PPB March 2019

product 65 percent of the time and help simplify processes 58 percent more often. Experiential marketing works particularly well with Millennials, who cite live experiences as the best memories of their lives. This generation also feels compelled to share their experiences with peers, particularly on social media; 49 percent usually share videos of these branded events and the photo share rate is even higher. What’s even better is that 100 percent of event experts believe the results of experiential marketing are always enhanced by including branded promotional products as a stay-behind tangible memory of the experience. Essentials You Need To Do It Right There are three core essentials that serve as a guidepost for creating and then adhering to the event experience you are trying to create for your company or a client. First, establish a single goal. What is the purpose of the event? What do you want to accomplish from the event? To answer these questions, you need to zero in on No. 2— your target audience. Picture a single member of this audience. Who is this person? What is their day like? What is their age, gender, demographics, role and pain points? Creating a persona of your target audience is essential before you can determine how you are going to captivate them. And No. 3, but no less important, is determining the single message you want to deliver. You don’t need multiple messages, just one. It must be simple, easily understood, easily conveyed and woven throughout the experience. And it is essential that your prospects experience this message in some way for it to be effective. (Then and only then do you select a theme or products to include.) Other Essentials. How do you want your audience to feel after the experience? What do you want them to do? (For example, do you want them to share their contact information, vote for something, buy something? Be specific. If you ask them to do too many things, it won’t happen.) What is your budget for the added experience? If your experience is to generate better, higher-quality leads, then the additional budget may be justified. The Scene. Since you are setting up an experience, think about the environment you are creating and the venue you are trying to replicate. Since most people need help imagining where you want them to be, you may need to invest in a backdrop, props or costumes to help them immerse themselves in your setting. Examples of a venue might be a busy office, a football stadium, heaven— whatever. The setting also helps convey the fun when they are sharing the experience on social media through photos or video. Sharing It. So how will your target audience share the experience? If that’s part of your marketing plan (and it should be!) you’ll need to remind them to do so. Will you have people in place to help them pose or to take a photo or video? Will you ask them to share a post? Register individuals as a “Liker” on your social sites and have booth staff in place to encourage the action you want to happen. Staffing Your Experience. There are several players that need to be involved to deliver an effective experience: 1 The Wranglers. Be sure you have vivacious, gregarious, no-fear talent in the booth to encourage folks to participate. If not, people will just pass by. 2 The Closers. These are members of your sales team. They can do product demos and qualify prospects, but they must understand the entire experience enough to make sure the initial message is carried through their presentation. 3 Administrator. This is the person managing the event, the booth and the leads. This is the person redirecting talent, managing breaks, answering questions and filling in for others. This person knows how the experience should work from every angle and ensures things are flowing smoothly. If not, on-the-spot changes must be made for better flow. Uh-oh! What Can Go Wrong? To ensure you get the maximum value from your experiential marketing, watch out for these glitches. No promoting ahead of time. You must promote every promotion, before and after. No rehearsal. When people don’t rehearse how things will go, things can go wrong. Know what will entice show attendees to participate, how you want the message delivered and Well-crafted experiences don’t just tell participants who you are. Rather, they allow the audience to step inside the brand—and become a part of it. | MARCH 2019 | 43 INNOVATE