Ten years ago, for most marketers, it was just about getting the brand out there by handing

out samples and promotional vouchers, or pulling off stunts that got people talking about brands. Today, its about creating memorable experiences for consumers and giving them the chance to really interact with a brand. With so much economic uncertainty, todays consumers are more cautious, so brands need to assess how consumers respond to different marketing channels. According to urvey conducted by Tribe !arketing "td. at the beginning and end of #$%#.The &esults shows how the economic downturn is affecting consumers attitudes to different marketing channels, which ones they respond to most and which ones would make them more likely to buy a product. The results show that well over half of the %,%$$ consumers we asked say they prefer experiential to every other form of marketing. 'n particular, it matches up very strongly against press and radio. (ut it is even preferred to other forms such as T), which has a far longer shelf life. The surveys also show that in todays economic climate, consumers place increasing importance on product samples and reduced price offers as an introduction to brands. 'n fact, *+ per cent say they are more likely to buy a new product if they can try it first. ,xperiential marketing also scores highly in encouraging more purchases from existing customers, attracting lapsed customers and inspiring repeat purchases. -verall, according to findings, experiential marketing increases overall and spontaneous brand awareness, purchases and recommendations by more than .$ per cent. o, if brands are assessing the effectiveness of their marketing channels, then they should be considering experiential ,xperiential marketing programs allow consumers to become active participants in a marketing effort. Well planned and executed experiential marketing programs can be very memorable and relevant and can result in a positive change in consumer behavior i.e. making a purchase and attitudes i.e.changing brand preference. ,xperiential marketing programs most often are associated with consumer events. ome examples include sampling and live hands/on product demos allowing consumers to touch and use a product rather than just hear or read about it. Taking experiences further, experiential marketing programs may include interesting, fun and relevant activities / both offline and online / to create positive impact.

What does Experiential Marketing Mean?

0rofessionals are consistent in their association of ,xperiential !arketing with 1sensory experience,2 1interaction2 and 1relationship.2 'n selecting five words that best describe experiential marketing from a list of %., over three/ 3uarters of the respondents selected one or more of these words. 1!emories2 were associated with experiential marketing by nearly half the respondents. The relative strength of each of the %. words associated with experiential marketing was by weighting top/ranked words proportionately to lower or unranked words. Within the total number votes available to all respondents, the weighted rankings were indexed to %$$.The strong agreement within the community of international marketers who responded to the ,!4 survey was voiced in their selection of 1 ensory experience,2 1'nteraction2 and 1&elationship2 as words to describe experiential marketing. 15onsumption2 and 1&esponse2 6the behavioral dimensions7 received a small percentage of the ranking votes. The middle/ranking words, such as 1!emories,2 1'nformation,2 10resence,2 1'mmediate,2 1&esponse,2 15ontext,2 1Trust,2 1&eward,2 15ommunity,2 and 1"ong/term,2 received votes from some but not most of the respondents

ource8 ,!46,xperiential !arketing forum7, '9

'n other words we can say that experiential marketing is based on the entire experience a consumer has with a product or service. Whereas traditional marketing sells by pointing out benefits and features, experiential marketing focuses on allowing the consumer to try the service or product for himself. ,xperiential marketers control the environment in which this happens to some degree, but they want the consumer to make his own judgments about the product or service. Rationale and Goal The rationale behind experiential marketing is that consumers, regardless of what they:ve heard about a product or service, ultimately keep buying based on how they personally interact with whatever the company offers // that is, it is the experiences of the consumer that result in brand loyalty. The goal of experiential marketing thus is to appeal both to the rational and emotional sides people have so the consumer has a product or service experience that is truly memorable. Features (ecause experiential marketing is based on the experience consumers have, its main feature is that it engages multiple senses at the same time. 4or instance, if selling coffee, the marketer would draw the consumer:s attention not only to the taste of the beverage but to the way it looks and smells, its warmth and the pleasurable rush from the caffeine. Another feature is that it draws on the logic or sensory information the consumer has ac3uired or received previously. 4or example, in addition to pointing out the current taste, smell, warmth and rush from a cup of coffee, an experiential marketer also would help the consumer remember the past benefits received from being alert because of the caffeine and the happiness felt from enjoying a cup of coffee with family or friends. Benefits (ecause experiential marketing appeals to consumers on multiple levels, it can focus a consumer on a product or service 3uickly. Therefore, it is useful for current environments and social environments in which people demonstrate a shorter span of attention. 'f it is successful, the customers who respond end up being loyal to the company, which means the business has fairly stable revenue and profit and that customers will refer others.

