As bigger brands continue to invest more in experiential activities, they continue to carry out engagement initiatives round the year. Having the importance of engagement recognized, bigger brands plan their calendar well in advance, whereas, mid-sized and smaller brands in terms of market may not find it compelling to take the engagement approach. Big or small, experiential way provides an instant connect with potential consumers that traditional TVCs and ads may not provide. Although experiential marketing is an added cost to traditional marketers and measurement may not be easy, there are takeaways that provide the right reasons to invest in experiential marketing. Let’s look at some of those reasons that makes engagement important for all brands. Awareness There is no other best way to make the masses aware of a product than physically making it available within the reach of potential consumers. As most of us get busy with our lives, we tend to spend the least amount of time watching ads on TV and print to know what a brand has recently launched and the takeaways of a certain product. But, when a brand does an on-ground activity that gets people talking, the chances of spreading awareness among people is much higher, faster than other mediums. It also lets the prospects experience how a product can be part of their lives helping brands achieve more conversions. Drive Purchasing India being a market where consumers tend to spend only after careful deliberations and recommendations, it certainly helps to let them experience a product first-hand. The more a brand gains trust by letting prospects experience their products, the more the consumers are likely to make a purchase. Also, when a potential consumer experiences a brand and then visits a local store later, he or she is more likely to recall a brand that they recently engaged with more than other brands. It all boils down to the fact that if a brand has a good product and a potential consumer experiences it, the chances of it getting converted into a purchase goes up. Cut Through Spamming We get spammed with marketing so much these days that even electronic mail services like Gmail has a separate tab for promotional content. All it takes for a brand is some creative design, content and a designer to get mailers and promotional materials sent through the digital medium, but the question we must ask ourselves is how many of them get read or even noticed by an user, probably very little. Even the TV and print mediums are littered with marketing materials that we hardly pay attention to a marketing message unless it stands out. Engagement activities cuts through these marketing messages by providing a first hand experience to consumers. It allows a marketer to get the front seat at a show by directly engaging with consumers who are his/her prospects before an attempt to convert them is made. Feedback Loop Although social media is a great medium to gather feedback on products, it is often used for conversations that may not establish a clear communication from consumers to brands, moreover chasing credible material might prove difficult given the expanse of social media. Whereas, through experiential activities, brands can actively receive real-time feedback on their products from consumers that they can leverage to improve and innovate. Just like the first hand experience one gets in experiential marketing, brands can get first hand feedback from consumers. Acquire Credibility What could be more credible than a brand presenting itself to consumers on the ground. Usually, people see brands as a bunch of corporate employees sitting behind glass walls in some fancy building. But, when brands get involved with the community and reach out to the masses, the relationship gets humanized. The more conversation a brand establishes with its potential consumers, the more the people will feel a connect and find the brand credible, which helps in driving loyalty from consumers eventually leading to long-term conversions.
