Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Experiential Marketing and Social Media Integration: A match made in heaven

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

In this day and age no marketer can escape social media as a communications tool: Stationary producer BIC recently joined the ranks of brands like HSBC and Mars, learning the hard way how powerful social media can be in forming a brand perception when consumers took online to publicly criticize the brand’s newly launched “BIC for her” – a pen especially designed for women.

However, allowing consumers to interact with brands and form long-term connections doesn’t only make social networking sites an equally rewarding as well as daunting prospect, but also an ideal amplification channel for experiential marketing campaigns, which offer brands these same opportunities on a face-to-face level.

The integration of social media with experiential marketing campaigns is highly beneficial to any brand: By allowing social media users to share their experiences with their friends, followers and connections, the reach and life span of any experiential campaign can be increased indefinitely. Opportunities to integrate social media into experiential marketing campaigns are vast and varied, allowing brands to appeal to a wide audience of social media users.

Here are a few ways in which to go about it:

  • Announcing the experiential event or tour dates of an experiential road-show on the brand’s profiles across social networking sites – appealing mostly to an “existing brand-fan”.
  • Letting people check-in at the experiential activity via Facebook – appealing mostly to a “social media exhibitionist” (users that don’t mind sharing with others where they are and what they do).
  • Producing a viral that allows people to share the event over and over afterwards.  The more impressive, fun or touching the viral, the greater the chances for it being reposted (consider this when formulating your budgets). An example of an impactful viral for relatively low key experiential campaign is the following viral done by Halo Media, with whom we worked on this paint-by-numbers experiential campaign for Essex Council: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZRInTQT_HA
  • Competitions or incentives to encourage the sharing and liking of the experiential activity on social networking sites – appealing to both opinion leaders (those announcing what they’ve done online) and opinion followers (those mainly sharing and liking other users’ posts and pictures).
  • Hosting a live feed of your road-show or experiential campaign while it is in progress – appealing to those that use social media primarily for information gathering and news.  A good example for a live feed of an international road-show was a blog diary that our promo staff updated daily while being on the road during an experiential campaign on special Promo Scooters for client SANYO. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nooED0JfhGg&list=UUrifJns_KwXfkyEAwq9kZug&index=18&feature=plcp)
  • Using a MyMirror type function, that allows participants to take photos of themselves at the event and instantly upload them to their twitter account or Facebook profile, readily marked with the brand logo – presumably appealing mostly to very vain people that like great photos of themselves (guess that would be all of us then?).

Social media integration can be taken even further to the point where user generated content and live online user participation directly influence the experiential marketing activity on the ground.

Cadbury did this successfully in Ireland earlier this year: encouraging the public in an innovative through-the-line execution to participate in their experiential campaign, Cadbury asked users to tweet #tweet2goo or enter via a designated Facebook App. Every day for one week a giant “Runny Egg” travelling a different location to garner public support “egg-sploded” live (on and off air). Every Tweet and Facebook entry received helped build the egg-citement until the eggs “gooed”. The fun was garnished with a nice incentive: Everyone who tweeted or participated via Facebook was automatically entered into a draw to win Olympic tickets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrL5JDUGuGE&feature=plcp

Nice work.

And every day brands and experiential providers come up with newer, smarter and better ideas how to integrate social media platforms into experiential marketing campaigns. Social media platforms have given us ample opportunities to magnify our experiential marketing efforts – the worst experiential marketers can do is to ignore them.

Written by Miriam Kuhn, Marketing Manager

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How to amplify and integrate your experiential marketing campaign with traditional media channels

Monday, November 12th, 2012

In our last post we looked at the reasons behind the importance of amplification in experiential marketing campaigns. It was right around the time when we started patting each other on the back for sharing our insights about the importance of experiential marketing amplification that we realised we didn’t tell you “how to amplify and integrate your experiential marketing campaign”. The next blog topic was therefore a bit of an obvious one really.

As previously outlined, the integration of the experiential activity into a brand’s overall marketing plan is crucial, as the other marketing channels on the plan can be used to amplify the campaign. With the right use of social media the experiential campaign can live on forever; whilst local outdoor ads, press ads, TV and radio can act as powerful reminders. (If you haven’t read our previous post and you think you’re missing out, click here to catch up.)

