Experience Emotion

In this digitized world where communication is generally through texts, hash tags and Facebook posts, human contact becomes absolutely necessary in order to make an impact – to make it special. In order to make an impact on their customers, brands all over the world are turning to marketing techniques that give them an edge over their competitors. As B. Joseph Pine II and James H. state in their book, The Experience Economy, “the number of goods and services has increased making the industry as a whole increasingly competitive and crowded.” They illustrate that brands must begin to provide consumers with memorable events and engagements that allow the brand to stand out from the clutter of their competitors.

The examples below will move you to tears, engulf you with excitement and fill your hearts with warmth. When brands give their customers something to remember they not only build sales but customer loyalty like no other. Here are five great examples:

Unexpected Baggage
When Span Air decided to surprise their passengers travelling on Christmas eve, when the rest of the world celebrated at home, it was smiles all the way. Flight JK5208 claimed a little joy when the unexpected gifts arrived. After Spanair, a number of other airlines followed suit. Watch the video below.



D Rose Jump Store
On July 10th, Adidas organized the “D Rose Jump Store” in London to promote Derrick Rose’s signature Adidas sneakers. Although the concept was simple (use Derrick Rose’s presence to create buzz among fans), Adidas took it to another level by adding depth to their activation. In addition to meeting the famous Chicago Bulls point guard, fans had the opportunity to win a free pair of the signature sneaker if they could jump 10 feet to reach them. By having participants jump the same distance needed to reach a regulation basketball hoop, it gave each consumer perspective into the basketball player’s life. Whether participants walked away empty handed or with a new $100 set of shoes, they all had an experience that they will always remember and associate with Adidas.




Unleash the Bond in you
Brands most often use experiential marketing either to enhance and complement a traditional advertising campaign or to stand out at a popular event or conference. However, as honest internet virality gains more and more influence, many brands have begun executing experiential marketing campaigns that exist on their own.

To bolster a television spot that AdWeek described as “mediocre”, Coca-Cola organized an experiential marketing activation in which consumers take on the role of a Double O agent and sprint through a train station. After purchasing a Coke Zero, the vending machine challenged drinkers to reach another section of the train station, weaving through pre-planned obstacles, in order to receive free tickets to the newest Bond film, Skyfall. In addition to giving each participant a Bond-like experience they will never forget, an edited taping of those participants went viral (currently sporting over ten million views).



The Last Square
A more endearing example of experiential marketing, and one that illustrates a campaign that stands on its own, is one recently activated by Milka. The chocolate brand made the effort to manufacture 10 million bars that were missing one piece. Puzzled chocolate eaters then learned that the one piece had been set aside for them to choose whether they would want it mailed back to them or mailed, with a personalized message, to a friend or loved one. This campaign helps the brand not only form an emotional connection with its consumer, but also to whomever the consumers decides to send the single piece of chocolate to.





Putting Friends To Test
When Carlsberg decided to put your friends to test, it was a game changer. Standing up for a friend was their tag line – but the people involved had no idea that they were being tested. Carlsberg gave a chance to its customers to test the loyalty of their friends to find out which of their friends actually turn up in the middle of the night to help their friend who supposedly lost a lot of money in a poker game. Friendships were tested, a lot of emotions were involved and of course, in the end, chilled beer with a Carlsberg party – now who wouldn’t love that.