Experiential Marketing Offers a Powerful Alternative to Traditional Media
Posted by John Roberson — Thursday May 1, 2008
It was difficult for the Wall Street Journal to write this headline: Newspaper-Circulation Drop Sharpens (click here for the article). The article describes how the only and largest gains in the sector were from USA Today (+0.27%) and The Wall Street Journal (+0.35%) {Whew, they made it!}. Note the zero and decimal points in these percentages--hardly something that would energize the shareholders. The article suggests that these trends are “a sign that the migration of readers online may be picking up speed.” There was no information in the article to support this claim. The New York Times, whose circulation is down (-3.85%), announced in February that it was cutting 100 jobs. Magazine subscriptions are also down (click here for the article).
I do agree that people are getting their information in alternative ways these days. Add to this fact that customers are exposed to at least (the counts vary) 3,000 marketing exposures per day. Traditional marketing media as we know it is dying. If companies have really deep pockets then by all means they should invest marketing dollars in traditional media. But for the majority of us, our marketing must actually reach our audience productively and effectively--not hope to reach our audience.
A study released last week at the Experiential Marketing Summit points out that top marketing executives are faced with decisions of where to invest limited and flat budgets. The study suggests that experiential marketing, especially event-based marketing, continues to rise as an advanced discipline within the marketing mix. The study continues that if new funds are available to these marketing executives that most will invest the incremental funds in experiential marketing over other media.
The benefits of experiential marketing are clear. If the experiences are planned properly, their impact is more easily measured and audiences are more engaged in uncluttered, memorable, emotional, encounters. Experiences shorten the traditional selling cycle and produce greater word of mouth results and a larger number of brand advocates. You can download a copy of the experiential marketing study right here.
10 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Trade Show
Posted by Bill Taylor — Monday April 28, 2008
Companies must strive for a transparent, earnest environmental initiative.
There is a green wave sweeping across the country and marketers are paddling like the devil to catch it and not get washed out in the crowd. Green is not just for Nalgene-toting, oat-eating activist types anymore. Now the Hummer-driving, Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenager, who said “no to girly-man economics," is now saying “yes” to environmental responsibility with his new “green agenda,” says Fortune Magazine (read more). In business, even traditionally conservative big hitters like Goldman-Saxx have turned to the green side. And competitors are turning green with envy.
With so many companies becoming more eco-friendly how can you make sure your company does not get lost in the mix? What will set you apart? Sure you support the environment theoretically, just like you are against the starvation of children in Africa. But what are you doing about it? Ethically, your effort requires just that: effort. And it must be open and genuine. A recent survey conducted by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship cited by USA Today suggests that a mere 47% of consumers trust companies to tell the truth in environmental marketing (read the article). An increasingly skeptical consumer base: what great news! It’s great news, anyway, for a company that wants to distinguish itself from a sea of contending pretenders. Amidst intense public scrutiny, companies must make promises they mean.
Painfully, I must admit that the tradeshow industry is resource guzzling vehicle often driven by deadlines, convenience, and low costs. Environmental concerns get left by the wayside. Even “eco-friendly events” with environmental themes tend to produce monumental damage, laments Jeffrey MacDonald of USA Today (read more). A big part of the problem is that companies think they have to hit the ground running. But first let’s learn to crawl.
We all have to start somewhere. With great pride and even greater humility, I can say that here on top of the hill at Advent we are in the infant stages of an environmentally friendly initiative. Our progress is both enthusiastic and reluctant. Sometimes smooth and sometimes painful, we will suffer through growing pains until we are able to leap and bound towards our ultimate environmental goal of sustainability. None of us can afford to treat this as a fad marketing strategy, but rather an imperative ethical and practical long-term commitment. Here are 10 good ideas to get you off and crawling at your next tradeshow:
10 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Tradeshow:
1. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. This is the basic tenet to the yet to be defined dogma of the “Green” movement.
2. Reduce paper waste by communicating electronically. Send information via email whenever possible. Communicate with potential and existing customers via web and phone. Also, allow visitors at your trade show exhibit to sign up for more information at a computer rather than handing out sheets of paper for them to turn in.
3. Use low impact printing techniques for graphics. Many chemicals used in the printing process are harmful to the environment.
4. Reuse as much of the booth as possible. Buy a quality, well designed exhibit that will last for multiple shows.
5. Forget about disposable giveaways. We all know where they’ll end up.
6. Encourage branded reusable giveaways. Branded water bottles will eliminate the need for paper and Styrofoam cups. Branded canvas bags can be used to carry collateral at the show and groceries at home while replacing piles of disposable plastic bags.