 

How to amplify your Experiential Marketing Campaign

The reach of an Experiential Marketing campaign can be amplified through integration with traditional media formats

To increase your campaign’s reach to the maximum integration and amplification should be utilised pre-, during and post-event. For this, each of the different aspects of the marketing mix can be used in a specific way to drive traffic to your event:

Press ads and OOH:

These traditional forms of advertising are great facilitators of experiential marketing, especially when used pre-event. Put simply, your ads can be used to announce the event you are planning and tell people where to find it. A simple line in the creative will do the trick.

With a bit of creativity, these channels can even instigate physical consumer action, such as a competition requiring a real-world action at a certain place within a certain timeframe for instance.

 


Radio:

Integrating experiential activity with radio ads works essentially in the same way as amplifying your experiential marketing campaign through press ads or OOH. Using the radio commercial or indeed even getting a DJ on board (many are convinced by a little food hamper or similar) to make a little announcement about your experiential activity can work a real treat. This works especially well because most radio stations have very localised audiences, which allows you to drill your announcement down as far as to the actual city in which your event is held..

Last summer, for example, when listening to the radio in my car, an ad announcing an event at which consumers could exchange empty bottles of shampoo for full-sized bottles of Ojon Damage Reserve Shampoo and Conditioner in nearby Westfield Shopping Centre came on the air. You bet I drove straight to Westfield and picked up my free Shampoo and Conditioner. (See, it totally works!)

 

TV:

When it comes to the integration of TV and experiential marketing, the trend is a very different one: from the “Colgate Cavity test” to the “Special K – What will you gain when you lose?” ad, there is an increasing trend towards television ad content deriving from (or mimicking) experiential campaigns.

Thus TV can become an enormously helpful tool in experiential campaigns. TV cameras work like magnets: Setting up a TV camera at an experiential event can dramatically increase the number of potential customers at your stand. A TV camera will provide a focal point for your experiential event and provide you with plenty of filmed material that can be used as the basis for a TV commercial (and viral).

 

Social Media:

From online announcements to live feeds to user-generated content and online “check-ins” there isn’t a lot social media can’t bring to your experiential campaign. The opportunities to integrate social media into experiential marketing campaigns are so extensive that this topic deserves its own blog-post – so watch this space if you want to find out more.

 

With the endless opportunities to be had, there really isn’t any excuse not to use multiple marketing channels to compliment each other and increase the effectiveness of your campaign across the board through amplification.

So think outside the experiential marketing box when thinking about making the most of experiential marketing!

 

Written by Miriam Kuhn, Marketing Manager

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Why Experiential Marketing cannot afford to ignore SoLoMo

Tuesday, August 21st, 2012

Everybody is talking about it: Deemed one of the most important up-and-coming marketing trends to stay, “SoLoMo” is one phrase no marketer can afford to ignore.

SoLoMo represents the conjunction of using social, local and mobile media, most commonly in the context of smart phones, tablets, or other mobile computing devices.

For marketers the trend of SoLoMo means a significant shift in how they use advertising: instead of using mass marketing channels such as television or print ads to push messages to users, the advertising message is triggered by consumers based on their location and social networking activity.

So far so good. But with SoLoMo being a digital marketing phenomenon, how is it relevant to experiential marketing?

The answer lies in the development of technology: While the first phase of the Internet was about constructing a virtual world that was isolated and apart from the real world, the current phase, driven by the move to mobile devices, is all about meshing together the virtual world with the real world. So with the Internet moving off the desktop, out of the office and into your pocket, it now comes into the street with your consumers – everywhere they go.

And this is the point at which experiential marketers cannot afford to ignore the SoLoMo-trend. Put bluntly, there are two possible outcomes for the future of experiential marketing and SoLoMo:

Either SoLoMo, which is much more quantifiable and measurable, will take over huge parts of many big brand’s marketing efforts and budgets, making it harder for experiential marketing to get onto brand’s radars
Or experiential marketing will start to integrate SoLoMo. If experiential marketing and the SoLoMo trend become an obvious part of each other, we are looking at a rosy future for both marketing disciplines.

