Street Sampling Blog

[Experiential Marketing]

Note: This post picks up where the last one left off.

Having an accurately-preconceived notion of what the target will respond like allows the guerrilla marketer to stay a step or two ahead and lead the consumer the desired action - normally making a purchase. The marketer begins and ends the sales process by steering and consistently guiding the prospect to take the action desired. A desire to make an impulse purchase is created within the minds of prospects - that is experiential marketing in a nutshell.

It is important to appeal to as many of the consumer’s senses as possible in a simultaneous fashion. Brand marketers use visual aids, audible aids, memory-stimulating tricks and several other psychologically-tempting strategies to complete each sale. The goal is to make the prospective buyer remember pleasurable events and associate them with the message or product at hand. These customer-unique experiences are then naturally associated with the brand or product being represented and surges in sales are commonly seen. In addition, grass roots word-of-mouth advertising takes off like wildfire and is very difficult to slow. This equals advertising gold.

Time is of the essence in experiential marketing as well. People have become very resistant to traditional advertising approaches. Messages not only have to strike the emotional centers of potential consumers - they have to do so within a few seconds at most. The brand marketer must deliver a blow to the subconscious of the target that instantly compels them to take further notice of the message or product being presented. A rapid and seamless connection with the psyche of the target is essential for success.

[experiential marketing psychology]

Major advertisers like Levi’s, Volkswagen and Harley-Davidson are embracing experiential marketing as their preferred advertising medium. Instead of attempting to appeal to a prospective customer’s rational side alone to inspire a purchase, experiential marketing techniques get deeper inside the head of the prospect. Emotions are tapped, logic is tried and general thought processes are challenged to drive sales and establish instantaneous relationships between consumers and given brands. Connecting with the customer in a memorable and interactive way is the goal of experiential marketing (aka guerrilla marketing).

“Some people distinguish the psychological aspect of a brand from the experiential aspect. The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and expectations associated with a product or service.” - Wikipedia.org

When potential consumers are temped on both rational and emotional levels, the percentage of sales conversions skyrockets in comparison to simply attempting to appeal to the rational side. When those secret areas of the brain are stimulated that control the ideas for pleasure and comfort, and the consumer’s sense of practicality is aroused, the results are increased sales and instantaneous branding success. For this reason, it is important for the experiential marketer to firmly understand his or her target. The brand representative needs to be “in-touch” with the individuals that are being presented to.

Part 2 …. Coming Tomorrow - Stay Tuned!

Experiential or guerrilla marketing relies on interactive communication with prospective consumers rather than passive persuasion techniques. Feelings of pleasure and comfort are invoked leaving the prospect naturally curious to learn and/or experience more about the message or product at hand. Likewise, the experiential marketer offers the prospect the opportunity to avoid discomfort by accepting the promotional endeavor. Unique brand image and value is driven into the minds of prospects and effective relationships are developed between the brand and the prospects.

Whereas traditional product-centered advertising methods serve to stimulate the rational thought processes of a given consumer, brand marketing (experiential marketing) affects the consumer’s decision to purchase far more effectively by generating emotional responses. The field of experiential marketing has blossomed since its introduction in the 1980s as a powerful alternative to traditional advertising methodologies. Mainstream marketers now readily and excitedly embrace these unconventional tactics because they understand the effectiveness.

Engaging, entertaining and interactive experiential marketing makes prospective consumers take notice and appreciate a given brand. Some of the world’s largest advertisers including Harley-Davidson, Levi’s, Nokia, Wells Fargo and Volkswagen utilize experiential marketing techniques predominantly now. In addition, many small business save years of frustrating effort trying to increase their branding success by implementing these unconventional marketing techniques. Experiential marketing firms offer big results for small fees as well. Comparatively, businesses of all sizes can vastly benefit from taking this ultra-modern and highly-accepted approach to promotion.

If you desire to enhance the effectiveness of your future advertising campaigns, explore experiential marketing. The instant surge in sales and the increase of your ROI will demonstrate exactly the effectiveness of these psychological techniques.