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Every event organizer today, wants to make sure that they deliver the best event experience they can offer to their attendees. No one wants to leave a single stone unturned to turn their event into a success and the incorporation of latest technology is a no brainer in this pursuit. The world of technological advancements in the modern era is rapidly evolving. From the use of creative lighting decors to the most updated form of invitations, the usage of technology in an event has turned out to be a real crowd pleaser. The latest one being LED screen, which is being voraciously used by event organizers around the globe. EE lists 5 creative ideas to use LED screens at your next event- 1- Live streaming- This one is a must when it comes to a sports based events or musical concerts. In most celebrity oriented concerts today only a handful of attendees get the privilege of enjoying the performance up close. The rest of the crowd has to sit at the back hoping for the organizer spent enormously on a good sound system. With the positioning of LED screens at strategic locations and live streaming simply everyone can enjoy the event without the added hassle of reconsidering their seats. Also, giant LED screens can be used to create a perfect ambience for your event which goes a long way in engaging the audience to your offering. 2- Pre-Shows and Montages- An event rarely starts on the schedule. Most of the times some sort of contingency erupts and the emcee has to takeover to not let the audience feel bored. LED screens in such scenarios can be effectively used by airing pre-shows footages or some interesting videos to keep the audience hooked. Also video and pictorial montages can be played at weddings events on the LED screens to give the guests an insight into the journey of the happy couple. 3- Sponsor commercials- LED screens are estimated to overtake billboards in the near future. They can be creatively used to air the commercials by your sponsors. Such kind of advertising will not only leave a bigger impact on the audience about the brand but this decision will also bring in a large smile on the faces of your sponsors. Creative Audio Visuals adds and effects by using the screen for this will be an added advantage. Usage of 3D features, Live conferencing, 3D mapping, croma screens are guaranteed to enhance the experience. 4- Social Media Station- LED screens can also be used as social media stations at events and weddings. All you have to do is request the attendees to constantly update the social media platforms with a unique hashtag. With their updates and notifications visible to everyone on a giant screen, the audience is sure to take away with themselves an experience to remember for a lifetime. 5- Local Participation- Everyone enjoys and little bit of spotlight on them and now an event organizer can provide it to their guests. Evoking local participation before and during the event from attendees is a show stealer. One can ask the attendees their expectations from the event or how big a fan are they of the performer and air the video live during the performance. Also, creative games like Kiss Cam and Propose live to your love will certainly add an extra feather to the shining hat of the organizer. - See more at: http://everythingexperiential.com/5-creative-ways-to-
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Why go to a fortune teller or scan the papers for your daily predictions when Kingfisher’s very own numerology expert can reveal your futurein just a click through its newest campaign-‘Beerology’. Over the last few years, beerheads in the country have bid adieu to the year that was with Brewdolph by their side. Brewdolph, the Good Times mascot of the festive season, has answered pleas for beer, been privy to several confessions (some nice, most naughty) on WhatsApp and has been present – in spirit – at several editions of #KFBeerUp.This year, the ‘King of Good Times’has infused the magical elixir of Kingfisher beer into the age old practice of numerology; convincing consumers to read their smart phones rather than palms by bringing to life Beerology. Brewdolph now has an accomplice in the inimitable Cyrus Broacha – a master in the art of Beerology and in spreading beerfulness to all beerheads. Nothing escapes his eye, he see’s all , knows all; whether you partied hard or angered the beer Gods, Cyrusknows your past and can see your future. He is your modern day fortune teller, numerologist and the funky jester to the King of Good Times! How does he know the past? By gazing at his crystal ball of social media! The millions of fans on Kingfisher’s Facebookpage visited the magical microsite of Beerology, where Cyrus interacted with them; analysing statuses,profile pictures,friends list to determine whether theylive lifedownsized or the Kingfisher way – “King sized”.The experience ends with a humorous segment, where the user’s date of birth is added up to a single number which is associated with certain personality traits; each trait given a beery spin! Kingfisher’s Beerology campaign has had consumers laughing at the supposed divination of their Facebook posts, photos and tweets, asCyrus Broacha dispensed the philosophies of Good times to celebrate each day King sized. Visit the webpage http://kingfisherworld.com/beerology/ to find your lucky Beerology number.
