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The Oxford College of Business Management defines experiential marketing, or engagement marketing, as a marketing strategy that, quote;
“Views consumers as rational decision-makers who care about functional features and benefits.”
In practice, experiential marketing is about selling experiences. Brands and individuals sell experiences at:
- Pop up stores
- Industry events
- Trade shows
- Virtual events
And other physical and online gatherings. What selling an experience does for the customer and the brand is:
- Create emotional connections through immersion.
- An immersive experience is more memorable and thus stays in the minds of audiences for longer.
- Maximize the power of word-of-mouth marketing through face-to-face interaction
- Increase engagement
On-site brand ambassadors are the foundation upon which you build experiential marketing strategies. At events, brand ambassadors drive traffic, collect data, and build brand perception.
To achieve that end, a brand ambassador needs a specific type of education as explained below.
Experiential Marketing: Enhancing Brand Awareness Through Immersive Experiences
Recent studies suggest that capturing and maintaining human attention is difficult because of the following reasons:
- The average buyer is a victim of information overload. Every day, audiences in-voluntarily sit through ads that diminish attention spans.
- The desire for instant satisfaction can cause mental over-stimulation and impact learning memory. Studies suggest that the average attention span in 2024 is about eight seconds.
How Does Experiential Marketing Fix this Problem?
When you attend a trade show, wedding, or other event, you have needs and anxieties. These needs and anxieties stem from experiences and reception.
A “good” reception eases anxiety because attendees have direction, and brand ambassadors aid anyone who needs it. Think of it as professionals guiding target audiences through visual, audio, and virtual experiences.
To craft that experience, representatives center their strategy on the vision and culture of the brand they represent. In other words, brand ambassadors help create immersion based on the theme of the event.
In practice, Brand ambassadors create immersive experiences in the following ways
A Compelling Visual and Virtual Story
Audiences today do not have to attend events in person. Consequently, on-site brand ambassador tasks have evolved;
- from word-of-mouth marketing and visual marketing to;
- Hybrid marketing strategies incorporate communication technology and personal brands to reach new audiences.
The popularity of social media is continuing to enable this marketing strategy. Today. At least seventy percent of event attendees record or stream what they see.
The more immersive the experience, the larger the audience.
For attendees, events are stories told through what they see and experience. To enhance brand awareness, brand ambassadors must tell stories that evoke:
- Empathy
- Curiosity
- Excitement
To grab and maintain audience attention.
Providing value, being authentic, and being consistent are the principles of experiential marketing. That leads us to the question :
The Role of Brand Ambassadors in Experiential Marketing
In corporate america there is a disconnect between corporations and audiences. Corporate hate is easy to understand. The hate may stem from past misdeeds or perceptions built through peers.
Consequently, most event attendees do not attend events to inhale corporate jargon. Instead, they attend events for the experience.
If a corporation, business, or individual can provide an immersive experience for attendees. The majority of attendees overlook their bias.
For instance, the "hate" for Activision is widespread on forums including Reddit. However, hundreds if not thousands of Redditors attend Activision events: why?
Because of the immersive experiences Activision provides.
Activision brand ambassadors create immersive experiences through launch events and interactive gaming. These are memories that attendees take home. The stories they tell build curiosity, prompting peers to want to attend the next event.
So, in short, the work of a brand ambassador in experiential marketing is:
- Build a human connection between a brand and its audience
- Engage, interact, and represent a brand
- Demonstrate products
- Provide customer education
- Collect feedback and weave compelling brand narratives
- Crowd management and logistics
As mentioned, the added role is social media amplification. Social media amplification entails streaming, post-sharing, and other actions geared towards hype-building.
Tip: the future of experiential marketing is in:
- creating interactive experiences
- augmented reality
- live events
- event management
Gather as much knowledge as you can on the subject matters listed above. That knowledge will help improve customer experience.
Why It's Vital for Brands to Invest in Experiential Marketing Strategies
The average American is tired of businesses and corporations telling them what to buy. Marketers refer to that phenomenon as "ad fatigue."
Ad fatigue is a psychological reaction -created by the perception that a business is infringing on one's freedom. In practice, these are ads forced upon you on social media and everywhere you look.
