Traditional advertising has a major drawback. Whilst any amount of cajoling and persuasion can be delivered through the mediums of television, radio and print it always lacks several hugely important factors.
Firstly, and most importantly, potential customers cannot test the products advertised.
Initially this may not seem to be much of a problem, but when you start to consider the average consumer’s reason for purchase it starts to become a great deal more problematic.
Consumers don’t buy “things”; they buy items that they believe will perform at least one of two functions. Either the item will enhance their life in some way or it will solve a problem that they have. Ultimately there really are no other purchasing triggers.
Consequently any advertising that doesn’t allow them the chance to inspect the product very closely is, whilst not doomed to failure (clearly!), likely to have to work much harder to convince the consumer to purchase.
Customers like to inspect items before purchase, they like to hold them, examine them from every angle. They like to ask their own questions about them, hear what other people have to say in relation to them. In short, they crave a personal connection with the product.
Experiential marketing is perfectly places to provide this kind of service to the prospective buyer. Indeed, it is built around the idea of demonstration and interaction.
Through the use of experiential marketing you can not only get closer to your target market and find out what they want (another vital aspect of any product delivery plan) but also present them with your product however you wish…which brings us to our second point.
Product display is an incredibly important aspect of any experiential work; as well as allowing your consumers to interact with your product you also get to present that product in whatever fashion you believe to be most effective. Instead of the confining parameters of traditional media advertising you are able to work with parameters set by yourself. This, in turn, allows you to effectively dictate how your product is perceived.
Finally (at least for major points in this article) a further aspect of experiential marketing is the opportunity you have to take the product to the customer. Never underestimate the bonus that comes with this. People, in general, will not go out of their way to see a product without good reason, preferring instead to seek alternative options. However, by taking the product to their vicinity you are removing another excuse not to purchase.
So, to recap; experiential marketing allows you to create the atmosPhere and physical surrounds you feel your product needs to best display it. It allows you to interact on all levels with your target market and, in turn, allows them to interact totally with your product offering. Finally, in enables you to visit your consumers – removing an excuse not to buy.
When these three points alone are compared to the realities of traditional media (rigid parameters, no chance for customer interaction, product distance giving an excuse not to buy) it’s a wonder more people haven’t cottoned on to the power of experiential marketing!
If you would like to find out how we assess your ROI on investment, please ask to speak with Sally Durcan on 0207 503 0442.