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MTV, gives selfie enthusiasts a chance to whip out their phones and strike a pose with the ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’. An innovative digital show to kill boring and legitimize the unhealthy obsession with taking selfies, ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’, is a unique show where five selfie enthusiasts will get the opportunity to travel across India completing challenges in the quest for the most epic selfie ever! Selfies go back to the mid 1800’s where Robert Cornelius took the first ever ‘Selfie’ only he didn’t know it was called that. Since being coined in 2002, the word ‘selfie’ and selfies themselves gained popularity in 2010 and by 2013 it was declared the ‘Word of the Year’. As people around the world are going crazy taking selfies in every pose and situation possible, MTV, is all set to pay tribute to the biggest phenomenon of our times with ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’. Explaining the phenomenon further, Ekalavya Bhattacharya, Digital Head at MTV India says, “The selfie was supposed to be like every other fad that came and went; but that hasn’t happened and I personally don’t think it is something which will die any time soon. While several brands have tried to create a quirky campaign around selfies, none of them have been particularly striking. They have almost always exclusively been contests asking users to send in their photos. How boring! What’s different about this show is that – It isn’t just about an epic selfie but also the incredible, crazy and adventurous story that’s behind every great click.” MTV is looking for selfie buffs who are willing to travel thousands of kilometers, go to logic defying lengths, doing some of the craziest stuff imaginable – from cliff diving to going underwater to hanging out with ghosts – all in the bid to get that perfect selfie. All one needs to do in order to be on this show is to complete three selfie challenges that have been laid out on www.mtvindia.com/selfie. The five best entries will be selected to experience the most thrilling and adventurous selfie dares which forever will leave their mark in selfie history!
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A recently conducted survey suggests that the past decade has witnessed the re-emergence of the wedding card industry. In their pursuit to have a big fat wedding, people are taking special care of every small detail. Wedding cards in the past were used as a formal invitation to the nuptial but with the advent of technology and with more creative ideas flowing; people now use wedding cards as a tool to generate anxiousness and excitement for the guests. EE reached out to few notable wedding card designers in the country to get an insight into some rapidly evolving ideas and trends in the wedding card business. Rahul Jain, Co-Director, King of Cards says- Well, the industry has changed completely. There was a time when people would ask us for discounts on wedding cards and bargain but today they are willing to pay even 1500 INR for a single card even when they are ordering in bulk.” When asked upon the latest trends existing in the market Jain told us, “Recently new concepts like in built personal message and musical messages are very much in trend. Also, electronically designed LCD cards are being appreciated. These cards actually have an LCD panel installed in them that plays a customized video when you open it and the LCD can also be used for other purposes.” With people willing to thrive on unique and innovative ideas a strong demand for unconventional wedding card invites such as inflated balloons, small baskets with toys, chocolate engraved wedding invites and saplings of plants are also being widely used. Vikas Marwaha, Owner, Baklawa House responds by saying, “Few years back we have had musical cards that played a musical message but now pop up cards are the new buzz word. These are actually made inside wooden boxes with the help of laser lights and as soon as someone opens them you have a laser light effect that displays the invitation. People today want their wedding cards to be unique and hence we have recently used a lot of metal work to design them.” Speaking on some of the most demanded cards Vikas says,” Our customers today easily spend around 5 per cent of the total wedding expenditure on invitations and they also want special invites for bachelor parties. We have recently used gold printed metal sheets that give a 24 carat gold effect and engraved the invitation on the same to add a royal touch.” Himanshu Sharma of Wedding Cards says, “Today, the trend is heavily determined by technology as the people want to get their art-works, doodles, lifestyle and memories incorporated in the wedding cards to give it a more personalized touch. The most recent trend is also of Whatsapp cards which have to be digitally designed. Also today people want to give expensive gifts to the invitees and hence the invitation is also engraved on gifts like selfie sticks tablets and mantle showpieces.” Sharing his personal favorite from the wedding invitations Himanshu says, “For me laser pop-up cards are definitely a must try. Today if an overall wedding budget is 2-4 Cr then people at least spend 5-10 percent of that on wedding cards which is a tremendous amount.”