SoLoMo and Experiential Marketing

Experiential Marketing and the SoLoMo trend will both profit from integration

In today’s marketing industry, we are moving between brands that are consistently looking for new ways to connect with their customers and consumers who expect highly personalised marketing and shopping experiences. This is good news for both, experiential marketing and the SoLoMo movement, as they are both built on and profit from these trends. A partnership between these forms of marketing therefore seems obvious.

 

As such the only question remaining is this: How can an experiential campaign integrate SoLoMo?

1.) The Social: Integrating social networks into experiential campaigns is no new idea. Integrating social networking sites the SoLoMo way, means using them to guide consumers to your brand’s events based on their social media preferences and their location:
• Announce your experiential roadshow locations on Facebook to allow people to participate in any of your brand’s events local to them.
• Let people “check in” on social networking sites online when they are participating in your experiential event
• Tie in rewards schemes to encourage them to use social networking sites to share their brand experiences with their friends and followers.

2.) The Local: Tying the local aspect of SoLoMo into an experiential campaign is the obvious one: Let people know exactly where they can find your brand or product after experiencing your promotion.
Due to their highly localised nature, most experiential marketing and PoS campaigns are already exploiting this by choosing a promotional space close to the relevant shop or display. But this can be taken even further: Think about possibilities like using mounted touch screens or I-pads in your experiential marketing activity, allowing people to type in postcodes to see the nearest distribution points to their chosen location.

3.) The Mobile: Many experiential marketing campaigns are already experimenting with the integration of mobile. Why not collect people’s phone numbers (and consent!) during the experiential event and send them text message updates, vouchers or maps? But beware: If you do decide to go down this route, it is vital to ensure that any messages you send are HIGHLY RELEVANT to the receiver. Irrelevant text messages are considered the greatest advertising offense known to mankind by many consumers, so make sure you get the content and timing of this marketing opportunity just right.

Love it or loathe it, the SoLoMo trend looks likely to be around for a while. The best way to deal with this new trend is to embrace it. (Now we don’t suggest you jump on every trend, but this one seems worthwhile.)

Marry your experiential marketing campaigns with the SoLoMo approach and you will find your campaigns have instantly improved both their reach and their relevance for your target audience.
If nothing else, you’ll appear knowledgeable to the brand manager at the opposite end of the table. Not a bad start at all.

 

Written by Miriam Kuhn, Marketing Coordinator

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The secrets behind the successful measurement of Experiential Marketing

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

 

Measuring the success of experiential marketing campaigns comes down to three simple basics

Measuring the success of experiential marketing campaigns comes down to three simple basics

In the increasingly intense battlefield that is consumer marketing, experiential marketing is growing in popularity due to its ability to engage consumers in a memorable way and to build meaningful, long-lasting relationships between brands and consumers.
But with experiential marketing campaign’s cost per contact being far higher than any other advertising medium, agencies and clients alike are gradually growing concerned about whether their spend on experiential marketing campaigns can be justified. The key questions have become: “What value do experiential campaigns add to the brand?” and “How can this be measured?”

The debate about whether experiential marketing is measurable is an old favourite. The fact is that when planned and implemented effectively, experiential marketing is one of the most measurable media around. And the experiential marketing industry has worked its socks off proving ROI on their campaigns to justify being awarded larger parts of brands’ overall marketing budgets.

The point that is often missed in this context, however, lies in the preparation and strategy behind the experiential campaign and its measurement. Any successful measurement of experiential marketing relies heavily on three basic requirements that are often overlooked:

The formulation of clear objectives before campaign start:
This is the most fundamental part of campaign measurement anywhere and yet it is frequently ignored: Without formulating clear objectives outlining what the experiential marketing campaign is looking to achieve, it is impossible to measure how well it has achieved its goals afterwards.

The measurement of the experiential marketing campaign in two stages:
The first stage of measurement for an experiential marketing campaign should be the activity stage, where the immediate reach of the campaign is determined. How many people have participated in the campaign, taken a leaflet, spoke to a member of staff etc? The second stage of post-campaign-measurement is the effect stage, demonstrating the “extended reach” of the campaign: Have sales figures increased, have consumer attitudes changed, are people blogging about the product?

Properly enabled post-campaign-measurement:
Agencies cannot evaluate the effects of their campaigns without key information that is only accessible by their client. In order to achieve accurate post-campaign measurements, clients need to share their research that shows propensity to purchase following campaign activities (e.g. sampling of a product) so agencies can project life time values and returns from the campaign.

