There’s a very good, simple reason why a lot of companies are investing in experiential marketing – it’s that strong emotions and memorable experiences affect humans in very profound ways.
The success of ad campaigns by the likes of John Lewis, Robinsons and Tesco, have initiated a shift in marketing strategy. Innovation and the continual development of new products have decreased in importance, whereas the customer’s experience of the brand (and the existing product range) has taken on new significance. Take Robinsons’ 2013 Thanks Dad ad below, for instance:
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What’s interesting is that the ‘experience’ we’re talking about isn’t necessarily limited to a company’s current product line though, nor a customer’s website experience or their digital journey. Actually, because we’re naturally tuning out to traditional marketing methods, creating experiences around sampling allows your brand to interact with customers first-hand. And when done properly, memorable and interactive sampling experiences create brand loyalty that CEOs would kill for.
As their name suggests, Balisteri Vineyards make wine. So how can they possibly combine children and experiential marketing? With a little bit of creative thinking, that’s how.
Every year they hold what they call the ‘Children’s Wine Stomp’. Kids can sign up for free, kick off their shoes, jump into some huge bins that are full of grapes and then they’re encouraged to jump around. The juices are collected and turned into Balisteri’s Little Feet Merlot for the next year.
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On a basic level, it’s a clever idea because the whole family can attend the event, so it solves the problem of how to get adults with children to an alcohol-based promotion. But there are other benefits. Parents can pre-purchase the wine at the event, but they can also taste, enjoy and buy from the rest of their range.
It’s a really enjoyable, engaging event. You could even argue that it’s educational! I mentioned earlier about emotion, and when the kids have great fun, so do the adults. And if the parents are happy, they’ll go again. Not only that, but if the parents are happy they’ll feel a connection with the brand (either consciously or sub-consciously). Either way, it’s an idea that solves a problem for Balisteri Vineyards and drives huge numbers of customers onto their turf primarily to buy their products.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.
