Smart marketers wanting to cash in on the effectiveness and results of a mobile marketing tour can run into trouble quickly because unlike a simple print or tv campaign, in the experiential world you need to know what you are doing or you could get burned. Working with an experienced partner to activate a mobile marketing tour is the best option, though some brands still go it alone. So for those of you who are considering a mobile marketing tour or are looking to evaluate their current programs, the following is a great list of signals that there is a problem in your mobile marketing tour strategy.
1. your tour branding is outdated
No matter how timeless and awesome it looks, if the branding on your tour does not match the current messaging for your brand then your program is failing to bring consumers the true brand experience. It is also a sign that the tour is likely not aligning with the strategies of your brand as a whole. Every element of your experience should be purposeful, and be intended to bring about a specific result. This takes vigilance, thought, and yes… you should review your choices at least every year or more for some.
2. event staff think they only have to give out premiums
I have visited too many events where brand ambassadors and spokesmodels believe that they are just there to wear the shirt and give out the freebie. It means that your staff has not been trained properly or it’s a missed opportunity to create a brand experience and bring the brand to life for the consumer. Your event staff has a monumental impact on the effectiveness of your programs because to a consumer if your brand ambassador doesn’t care about the event then… “Why should they?”
3. there’s no way to interact with event visitors after the experience
As an early part of your planning process you should be working to plan how you will collect consumer data and insights from the activation. Then you must decide what you will do with this information. Will you send a follow-up offer? Will you connect with them on Facebook or other social media? This step is key to measuring the reach of your program and should be given high priority and attention.
4. vehicle doesn’t warrant a second glance on the road
Let’s face it, having a flashy vehicle won’t automatically make or break your events. It is however important to remember that consumers want you to provide them with something they could not experience in ordinary circumstances. This is the wow-factor and it should start with the part of your tour that won’t be neatly put away between your events; your vehicle. Vehicle graphics are a great place to start but how can you make an exciting impact on the highway? Red Bull does an amazing job at using vehicles that are notable for both their graphic elements but also choosing body styles that make your wonder… “What kind of truck is that?”
5. you don’t know where your tour will be next month
If you plan all of your events and routing last minute, then how will consumers know where to find you or get excited to see you. Advance planning is imperative to your success, and each event should be evaluated against your marketing strategy. Promoting your upcoming schedule also drives more interest, buzz and engagement.
6. the numbers that you get in your recaps don’t make sense.
A week after your big event the organizer publishes the actual attendance numbers… The recap you got says that somehow your event was visited by more people than were actually in attendance. Sound familiar? Unfortunately this is an all too common symptom of your staff somehow thinking that their performance is judged by the amount of people they talk to during an event versus the quality of the engagement. Communicating the importance of real data rather than fluffy numbers may help you out.
Instead of asking for foot traffic numbers you could instead ask how many premiums were given out, or use visual sensing technology to track interactions and traffic flow.
7. you have to call more than one vendor/agency to make a change to your events.
When you need to make a change to your mobile marketing tour, there should be one agency that you have to contact to make the change happen. If you feel like you are drowning in multiple vendors, agencies, or contractors chances are that your process is lacking the efficiency a true full service experiential marketing agency should offer.
Taking your brand experience across the country on a mobile marketing tour can be an exciting and innovative strategy to add to your marketing mix. Top brands have been taking advantage of this approach and smaller brands and startups looking to increase their presence are learning that experiential marketing and mobile marketing tours are the best way to create impactful memorable experiences for their brand.
[hs_action id=”2000″]