It is only once these rudiments have been established and incorporated that the successful measurement of an experiential marketing campaign becomes possible. And it wouldn’t be surprising if it turned out that many experiential campaigns claimed to be un-measurable failed on at least one of these counts.

Written by Miriam Kuhn, Marketing Coordinator

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How to get Creative with Ambient Campaigns

Friday, July 16th, 2010

If I think of some of the most profound and memorable campaigns I have seen they stem from well executed simplistic ideas.

Experiential, outdoor, guerrilla, viral, online and mobile digital are the crafty, unconventional mix of the marketing underworld. More and more these disciplines are coalescing to form cutting-edge campaigns that penetrate saturated markets and reach further into personal consumer spheres.

A recent Microsoft Advertising report illustrated that the most successful campaigns are ones that “exploit the relative strengths” of the media they deploy and “create natural links to maximise engagement”.  For me, this affirms my own observation of how marketers can be distracted from objectives and goals in favour of egotistical campaigns daunted by heavy production costs.

Choreographed Flash Mobs such as T Mobile Dance, New York No Underwear Subway, San Francisco H&M Kids and Piccadilly Circus Single Ladies definitely have become a much loved marketing trend that I think exemplify this simplicity.  They have demonstrated they have the versatility required to transcend media platforms; on and off, below and above the line. Their power is instantaneous, creating a resonate connection with an audience and generating immediate buzz and viral activity.

However, you don’t need to orchestrate a mass choreographed dance assembly to tap into the benefits and the long-lasting effect which this type of marketing activity provides. This Ray Ban and this powerful Green Peace effort illustrate the effectiveness of simplicity.

I think these examples of marketing creativity enable a multi-dimensional campaign to flourish with a desirable viral effect.

What do you think?

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What is Street Marketing? An Introduction

Monday, June 21st, 2010

What is street marketing?

Street marketing or (Ambient, Guerrilla or Street Advertising as it is sometimes known), incorporates non-traditional and alternative methods to generate a lasting market buzz for brands.

And, there is no shortage of street marketing option available. From the bold and brash light projections and street skins to the more understated clean graffiti or chalk stencils there is a vast array of opportunities available to gain brand exposure to people when they aren’t expecting to see it.

What Makes this Unique?

Well, the majority of advertising budgets are still spent on ‘traditional’ formats such as TV and Press. However, when people turn on the television they expect to be bombarded with advertisements, they are prepared for them on the radio and in magazines.

It is because of this assault that we have created somewhat of a filter to block a lot of forms of advertising out and advertisers have to really try hard to make their message noticed and to target the most valuable audiences.

However, if you can catch your audience’s eye and their imagination you are more likely to make a lasting impression and this is what makes ‘Ambient Media’ unique – the ability to enable the media itself to cut through. That coupled with the ‘word of mouth’ effect from a well executed campaign, encourages interaction with a brand and hence consumer ‘ownership’ of that brand leading to greater loyalty.

Street marketing, alongside an existing marketing mix, has the potential to help build customer base, brand awareness and establish a loyal following.

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Election Light Projections

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Following the impressive display of light projection used during the May U.K. election, it seems timely to mention the bespoke uses of light projection and the advantages of ambient advertising.

As seen above, the BBC’s coverage of election night included a real-time feed of poll results beamed onto the nation’s iconic Big Ben, complementing the historic event with an incredible display of new media. This is a prime example of how ambient platforms reach beyond the realms of conventional marketing. Such as Big Ben, light projections create a playground of priceless advertising space that can be personally tailored to meet specific marketing needs.

Be it for edgy guerrilla activity such as here, PR or a production/event launch such as here or here, in my opinion light projections craft the perfect contemporary display, mirroring current urban trends through mergence of art and technology. They create much more than a static advert, rather a memorable experience likely to generate viral buzz and a wealth of valuable media coverage.

To check out some of AmbientWW light projection campaigns and other ambient media products click here.

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Ambient Media WW Launch

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

We’re all thankful for the long weekend following a few drinks and bbq at the office last friday
to celebrate the launch of the new Ambient Media WW site and the merger between
Look Media and Ambient Media UK.

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