Experiential Marketing: Transforming Ads into Experiences

You’re walking down the street, and you see a sign written above a bed of flowers that says, “Smell however the f*ck you want.”

Well, you’re definitely going to stop and smell those flowers. That’s the idea behind experiential marketing. It’s an invitation to take part in something, to become part of the experience. And if you happen to decide to buy the product based on that experience, that’s excellent — but if you just do something fun that you tell your friends about on social media, it’s still a win for the advertiser.

Experiential marketing has become a booming segment of outdoor advertising, and it’s only going to get bigger in the next few years. Our world has become increasingly interactive. From our phones to our cars to even our refrigerators, it seems everything these days is immersive — including advertising.

Experiential marketing gives the people your ad targets a chance to become the stars of the show. In this social media-driven age, that’s the best thing you could give them, and this type of advertising shows results.

What Is Experiential Marketing?

Experiential marketing refers to advertising where people experience something firsthand, functioning more as an experience than an advertisement. It engages people through the senses and draws them into participating directly in something linked to a brand.

Types of Experiential Marketing

As for what constitutes an experiential marketing campaign, it can be just about anything. It’s completely open-ended. Your imagination is the only limit. That makes it ripe for exciting ideas that might have been dismissed just a few years ago. A few include:

• Pop-up stores.
• Trucks handing out samples.
• Billboards made from something other than traditional materials.
• Augmented reality.
• Wall murals with interactive elements.
• Vending or catering trucks.

Why Does Experiential Marketing Work?

At a time when people are easily distracted by their phones, experiential marketing keeps them interested and in the moment. They’re more likely to remember something they experience firsthand. And as with anything cool and different, they post about it on social media, giving campaigns a second life.

4 Keys to a Successful Experiential Marketing Campaign

A good experiential campaign will:

1. Make people curious.
2. Center on an eye-catching visual.
3. Invite people to interact.
4. Be temporary to drive excitement and attendance.

Examples of Smart Experiential Marketing Campaigns

Fenty Flower Wall

Promoting Fenty Eau de Parfum, this awesome billboard made of 80,000 flowers included plants representing all the scents in Rihanna’s popular unisex fragrance. The floral wall made appearances across the country, inviting people to “smell however the f*ck” they wanted and building buzz wherever it went.

Maroon 5 Vending Machine

This vending machine sold limited-edition cassettes and gave fans a chance to win concert tickets. It brought excitement and drew crowds.

K18 Billboard Truck Tour

K18’s campaign combined engaging billboards with trucks distributing samples to their target audience, boosting brand awareness.

Afterpay Experiential Truck

Afterpay handed out ice cream to promote its unique payment model, drawing in crowds with a clever slogan: “like eating the whole carton and spreading the calories out over 6 weeks.”

Klarna Dog Toys Wall

To target Millennial dog owners, Klarna created a dog-friendly mural near a Brooklyn dog park, attracting both pups and their humans with hundreds of playful toys.

Conclusion

These examples showcase the limitless potential of experiential marketing. By engaging directly with your audience in creative and memorable ways, your brand can achieve significant buzz, social media attention, and a lasting impact. From pop-up stores to interactive murals, there are endless ways to execute a successful campaign. Let DASH TWO help you bring your vision to life.