Experiential marketing is about showing, not telling. Unlike traditional marketing, The strategy abandons old intrusive methods, in favor of experiences that audiences want. Instead of a cooperation guilt tripping you into buying something. They show you how much better your life would be with the product.
At events, the experience attendees go through is a part of marketing.
At the core of experiential marketing are human interaction and word-of-mouth marketing. What happens is, when an individual has a unique experience, they tell their peers.
Curiosity causes the peers to seek out the experience. If a business recreates a memorable experience multiple times, it solidifies customer trust and loyalty.
That results in audiences knowing what to expect.
Remember, each event is a learning experience and a business must adapt on the go. Consequently, do not shy away from surprising your audience.
Therefore, modern businesses must invest in experiential marketing because it helps build a community. Audiences who view a business as part of their community are more loyal. Because to them, the business is part of their lifestyle.
Creating Memorable Experiences: How Experiential Marketing Affects Event Marketing
Moments become memories, and memories become treasures for audiences. You hang these treasures on your walls, social media pages, and in your memories.
Human psychology tells us experience is a three-step process that involves:
- Perceiving
- Interpreting
- Responding to stimuli
Consequently, at events, the job of a brand ambassador begins by creating a positive perception. That involves capturing the audience's attention through sights, sounds, tastes, and tactile sensations.
We recommend innovating the process in your own way. Remember, a unique experience is more memorable than a rehearsed message. So craft the experience for the individual in front of you.
To help audiences process and interpret the information you provide -as per brand policy. Influence your message with the brand’s beliefs, values, and experiences.
The overall goal is to get an emotional response from your audience. To that end, use experiences to make event attendees laugh, cry, or find ways to evoke the emotions you want.
Remember, emotions have a direct effect on memory formation. If a person feels happy at an event, they will most likely buy a product or become a brand ambassador themselves. Preaching to their friends and neighbors about their experiences.
How to target emotions at events
I define immersion as -being fully absorbed or engaged in a moment. The resulting heightened state of awareness encourages social sharing and facilitates meaningful connections.
Types of Experiential Marketing that Drive Brand Engagement
Now that you know what experiential marketing is, we must explore the strategies to employ. From my experience in marketing, I say that there are at least five distinct types of experiential marketing strategies.
Event Marketing
An event is a controlled environment. Brands use events to interact directly with audiences. The benefit of marketing in a confined environment is you have control over what audiences see, feel, and hear.
Use the space to create an experience based on audience expectations. That will require you to conduct thorough audience research.
Experiential Activations
Examples of Experiential activations are demonstrations, live performances, and interactive exhibits. How you craft experiential activations determines audience experience. Further amassing the need for audience research.
Pop Up Experiences
The idea is to generate buzz and build community awareness. This strategy is best targeted at drive-foot traffic. For instance, you may have brand ambassadors patrolling an area to direct traffic to an event.
You may also employ guerilla marketing strategies. Guerilla marketing entails using un-conventional methods to reach audiences. Examples are;
- street performances
- flash mobs
- and interactive stunts
The strategy thrives on curiosity. Once you get enough people curious, interest builds organically.
Brand Ambassador Marketing
Brand ambassadors embody the face of a brand. The experience audiences have with the representative improves brand-customer relations.
Sample Distribution
A marketer may describe chocolate as sweet. I may also let you experience the product and let you decide. The latter option is more immersive because the audience can judge quality, taste, and benefits firsthand
Brands may also sponsor experiences at events, festivals, or cultural events. The sponsor may provide funding, branded merchandise, or other ways to enhance the experience.
Maximizing Brand Ambassadors’ Impact in Experiential Marketing
Immersive marketing experiences do not happen by accident or luck. To immerse your audience, you must strategically plan the experience.
Events Today Do Not Start at the Door
They begin on social media. Use social media to show the team that will be present. For some attendees, a well-crafted team; is enough to capture their attention.
To maximize brand ambassador impact in experiential marketing, marketing studies suggest that you do the following:
Select the Right Brand Ambassador Company
America’s culture is deeply divided. Consequently, The stories and experiences you create have the potential to make your event a success or failure.
Selecting the right brand ambassador team guarantees;
- A Balanced message with little possibility of a representative offending specific groups of attendees.
- You get brand ambassadors who align with your business’s values, personality, and audience.