7. Ship an exhibit directly from show to show. Save on shipping costs and reduce emissions by shipping your exhibit to advance warehouses near the next show, thus eliminating an unnecessary trip home in the interim.
8. Use local resources. Many resources like labor, carpet, and furniture can be obtained at the show site further reducing travel and shipping volume.
9. Do the little things. Turn the lights off. Take a few extra steps to the recycling bin. Forgo the convenience of a cab in favor of a nice walk or a ride on the metro.
10. Make a donation. Donate a portion of your tradeshow budget to an environmental cause to help balance your environmental impact.
The Original Experiential Marketer
Posted by Todd Cyphers — Monday April 21, 2008
Experiential Marketing has become one of the hottest trends in the marketing world today. However, if you go back to the mid-1900s you might might find the unofficial beginning of Experiential Marketing.
At Advent we define Experiential Marketing this way:
Experiential Marketing connects audiences with the authentic nature of a brand through participation in personally relevant, credible and memorable encounters.
Going from that definition, I believe that Walt Disney was the original experiential marketer. Think about it for a second, his vision for Disneyland and Disney World brought timeless movies and stories to life. There is no other place on earth where you can experience the Disney brand with all five senses.
When a visitor walks through the gates, they are immediately transported into their favorite Disney story. This makes the experience personally relevant, credible and creates a lasting memory that they will talk about with their family for years. All of these elements are listed in Advent's definition of experiential marketing. Other theme parks have tried to replicate a Disney-like experience but the attention to detail just isn't there. Sure, you go to other parks to ride super-fast roller coasters and other thrill rides. However, at Disney its about being wrapped in the story for each attraction and then becoming an active character in the story!
What's even more amazing is that in today's experiential marketing where consumers "experience" a brand usually at no cost in hopes it leads to future sales, consumers pay up front for the Disney experience and don't think twice about it.
Walt Disney may not have thought of himself as an experiential marketer. But his imagination and creativity paved the way for what experiential marketing has become today. Walt was ahead of his time in more ways that one!
For more information on Disney click here.
Custom Exhibit designed in less than three weeks
Posted by Luke Flener — Friday April 18, 2008
Advent was challenged to produce a 20x30 custom exhibit in less than 3 weeks to reflect the newly developed brand of Copperweld. The goal was to create a custom exhibit with a conference area, stage, kitchen and bar with a strong brand focus.
Copperweld knew time was short, and didn't know if a custom exhibit design was still a possibility. Adding to an already short time frame, the contacts for this project were mostly in the UK and Germany. We could only communicate through email a couple times a day because of the time difference. Graphic approval was especially difficult to keep on schedule. Rushing the setup of international shipping was also a challenge. From clearances to commercial invoices, it was like learning a new language.
Advent kept a tight schedule and delivered the custom exhibit on time to the show in Germany. The client was pleased with the end results, despite the challenges of such a quick-turnaround.
Experiential Marketing on College Campuses
Posted by Todd Cyphers — Monday April 14, 2008
In today's world making a lasting impression doesn't always have to be all about consumer based products. Many colleges are turning to Experiential Marketing to help make a lasting impression on both current and prospective students.
Recently Advent was asked to help Lipscomb University create a branded space to help wrap students in "a Lipscomb experience." There were a lot of different directions this space could have gone in, but Advent asked the university to get some input from their students on what they felt was needed on campus and this is what they came back with:
- Healthy food choices
- A place where both males and females were comfortable hanging out
- A space that could be a multipurpose venue
Advent set out with those goals in mind and began to brainstorm about the space. The space needed to be unique, and needed to something that students didn't have access to in their dorm rooms. Aftering doing some inital research one team member found that cereal "bars" were becoming popular around college campuses, and there wasn't one in Nashville. Then to add a twist, not only could Lipscomb offer cereal but also candy toppings and ice cream. That would give the students the choice to be healthy, fun or both with their food. Another team member found some really cool furniture made out of recycled bicycle parts. We also thought it would be cool to incorporate 60" plasmas with Wiis for the students. While the college students may have Wiis in their dorm rooms, they probably didn't have 60" plasmas televisions. At that point we knew we were headed in the right direction.
To make it a true Lipscomb branded space we developed the concept of a mural that showed "a Lipscomb experience." Photos used in the mural would show all types of student based activities, from sporting events to mission trips. This was the Experiential Marketing piece that Lipscomb was looking for. It wrapped students and visitors in the Lipscomb "brand." It showed what it was like to be a part of that university.
After the grand opening Lipscomb called Advent to tell us what a success the space had been for them. Students love the food offerings, the entertainment, and just hanging out in there. It has even become the last stop on prospective student tours, but you don't have to take my word for it. Click here to get Lipscomb's side of the story.
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