3 Ways Small Businesses Can Harness Experiential Marketing

There have been plenty of case studies on experiential marketing that feature massive brands like Nike, Red Bull, and others who hold massive events. This leads many people to believe that smaller businesses and brands can’t take advantage of this type of marketing, but that’s not the case. Today we’re going to look at three ways your business can improve and grow its image by taking advantage of experiential marketing.

3 Clever Ways Businesses Can Utilize Experiential Marketing

At its core, experiential marketing is simply a type of advertising that seeks to engage as many of the user’s five senses as possible. This is possible through many different types of marketing, which is why today we’re going to cover three ways small businesses can take advantage of the success this marketing offers:

1. Host a Party

Events and parties don’t have to be huge, but they can be a great way to get people engaged with your brand. Prior to the actual event, you should also promote it on social media. Using a hashtag or something recognizable will make it easier to share. An example is the event that VEEV Spirits held called the “Cheat on Vodka” campaign. As part of this event, they held a “Tales of the Cocktail” event in New Orleans. People could try a sample of the vodka by tweeting #CheatonVodka to a vending machine that dispensed sample bottles. Meanwhile, they had music playing, and representatives handing out t-shirts, along with a full bar. They continued having tasting events like these and have since found huge success with their brand.

2. Go To Your Customers

If you’re a local business, this is easy, but if not, your audience can do more than just visit your website if you go to them. This is exactly what Miss Me did with their summer mobile tour. They created a showroom on wheels that traveled to events in eight different states. Inside the trailer, people who take part in events that showcased the company’s focus on women’s clothing. The activities included things posing for pictures, writing down the names of people that make them happy, and other things that created a positive association with the brand. The experience also had a “Help Others Shine” wall where people dropped balls into a display box. For each ball placed in the box, the company would make a donation to a local charity in the area where they were parked. The final piece was a sneak peek at the fall and winter lines of clothing that Miss Me was doing, which made customers feel like they were getting an exclusive bonus for participating.

3. Add a Dash of Fun

Let’s be honest, not every business is exciting or fun. In some cases, it’s not even something you want people to know you’re participating in. In cases like this, you should add some fun to the equation or redirect the focus so people feel more comfortable. Case and point: we have Gerlach, Lear & Associates who provides EAP services to firms in Ohio. People are hesitant to visit their booths at shows because they are fearful of being labeled as someone who needs mental health treatment. To get around this, Gerlach, Lear & Associates started making their booths into something people would get excited about. They created NASCAR themed activities that customers could participate in. While doing this, customers could also answer questions about dealing with stress. Answering correctly earned them keys which they could use on prize boxes and potentially win free gifts.

Final Thoughts

Experiential marketing isn’t something exclusive to big brands or massive budgets. It’s a type of marketing that any business can take advantage of with a little creativity. How do you incorporate experiential marketing into your business? Let us know in the comments!