Experiential Marketing and Branding: How to Stand Out from the Competition

Experiential marketing and branding are becoming increasingly important aspects of marketing strategies as companies try to stand out from the crowd and engage with customers in new ways. While experiential marketing may have once been the domain of artistic brands like Whole Foods, the trend has now become a standard part of the modern marketing toolkit, with more and more companies looking to offer unique experiences to customers instead of just pushing their products. But what exactly does experiential marketing mean? And how can you use it to reach your target market? Read on to find out everything you need to know about experiential marketing and branding!

Defining Experiential Marketing

# Experiential marketing can take many forms, but it usually falls into two categories. The first is when companies create spaces where people experience a brand. These are sometimes called activations. A restaurant might offer a summer-themed pop-up with their own ice cream flavor and serve their signature burger at a beachfront cafe. Other times, experiential marketing happens when a company stages events that connect directly with their consumers. One of my favorite examples of this is the way Jordan’s Furniture creates celebrations for customers. They bring in bands, dance instructors, clowns — anything they think will make a party special for someone celebrating something important in their life.

Examples of brands doing experiential marketing well

Nike does an excellent job of experiential marketing with their Nike+ app. The customer can track their running stats, share photos, and post about achievements on social media through Nike+. Once you have accumulated a set number of points you can redeem them for Nike gear. This is a great example of experiential marketing because not only are customers engaging with the brand, but they are also incentivized by rewards. Chick-fil-A is another company that does experiential marketing well. They made headlines when they opened up locations around the country as part of their annual Cow Appreciation Day in 2015. On this day, cows were given free food in celebration of World Cow Appreciation Day! For those who couldn’t make it to a location, there was a cow cam so people could watch cows…