Drawba ks ,xperiential marketing is intended to engage as many senses and rationali;ation processes as possible. <owever, in reality, it is difficult to do this. 4or instance, a written coffee ad can show a person sipping coffee enjoying himself and include text about the flavor and aroma, but the consumer cannot actually taste and smell the coffee to see if he likes it. This means much of experiential marketing has to be hands/on and include one/on/one interaction, which dramatically reduces the number of people a marketer can reach at any given time. 4or instance, a marketer could hold a demonstration for a large group of %$$ individuals, but a traditional T) ad could reach millions of viewers. 't can cost a significant amount to use experiential marketing, as well, because the company has to provide samples or service hours free so the consumer can test what the company offers. 5ompanies need to pay the people who do every demonstration.

Dri!ing an Engaging "usto#er Experien e ,ngaged ,mployees (uild ,ngaged 5ustomers ,ngaged employees are one of an organi;ation:s biggest assets. ,ngaged employees produce twice as much work product in the same time as unengaged employees. *$=/ +$= of customer satisfaction is directly affected by employee attitudes, according to the >ational (usiness &esearch 'nstitute. ?reat brands such as outhwest Airlines, Apple and '(! have achieved their success in part by focusing on employees first, and customers second. They put great effort into building employee engagement. They empower their teams to be proactive and solution oriented. When employees are engaged they tend to also be happy and they do what all people do8 they actively tell other people about what they are interested in. ,ngaged employees become brand advocates and reach out to and build engaged customers, and they are using social media tools to do this in ever increasing numbers. And customers are listening. With the ubi3uity of social media an organi;ation:s brand is being affected and influenced more than ever by what customers are saying about the brand. 6not what the brand is saying about itself7 And those customers are increasingly saying it using social media. 5ustomers of all types 6(#( and (#57 trust individual recommendations up to . times more than that which comes from the brand itself. 'mprove customer loyalty and sales by enabling your organi;ation to manage, target, segment, and measure customer experiences Achieve centrali;ed, brand/consistent content control across social, mobile, and multiple marketing channels to facilitate efficient delivery and management ,mpower marketing professionals to control the online customer experience across a large, global organi;ation to deliver rapid time/to/market web campaigns and communications.

'n the good old days, when times were easier and computers where the si;e of microwaves, the media plan was simple8 keep your focus on print advertising and T). 'n the past couple of decades, the media landscape became more fragmented, bringing up complications Today, its best to try and pick out all the different ways we can reach our customers. There are certain ways to reach your audience that are more likely to make opportunities for your products, services, or brand in general. The following are several ways to get in touch with your customers the proper way, turning them into loyal customers that will come back8

 @se 'nteresting 4acebook -ffers to Attract "eads 'ts all about getting 3uality leads, and social media is obviously the way to go. Try and utili;e 4acebook -ffers, which are a type of 4acebook ad that works differently when compared to traditional 4acebook ads. Well be able to set them up right on companys 4acebook page. 'n addition, we can even create them for both online and offline businesses. When our potential customers open up their e/mail, they will get a link to websiteAopt/in page. These types of offers will hook in and engage with customers through something free that they can earn by following your directions. 4or example, you can offer clients a free trial of some sort, or even a discount. 5ommunicate personally with every single customer. @tili;e 4acebook and Twitter pages to give customers a voice. (y asking target audience something, youre giving them permission to speak, and building the trust that we truly want to shape company to their preferences. -ne can also re/ tweet customers on Twitter or like customers posts on 4acebook to influence more interaction. -ffer a strong welcome. (e it on the phone or in person, a friendly greeting makes your customer feel comfortable and appreciated. This 1first impression2 sets the tone for the interaction to follow.