Numerous years of research into psychology and human behaviour has found that experiential purchases are generally likely to bring people more happiness than material purchases.
This is in part because experiences are often associated with a better understanding of interpersonal connections, personal identities and social behaviour, than purchases that might involve buying a new lamp, or hat.
This knowledge informs us that experiential marketing efforts are more likely to have a deep and resounding impact with customers than other advertising tactics. So what does this have to do with the drinks industry? The answer is: quite a lot.
Why Drinks Brands and Experiential Go hand in hand
While some people drink alcohol for the taste, and others drink it for the inherent buzz that it provides, the chances are that most of the time, you’ll be purchasing drinks for an experience.
When you go out to the grocery store and stock up on wine for a party – you’re going to look for something that you think will contribute best to the experience you want to give your guests.
In the same vein, people who head out to a bar on Friday night are looking for a memory or some sort of fun that will make them happy, and keep them laughing with their friends in the weeks to come.
Drink and beverage vendors, in that case, have a natural connection with the world of the experiential. That means if they want to build a connection with their audience, they’re going to have to prove that they can offer an experience that is far better than their competitors.
Examples of Drinks Brands Using Experiential
If you need a great example of how drinks brands have made experiential work in the past, think about the efforts by Bombay Sapphire – when they introduced the “Botanical Beauty Series” allowing visitors to enter a Warden case in local pubs, where they could try out plenty of new and imaginative cocktails.
Similarly, the beer brand “Dos Equis” handed out Oculus Rift headsets across the U.S. to immerse patrons in VR storytelling experiences to get their fans virtually involved with their company.
Currently, hundreds of brands are currently fighting for success within the beverage industry, and consumers are facing more choices than ever before.
For those who want to break through into the hearts and minds of the crowd, it’s important to create lasting connections with customers through the use of experience.
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.