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One Up Productions has brought the latest technology of video mapping for stage design in India in a wedding event they executed recently. The technology which is mainly used for monument projections and museums was adopted by the agency by fabricating a structure using cubes. After going through a series of designing process the agency finalized a structure onto which projection mapping needed to be done. This type of mapping on such a big structure for a social function has never been used in India and is most definitely a benchmark in the event industry. One Up Productions used 2x2x2 feet of cubes to build the 10 feet high structure with a width of 22 feet and 7.5 inches. The structure was placed at a height of 6 feet from ground level. The structure was in a pyramid shape and hence the content was developed best suiting for the specially designed structure. The designers prepared contents such as waterfall, underwater, forest, cubical animations and other 3D animations. Watchout software from Dataton was used for the scaling and content mapping onto the specially designed structure. This software interacts with the projectors and help to get the desired image onto the surface of that object. Both video and audio feeds are recorded onto its timeline which can be streamlined according to the sequence of the show run. The agency also placed sharpies along the cubes in an attempt to make it look more attractive. It took a night before the actual start of the event for programmers to align and scale the entire mapping onto the structure. Two Christie DLP projectors of 20,000 lumens each were used to have a high intensity as the projection is executed along with other specialized lighting and not a dark isolated place. The projection angle and the throw distance also needed to be fixed beforehand to build the content for the projection. Talking about the introduction of 3D mapping technology Siddhartha Mallik Senior Manager One Up Productions said, “It was an idea we adopted after watching a youtube video of a club party in New Zealand. Luckily, we found a client who was willing to experiment technology at a pre-wedding function. It took us one and a half months to come up with the structure and it is definitely for the elite clients. The concept is different and expensive from other technologies and we look forward to now experimenting more with it. “
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Marriott International Asia Pacific recently announced its unveiling of Meetings Imagined (MeetingsImagined.com) and its Meeting Services App to the region’s events planners and organizers. The two digital innovations are intended to assist the planner, from inspiration to execution. Meetings Imagined will be launching across approximately 100 properties throughout Asia Pacific and 13 Marriott International properties in India as follows. Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Goa Marriott Resort & Spa Jaipur Marriott Hotel Kochi Marriott Hotel Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity JW Marriott Hotel Pune JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel Transforming Meetings into an Experience: Meetings Imagined Meetings Imagined is an online platform modeled on the user-friendly Pinterest.com and the Chinese Huaban.com online forum. It provides expert tips on everything related to meetings, including networking activities, maximizing social media exposure and creating the right meeting environment. Meetings Imagined also includes the latest meeting trends and hundreds of inspirational images to spark creativity. Marriott International’s research discovered that there are seven purposes for meetings: celebrate, decide, educate, ideate, network, produce and promote. Meetings Imagined allows meeting planners to design their meeting with a purpose in mind; the website is curated around these purposes and the component building blocks of meetings – setup, food & drink, tech & supplies, and experiences. In addition to the website, event planners can collaborate on event creation with Marriott International’s Meetings Imagined specialists who are available in 11 Asia-Pacific markets. “Marriott International has been studying the way planners interface with hotels when they organize events. We have mapped out the planners’ journey, from the moment they have a need for a meeting, all the way through to how they search, book, plan and design the meeting. We aspire to provide something different to address the milestones – and pain points – in the planners’ journey.” said Ms. Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Marriott International. “Meetings Imagined is a unique approach to help planners and organizers to design more inspiring and engaging meeting experiences for their delegates based on the purpose of the meeting.” Offering real-time connectivity: Meeting Services App The Meeting Services App is a continuation of Marriott International’s innovation in technology, spaces and services, and builds upon the brand’s existing offerings. The app provides real-time connectivity to Marriott for meeting planners and features a wide range of functions. This includes a chat facility to connect MICE organisers with Marriott’s event team throughout the planning and execution process, and allows Marriott to respond immediately to any issues or requests, and to inform the planner on how the request is being handled. As of this year, the Meeting Services App is available in 20 languages , at 100 hotels under Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection and Courtyard by Marriott across the region. The app would be active in India from June, 2015. The app will be available to meeting planners who use Marriott’s facilities through the following brand names: Marriott Hotels: Red Coat Direct JW Marriott: JW Event Concierge Renaissance: R.E.N. Meetings Expert The Ritz-Carlton: ((chime)) Autograph Collection: Meeting Services App Courtyard by Marriott: Courtyard Connect Win a Stay at any Marriott International Hotel in India To inspire event planners to share their meeting ideas, Marriott International is launching a “Share & Win” game until May 9, 2015. Participants simply create an account and compile their set of meeting ideas in the form of photos which will be shared via Meetings Imagined. A two-night stay at any Marriott International hotel in India will be awarded to the winner whose set of photos is most actively shared.
