Experiential marketing, also known as event marketing, is a strategic marketing strategy that engages consumers and allows them to participate in a brand experience.
Creating a partnership with an experiential agency requires an understanding between the needs of the client and the capabilities and core competencies of a firm. Finding the right agency requires asking a number of key questions to determine if someone is the right fit. We are expediting the process for you, and have the top 7 questions you must ask when interviewing an experiential agency.
- How would you describe your agency?
To start off, it’s pretty important to determine if the agency is truly an experiential agency. Finding a firm that specializes in experiential allows you to better execute your vision, as they have the experience and resources needed.
- What are your agency’s core competencies?
A great experiential agency wields both experience and expertise. Determining a firm’s core competencies allows you to gauge whether or not the they’re a good fit for your company. Transportation, graphics, creative design, technology, set build, venues, and brand ambassadors are all a part of the process. Ensuring each facet of the experience meets or exceeds your needs is key to a successful, happy activation.
- How does your agency incorporate modern social and digital techniques?
Experiential requires the “wow” factor. Will the activation deliver show-stopping results? Social and digital techniques can often add the extra “oomph” your experience needs.
- What will our partnership look like?
A strong working relationship helps to ensure a smooth experience from start to finish. Ask the agency what communication techniques will be used, what your involvement will look like, and what reporting tools you will have available to monitor.
- What measurement tools does your agency use?
ROI is a key performance measure, allowing you to understand the benefits of your investment in experiential. What gets measured gets funded. Ensure that the metrics of your experiential event will be measured and reported for analysis by your team.
- How are brand ambassadors trained?
Ensure that your brand ambassadors have thorough training and access to the resources they need to be successful in the field. If an experiential agency doesn’t focus on training, your activation will suffer for it. BAs are the face of your brand in the field.
- How will the vision be brought to life?
Find out the agency’s creative process from inception to execution. Successfully constructing your creative vision allows for a successful experience for all involved.
Whether you are creating your first or fiftieth experience, asking the right questions can mean the difference between looking like a rock star or making an expensive mistake.