Street Sampling Blog

[experiential word of mouth marketing]

On the 14th, you’ll note my post about holidays in general, and Valentine’s Day in particular. Each holiday is announced well in advance. The idea being to generating upcoming interest by merchants to make sure that during the lead up and the event customers show up at their doors.

Word-of-mouth communication tends to make people feel that they are being told the truth without any ulterior motives. Honesty is perceived and the receivers of messages are moved to perform the intended call to action at significantly higher rates than when approached by various other communication techniques. This is true because there is no perceived reward for the person that is speaking positively about the product, service or message at hand.

If you missed this video, it’s an excellent example of real one-on-one word of mouth marketing. Connecting directly with your intended audience. (Be sure to click “read the rest…” I’ve got more to say and the video to watch).

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[experiential word-of-mouth marketing]

What more appropriate day to make a post about “word of mouth” marketing and advertising than today of all days… St. Valentine’s Day?

Among the “major” holidays, Valentine’s Day is played to the hilt in stores, on TV, in print, and online. Word of mouth spreads fast… you don’t want to end up in the doghouse for forgetting now, do you?

(Saint) Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The day was originally a pagan festival that was renamed after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. – from Wikipedia.org

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[guerilla/experiential marketing]

Today’s post is actually a recent article of mine on the subject of Guerilla (or guerrilla) marketing. I hope you find it informative and have fun reading it (I had fun writing it):

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Guerilla Marketing: Unconventional, Affordable Promotional Effectiveness

In 1984, Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term “Guerilla Marketing” to refer to a set of unconventional marketing techniques that are geared towards generating a solid buzz factor. His book, “Guerilla Marketing,” is now commonly referred to around the planet in many marketing instruction settings. Targeted audiences are approached in non-traditional locations and in atypical ways to create a memorable experience that is viewed with excitement and positivity. People appreciate the break that guerilla marketing gives them from the formalized approaches to advertising so common otherwise.
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[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

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Here’s an example of one of our experiential marketing campaigns in action (for Lord and Taylor of New York) – enjoy!

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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!

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