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[caption id="attachment_1982" align="alignnone" width="300"] Challenges Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.[/caption] Experiential marketing may have caught up with the big brands in India but a big chunk of them might refrain from taking the leap. Contrary to popular belief that the brands in India simply do not want to shift from the traditional marketing means, there are many other challenges that Indian marketers might face in executing experiential marketing campaigns as it is widely done in the west. Let’s look at some of these factors that may hamper an Indian marketer’s plan to create and execute engagement activities: Lack of qualified and skilled talent This not only applies to the IT industry, which is actually a big challenge for pretty much most industries in India, but finding the right talent is a war to be won in the country. India is a country where hundreds of thousands of students graduate each year in various streams but most of them are not employable and lack skills, as it is widely reported. Similarly, out of most MBA graduates, few are trained to exploit experiential domain in marketing and many are not even aware of this new marketing space. Creative is another attribute that is very vital to experiential marketing, which again is not easy to find. Short term visibility Many agencies in the experiential marketing domain are seen often complaining about the short term visibility of marketers. They are more inclined on hiring an agency for PR purposes but resist investing in engagement activations that are long term in terms of return and are not immediately measurable. This short sightedness makes brands refrain from giving experiential marketing a chance and benefit in the long run. Vandalism Experiential activities in the west are often done through kiosks and various installations that are outdoor. India is a country where even the dustbins and copper wirings get stolen and vandalised. Factors like these may not completely hamper an experiential activity but may limit the scope of what can be done and what not can be done. On the positive side, it encourages the marketers and agencies involved in engagement activities to be more creative. Pressure on agencies to measure The humans have a tendency to take control of every aspect of their lives including the outcome of every effort they put. This applies on ROI too. Before making any investment, we want to know the immediate benefits, which drives many marketers from taking a step forward towards initiatives that may bring huge returns in the long term. It may be hard to measure ROI with engagement activities but many brands have been successful in leveraging engagement to attract loyal following. Professional courses Today, any field requires a professional degree that could be true for experiential marketing. Although many big names in the space may have started early with a simple management degree or management experience over time, but a degree certainly helps. However in a country like India, there aren’t many professional courses offered that specialize one in experiential domain and trains students with hands-on experience. So, finding a fresh talent in the domain might be a bit of challenge at the moment, especially for agencies.
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City-to-city ridesharing app, ‘BlaBlaCar’ has entered into a partnership with travel search marketplace ixigo. The strategic partnership allows BlaBlaCar to advertise its ridesharing services to ixigoers through its website and apps (trains app, PNR status app and bus app). As a part of this partnership, when ixigoers search for travel options between any two cities in India, they will be shown information about available car ridesharing options on BlaBlaCar as well. BlaBlaCar connects people looking for a city-to-city travel solution with car-owners going in the same direction, so that they can travel together and share the cost of their journey. The service allows users to choose co-travellers in a member community with declared identities and peer-to-peer ratings. ixigo offers travel search and planning across flights, hotels, buses, trains and packages, and has recently entered the taxis and cabs segment. Over 20 million people around the world connect using BlaBlaCar’s people-powered network which is present in 18 countries. BlaBlaCar members include students travelling to see their friends and family, as well as urban professionals returning to their family on weekends. Raghav Gupta, India Country Manager, BlaBlaCar said, “India’s response to BlaBlaCar has been great. In our first 100 days, over 100,000 seats have been offered on BlaBlaCar across 700 unique cities and towns. ixigo’s market leadership on travel search & planning apps made it a natural partner for us. This partnership gives us a potential reach of over 60 million travellers across India. BlaBlaCar provides a strong alternative to people for their city-to-city travel needs especially as public transport infrastructure is insufficient.” Aloke Bajpai, co-founder & CEO, ixigo said, “We are delighted to be bringing Europe’s largest ride-sharing platform closer to Indian travellers. With this partnership we are able to offer ixigoers more choice and convenience over overcrowded buses and hard to get train seats.” BlaBlaCar is a friendly sharing community, not an on-demand or a professional driving service. Price per co-traveller is limited to a partial contribution towards the cost of the journey and does not allow the car-owner to make a profit. The platform makes a distance-based cost recommendation for every journey that is fair and transparent for both parties.
