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  In our previous post, we discussed the concepts and rudiments of experiential marketing. We defined experiential marketing as the type of marketing brands undertake to give potential customers a feel of their products and sell the value of their brands and not necessarily their services and products.
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We noted that there are various mediums to execute experiential marketing, which include roadshows, exhibitions, offline events, sampling, contests, sponsorships and so on. We also saw cases where brands in Nigeria attempted experiential marketing and failed woefully. An example was a financial payment app that sponsored a popular TV reality show and got the lead they wanted but recorded low customer patronage. In this article, we shall continue on how brands can employ experiential marketing and get the desired results.

Employ The Activation To Boost Your Brand Value

Value is what retains customers and not the marketing campaign itself. This is why brands should focus on switching on experiences to a point where these experiences translate to the actual value. For example, when you engage in experiential marketing, it is essential that marketing contain some valuable insights that can inform an audience on how to use products and get desired results. A recent study discovered that first-time customers do not patronise brands after the first activation for several reasons. 20% of respondents complained about unkept brand promises, 11% spoke of horrible customer service, 18% said of the failure of brand owners to act on customer feedback after activations, and another 18% complained about feeling compelled to participate in activations without their permission. These results demonstrate that consumers in Nigeria do not consider value as making amazing promises but rather as unfailingly fulfilling simple promises. Every activation offers a unique opportunity to strengthen and not barely project value propositions.

Align Before You Implement

Designing and operating experiential marketing needs to be thoroughly understood. It is essential to ask how the event matches the brand portfolio. Hence, Nigerian brands need to align activations with their positioning strategy, target audience and brand life cycle.
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Brands must understand the needs of their audience and tailor their events to suit them. For example, a financial technology startup can visit a university campus to empower students with knowledge of how to be financially intelligent through savings and investments and how using their app offers some incentives. This is a strategic idea for fintech brands because campus students are at a critical stage of their lives where they need to be financially stable and intelligent.

Incorporate Your Activation Into The Buyer’s Purchase Route And Communication Mix

Another way experiential works is by integrating activations into the buying process, including the communication mix. For example, a smoothie manufacturing brand can build a stand in an area, maybe a workout spot where residents engage in sports and exercise activities. Selling chilled smoothies to people exhausted from workouts can create the correct value due to strategic positioning. Satisfied consumers become purchase influencers.
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Customers go through a pre-purchase, decision-making, purchase and post-purchase stage. Brand owners must determine the specific function of activations at each step in the buying journey. Offline and online activations must also be in sync. Critical integration can accomplish outstanding results.

Prioritize Personal Customer Attention Over Big Events

Experiential marketing is not all about executing big events that offer a pleasing one-time experience. Brands must think beyond hosting big events and actively engage their audience through diverse media. By engaging in community development services, brands can relate to customers and get to know their complaints, suggestions and recommendations. For instance, food brands can carry out social causes such as Zero Hunger Projects in communities, offering them the opportunity to sell their brand story and product value. There are cost advantages for brands that operate experiential campaigns for fewer and more targeted audiences when those activations strive to facilitate personal engagement opportunities. Close engagement opportunities can develop new opportunities for understanding customer behaviour, consumption patterns, values and lifestyles.

Conclusion 

This article has demonstrated that experiential marketing is both offline and online. However, it is all about campaigning why your brands stand above others and getting people to have a free demo of your products and offer feedback that will serve as an opportunity to know their audience better. Featured Image Source: Forbes
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This article was first published on 10th October 2022

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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