Availability
Experiential event marketing is possible in every major city (e.g. NYC, LA, CHI, HOU, etc.) as well as smaller cities and towns.
Process
1.) Share your ideas, inspirations, and brand goals
2.) Receive a complimentary experiential marketing proposal within 5 days
3.) Set a time to chat about how to improve the concepts or explore other ideas
4.) Coalesce around a concept that meets all brand goals
5.) Draw-up a marketing agreement
6.) Start to plan, prep, design, fabricate, coordination process to bring the concept life
Conclusion
Experiential marketing event activations create a cycle of brand opportunities.
Focus on concepts that delight as well as communicate why your brand matters.
Smart experiential events pinpoint multiple desired outcomes.
Experiential marketing is an investment; ensure to leverage them prior, during, and after to derive the most value.
Connect
Let us know about your brand and goals for an experiential marketing event recommendation.
Experiences connect us all!
EXPERIENTIAL EVENT FAQ
An experiential event is a form of marketing giving companies the ability to bring a their brand to life via engaging sensorial experiences; sight, smell, touch, listen, learning, movement, and feeling.
Experiential marketing events are valuable as, if done well, they build enduring relationships between people and brands.
People remember in-person experiences far more than any other type of brand marketing.
Positive physical interactions are proven to influence people's brand perceptions and purchase behavior, plus turn people into advocates.
Overall, experiential events are a smart marketing investment as it delivers on about every brand goal; awareness, interest, engagement, advocacy, leads, content, insight, and sales.
An experiential marketing event strategy views activations as a way to bring a brand's story, message, and benefits to life.
It is people-focused and goal orientated.
The best experiential marketing event strategies are stimulating, participatory, educational, and joyful for your desired audience.
In short, experiential marketing strategies guide a brand's event selection, ideas, interactions, and desired outcomes.
An experiential marketing event ranges from $25,000 to $250,000 depending upon the size, scope, location, and duration.
With the high cost of producing an experiential event, it is essential to leverage it in every way available to a brand; promotion, influencers, social media, etc.
For a complimentary proposal, contact ALT TERRAIN with your brand goals.
Experiential marketing events are measured in a multitude of ways; here are the top seven:
1.) Assess event promotion exposure
2.) Count onsite event impressions, attendance, and engagement
3.) Track sales via event-specific promo codes
4.) Survey social media coverage and engagement
5.) Quantify sign-ups, contest entries, and social media follows
6.) Measure the impact of influencer integration
7.) Survey people before, during, and post-event via Net Promoter
Overall, measurements are tailored to your brand's specific KPIs or goals.
