What is Experiential Marketing?
Today’s consumer faces countless pitches and advertisements a day, so when it comes to making purchasing decisions, you really need to catch the buyer’s eye. One particularly effective method of connecting with customers is through Experiential (or Event) marketing. Event marketing describes the process of developing a themed exhibit, display, or presentation to promote a product, service, cause, or organization leveraging in-person engagement. Events or experiences can occur online or offline, and can be participated in, hosted, or sponsored as a form of engagement. Using events as a marketing channel gives potential customers a unique, firsthand interaction with the company and a true sense of the company’s focus, perspective, and personality.
Types of Experiential/Event Marketing
There are several types of events that your business can participate in and/or host to create an experience for your potential customers.
- Online events: Online events connect presenters and participants through a web-based interface. Common types of online events include webinars, virtual events, and live streaming events such as Facebook Live. Online events are often less costly than in-person events and can enable you to easily reach a geographically dispersed audience.
- Physical events: Offline events require physical attendance, and interactions take place in person. While they often require more investment (and time) than virtual events, offline events allow face-to-face relationship building. These include trade shows, conferences, as well as breakfast or dinner events. Don’t underestimate the impact a handshake or a personal meeting can make on a prospect or customer.
- Seminars: Seminars are another type of physical (or in person) event marketing that your business can participate in. The term seminar is usually used to describe smaller meetings, road shows, or field events. Some seminars are set up similar to a classroom lecture, where an expert shares information with the audience in a traditional format. Others are styled as road shows, where marketers take their company’s message out to the public or to employees or partners.
Sponsorship of an Event
Additionally, your business can participate in event marketing by sponsoring an event that is happening in your area. There are several ways to accomplish getting your name & brand in front of potential customers:
- Title Sponsor of a local concert
- Stage Sponsor of a trade show
- Music Sponsor at a local fair
- Signage at a local sporting event
To discuss setting up an event; or to discuss sponsoring a local event, contact TTL Media Group today.