Experiential marketing is undoubtedly one of the best ways to get maximum engagement from a South African target audience. It isn’t referred to as ‘engagement marketing’ for nothing. That’s because real experiences have a much more significant impact on senses, drawing crowds in and staying in the memory much longer than abstract ideas. And with a number of top events happening this festive season, now may just be the best time to get the most engagement.
THE BENEFITS OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING
Experiential marketing helps build positive associations with a brand through in-person, engaging and memorable interactions. These experiences connect brands and their audience in a much more trusted way, leaving lasting impressions.
Many marketers already have their digital campaigns set for the season, ready to maximise sales. Whilst sales are likely to boost during this spending season, if it’s engagement you’re after, digital marketing is not the only way to do it. Here are some ways that season experiential marketing campaigns can help:
• Stand out from competitors
• Meet audiences where they are
• Get attention from the right audience
• Allow an audience a first-hand experience of your brand
• Leave a lasting impression and perception
Want to harness great engagement from your experiential activation, remember your ABCs:
a) Know your audience
b) Make it visually appealing
c) Keep it interactive
Although experiential marketing is well-known for its high engagement rate, it’s crucial to brainstorm ways to harness greater levels of engagement than predicted. Below are a few ways you can get maximum engagement with your experiential marketing campaign this festive season.
TELL A STORY WITH AN EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVATION
Marketers know the power of storytelling. It’s what makes marketing so compelling in the first place. But experiential marketing outdoes traditional marketing when it comes to storytelling as it allows an audience to experience and immersive themselves in it. There’s nothing passive about it! And, when an audience experiences a story they’re more likely to repeat it.
When an audience connects with a brand story, they have a stronger emotional connection with the brand itself. Involving your audience makes them feel a “human” connection to the brand, rather than feeling that they’re being sold something. Remember, the best stories ever told come from the heart – they’re authentic, real and have personality.
INCLUDE INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS
Interactive displays are one of the best ways to engage your audience on their own terms. There’s freedom and joy in being able to explore something fascinating at one’s own pace, without forced participation. This is another benefit of experiential marketing campaigns. Instead of being bombarded with marketing they didn’t ask for, people can choose if and how they interact.
Take the Deloitte Annual Global Summit, for example. With the theme “future-proof Africa”, we created a Baobab tree as an iconic African symbol, to hold the visual display. It was an aesthetically appealing piece and allowed the lookers to watch in their own time and space, with individual seats.
SPEAK TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
To gain maximum engagement, you’ll want your audience to participate and share their experience with their friends too. Let’s face it, in this day and age, people love to brag about what a good time they’re having on social media. Who doesn’t like showing how they’re “living their best life”? Setting up a solid social media strategy beforehand can ease and encourage your audience to post on social media to bolster PR around your experiential efforts.
Visually appealing and interesting displays drive sharing too, so be sure to include dedicated, “shareable” spaces to encourage social media posting. The point is to make whoever is watching feel like they’re missing out. Who knows, perhaps your audiences’ followers will also visit the campaign if it’s running for some time.
EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING SERVICES: TRUST JAWBONE
Traditional marketing can assist with an already established customer base, but experiential marketing can delight existing customers and potential customers a lot quicker. It allows your audience to dive into the brand much faster, and easier than they would through a screen or billboard. Think about it, it’s easier to scroll past something than walk past something interesting. And if they enjoy it, they’re likely to share it.
Are you looking for experiential marketing services in South Africa? Choose the right event management company that can turn your branding dreams into a reality. Get in touch with Jawbone to find out about how we can create a memorable, engaging campaign for your brand.
