About 60% Of All Choice Is Experientially Driven: Jim Needell, Ipsos

Experiential marketing places the consumer at the centre of the brand narrative by creating immersive and memorable experiences at various touchpoints throughout the consumer journey, fostering a deeper connection between brands and their audiences. “When we talk about experiential marketing, how you've experienced something in the past, your understanding of how other people have experienced something plays a huge role in how humans make decisions on what to buy and what not to buy,” says Jim Needell, Chief Client Officer – Global, Ipsos.

Needell unravels the impact of experiential marketing on brand success and growth. He asserts that past experiences, both personal and vicarious, play a pivotal role in shaping the choices individuals make.

He adds that about 60 per cent of all choice is based on experience. The choices consumers make every day are based on the experiences they have. Needell emphasises, “Experiential marketing is enormously important to that, to give people a feeling and a flavour of what it could be, what could happen if I did buy it, or wore this, or if I lived there.”

Suresh Ramalingam, Chief Client Officer – APAC, Ipsos highlights the category-dependent nature of the marketing strategy.

Ramalingam notes, “For anything that is new in the market, for instance, electric vehicles or new earphones, experiential marketing absolutely plays a big role. People will ask you if you have been to a particular restaurant, how your experience was, or if you’ve watched a certain movie, how that experience was. Many movies become hit because of word of mouth. It's that experience of doing something in the peer group which drives a lot of things. More so for service-related categories.”

Experiential touchpoints, once limited to the physical retail store, now extend to the digital realm. The consumer's journey encompasses the website experience, the efficiency of delivery services and even brand responsiveness on social media. Ramalingam mentions that each of these touchpoints becomes an opportunity for the brand to create a positive impression or risk losing the consumer's loyalty.

The after-sales service emerges as a crucial touchpoint in the consumer journey. A positive post-purchase experience can foster brand loyalty, while a negative encounter can lead to disengagement. He notes that consumers now expect a seamless and pleasant experience at every stage, demanding brands to invest in creating positive touchpoints consistently.

In a landscape where consumer choices are heavily influenced by experiential factors, marketers find themselves navigating this complex web of touchpoints. According to Ramalingam, the stakes are higher than ever, with each interaction shaping perceptions and influencing brand affinity. The call for marketers is clear – understanding the nuanced dynamics of experiential marketing, adapting strategies to the digital age and meticulously curating positive touchpoints to resonate with the contemporary, experience-driven consumer.