Provide Comprehensive Training
All businesses have a narrative. That narrative contains industry best practices. Consequently, anyone acting on behalf of a brand must be aware of the business's best practices.
Failure to provide comprehensive training for brand ambassadors can result in a disconnect between the business and its audience. Creating a situation where a brand ambassador may pass an incoherent/false message to the audience.
Create a Feedback System and Prioritize Authentic Interactions
An authentic interaction between an audience member and a brand ambassador provides mutual benefit. The brand ambassador gets feedback to pass on to the brand and audiences get their questions answered.
This type of interaction shapes sales decisions and brand perception. Additionally, authentic interactions support long-term relationships. Audiences feel that they can reach out to a representative whenever need be.
Humanizing a brand, as explained above, positions a business as consistent and reliable.
Shared Values and Alignment
Being a great brand ambassador is about having the ability to share your values, beliefs, and goals with a brand.
Creating shared values is a multi-step process that involves:
Understanding your values and beliefs and how they align with the brand’s message. If your beliefs collide with the brand’s message, you will have trouble selling the business to audiences.
To avoid the conflict above, research the brand's values, placing focus on aspects such as:
- Business ethics
- Diversity and inclusion
- Sustained growth
- And personal growth
You Must Engage with the Brand
Having an interest in a brand does not translate to you knowing everything about it. Building brand knowledge requires you to interact with its products, services, and events.
When you hire a brand ambassador company, pick a team that is willing to learn everything about your business. That includes the level of professionalism to deliver.
Provide Feedback and Suggestion
As a business owner, it is in your best interest for representatives to create the right experiences at events. If you notice an area of concern, communicate the issue immediately before it snowballs.
Recognize Brand Ambassador Skills and Weaknesses
If you create your team to run an event, you must position each member strategically based on their strengths and weaknesses. This option can be problematic because your team members may lack on-site experience and training.
Consequently, if you must designate employees to run your next event, utilize them for low-stakes events.
Marketing events require you to put your best marketing foot forward. Your representatives must embody your brand in their actions, professionalism, and communication.
Expert brand ambassadors understand this and are thus best position to deliver the best results.
The Future of Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing is evolving in real-time. Innovating the way we attend events and interact with brands. Unlike ads, experiential marketing focuses on showing, not telling.
That emphasis on showing benefits through experiences is the strategy’s main strength.
That strength stems from human interaction, personal experience, and group behavior.
The room for innovation in experiential marketing is endless. As a brand ambassador, prioritize continuous learning.
Start by getting yourself the right education. The right education for brand ambassadors is not necessarily a college degree. We have a brand ambassador program you can access by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
For brands, working with a brand ambassador company enhances the reach and creates positive engagement. Use immersion to create a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of your audience.
You may copy and improve, or innovate new strategies. However, center your strategy on industry knowledge. Know your audience and the experiences they want.
What next
We have covered all the basics of experiential marketing. As a recap, the strategy is about creating an experience that shapes audience stories. Define success as attendees;
- sharing their experience with peers
- On social media as engagements and views
To achieve that end, you need a team of experienced brand ambassadors. As model staff, brand ambassadors play off each other strengths and weaknesses to shape the attendee experience.
For instance, when an attendee walks into an event. Their first interaction should be with a welcoming face. Strategically place an experience team member to interact and can provide immediate feedback to attendees.
That interaction is beneficial because attendees do not feel out of place.
If they have further questions, the welcoming party may redirect the individual to a specialist. A specialist provides hands-on experience with a product or service.
How to Strategize Experiential Marketing Campaigns
For immersion, create journeys for audience members. You may employ bartenders, model staff, and other professionals to create an immersive journey through your space.
How you organize the floor arrangement also matters. A team that understands attendee journeys can position themselves for the best results.
Failure to strategically plan representatives will result in a less immersive experience. Additionally, frustration, missed opportunities, and meaningful interactions may fail to emerge.
The good news is you can tap into a pool of well-trained brand ambassador teams. Premier Staff provides that solution, by giving you access to ready teams of brand representatives. Their training focuses on creating representatives who embody a brand’s messaging and values.
If you are a marketing agency, or business looking to explore experiential marketing events. Contact us in the comment section.