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[caption id="attachment_1968" align="alignnone" width="300"] Best practice pinned on noticeboard[/caption] There is no one size fits all solution to everything in life, similarly, there is no thumb rule when it comes to marketing. Every person is unique, every situation is unique, but is it possible to tailor a product or solution for every individual? Definitely not, this is why we need guidelines, not a set of fixed rules that can be applied universally. In the experiential marketing domain, there are many success stories like the Coca Cola ‘Open Happiness’ campaign that has set a benchmark for emotional connect with consumers through its various initiatives across the globe. Every brand cannot replicate that and should not. However, there can be best practices or in other terms strategies that every brand can leverage to create its own successful experiential campaign for its target consumers. Connect Emotionally This goes without saying, the need for experiential marketing arose for the sole purpose of emotionally building a relationship with a consumer. It is probably the most important reason why brands even explore experiential domain. It is the only factor that separates it from other marketing tactics. Even most cleverly written copy or visually striking ads cannot compare with the emotional power of human-to-human interaction, which is why business meetings are still done in person even today in a world of Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp. Brands should be investing time in understanding their potential target audience, their overall persona and what kind of messaging can resonate amongst them. To summarize, every activity needs to address how it will impact consumers emotionally. Event Marketing Event marketing is a powerful strategy that many brands have mastered like Red Bull. Creation and fostering of long-term relationship between brands and people happens where there is interaction. An event provides an ideal platform for this to happen. Brands today are increasingly making use of events to build relationships and create positive experience of their brand with customers. Red Bull has created events like Red Bull Flugtag in India, where audiences become participants. Once consumers get involved in an activity physically, they automatically build a relationship. So, event marketing can be used by brands to achieve higher level of consumer engagement that can be turned into long-term consumer loyalty. Sponsorship Sponsorship may not be always about attracting brands to your event but it is also about co-branding for an event that can amplify a brand’s messaging. For example, Red Bull is a co-sponsor of many extreme games and sporting events that makes its flagship drink resonate with consumers as a drink meant to revitalize one when they are doing a tough task such as sports or any activity that has ‘toughness’ quotient to it. Being co-sponsor at major events not allows a brand to convey a subliminal message but gain more visibility at the same time. Social Media This medium provides a parallel platform to engage with customers as well as amplify a regional or event-centric activity to the wide pool of people on social media, who may otherwise not even come to know about an activity of a brand. Not only that, using social media a brand can connect and engage with customers before an activity, during an activity and post an activity. We live in a digital age where news breaks on social media before traditional mediums of news, so it offers a huge potential if leveraged right. Today, brands have started becoming inclusive of social media links and hashtags even in their outdoor advertisements. In 2014’s Super Bowl, most brands were seen carrying social media links and tags on their advertisements, which reflects the increasing importance of this medium for brands today. Follow-Ups Once the engagement happens, the duty of a brand doesn’t end there. The engagement isn’t an eternal proposition and agreement that just happens once. The brands needs to follow up with consumers on a regular basis, so through experiential marketing, brands ambassadors are created where they go to their friends and family and genuinely promote the product. Follow ups also make consumers feel valued by the brand and a sense of relationship is established. However, a brand must ensure that they do not over communicate with consumers that they feel spammed.
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