2020 has turned our world upside down – that fact is not lost on anyone. Some things hold true: more and more people “cut the cord” to cable in favor of streaming services to avoid commercials and have entertainment on-demand and social media is king for connectivity now more than ever.
On the other side of the same coin, the basic human sense of touch is now synonymous with a threat and as we watch our TV’s we worry about our favorite characters as we witness a world where social-distancing and mask protocol do not exist. And the thing people miss most is… experiences.
As we move forward in the world of experiential marketing, we must take into account these drastic changes and adapt – like we have done in the past and like we will continue to do in the future.
In the past, the idea was “make your brand as ‘Instagrammable’ as possible. Then, it became “create an immersive experience for your brand.” Now, it is “provide customers with a thoughtful, immersive, experience in a way that is safe and healthy.” This may sound intimidating, but the truth is, you’re taking an immersive experience and making it an individualized immersive experience – and what more effective way to market your brand than as a product that is meant for them. Think of this concept in relation to our recent B2B Experiential Marketing in a COVID-19 World blog post. Just going for an immersive experience is like hoping to stand out in a sea of people at a tradeshow, whereas the goal now – an individualized immersive experience – is to relate to the consumer on a targeted, individual level where they are there to see you and vice versa.
In the past, the idea was “brands focus on nationwide events, the bigger the better.” Now, it is “brands focus on individuals.” The intention here is not to think smaller – in fact, it’s quite the opposite! Here, we think BIG – the biggest, most ideal client you could ask for, and we target specifically to them on the individual level.
In the past the idea was “grab as much attention from passersby as possible.” Now, we want to consider our customers’ experience and safety throughout their journey. Here we focus on the simple modifications that we have adapted to over the last several months. We stay-organized, we socially-distance, we wear masks, we sanitize. All of these things have become nothing more than a part of a regular day.
In the past, we were eager to use as much technology as possible. Now, we thoughtfully focus our efforts on the best technology possible. We enhance our experience in a way that is natural and for our audience in a targeted and concise manner.
In the past, we asked celebrities to “#ad” and promote for us. Now, we introduce a familiar influencer – an influencer who is like our audience – to promote us in a way that is genuine, relatable, and feels like a trustworthy family member or friend.
In the past, “experiential” was the add-on to marketing. Now, “individualized” is the add-on to experiential marketing.
If your brand is in need of an add-on, we are open to having a strategy session with you. Just contact Pro Motion and we’ll set you up with an engaging, effective, individualized, immersive, experiential marketing campaign to set you apart and put you ahead of the curve when it comes to the evolution of marketing!
Adapted from: https://promotion1.com/2020/01/06/whats-the-future-of-experiential-marketing/
Brands are struggling with trying to stand out in the cluttered marketplace and Covid-19 is a challenge that none of us were ready for in 2020. If you are looking for someone to have a strategy session with, reach out. This is what we do and have been doing since 1995. We’ve been through a few really bad downturns and we excel in building brands. Pro Motion is a top experiential marketing agency and we love creating engaging, unique experiences, and effective marketing campaigns. Give us a call at 636.577.8507.
Can’t wait for our next post? Learn More About Steve Randazzo’s Best Selling book, Brand Experiences: Building Connections in a Digitally Cluttered World. Click here to download 2 free chapters!