Heroic’s own marketing maven, our VP of Client Brand Experience, Kitty Hart, shares some serious wisdom on the LifeBlood podcast. She dived into the thrilling world of experiential marketing alongside George Grombacher.
Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing is extremely important during this day in age. Kitty rightly points out that despite everything going electronic, people still crave real, physical connections with brands. “We live in such a digital age. Everything is electronic, but people still want to have a physical experience with a brand,” she mentions. Face-to-face interaction remains an essential need.
What Even is Experiential Marketing?
Kitty describes experiential marketing as, “Designing a physical experience where the brand shows up in a space and interacts with a person.” And guess what? This concept isn’t exactly fresh; it traces back to the 1800s. She shares intriguing anecdotes about the World’s Fair in Chicago. Providing examples like Wrigley’s handing out pieces of chewing gum, Aunt Jemima dishing out pancakes from their new mix, and Cracker Jacks giving away their product for people to try. It’s all about putting tangible samples in people’s hands to tickle their senses.
The Key to Success
She emphasizes that successful experiential marketing hinges on creativity, uniqueness, and an element of surprise. However, she underlines that authenticity to the brand is crucial. “The best experiential marketing campaigns are shareable,” Kitty stresses. Marketers should aim for experiences that people can’t help but share on social media, and they should consider this when planning events and experiences.
According to Kitty, whether you’re in the B2B or B2C realm, it all boils down to “people to people.” Connecting with your audience on a personal level is key.
And here’s the kicker: engaging people’s senses is paramount in experiential marketing. Kitty delves into how sensory elements like scent, taste, and sound create lasting memories tied to experiences, influencing branding and marketing strategies. She sheds light on the impact of scents, citing baseball stadiums that infuse the air with the scent of cotton candy, ultimately evoking feelings of nostalgia and hunger. It’s like a sensory trip down memory lane! While it’s not necessary to tap into every one of the senses all the time, it is important to find opportunities to infuse the ones that will make the most impact.
Experiential Marketing at Heroic Productions
Kitty notes that Heroic Productions primarily works with mid to large-sized companies, orchestrating elaborate corporate events aimed at delivering impactful messages through stage production, focusing on details, and ensuring a memorable experiences for attendees. However, she highlights that even smaller organizations can leverage experiential marketing techniques to enhance their events.
Kitty’s insights truly paint a vibrant picture of the exciting world of experiential marketing. If you missed the podcast, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Keep up with Kitty for more marketing insights and remember, it’s all about creating those remarkable, shareable experiences that leave a lasting impact!
Let’s explore how you can create memorable and shareable experiences for your audience, contact us.
Learn how to leverage sensory elements, surprise, and authenticity in your brand experiences with our Corporate Event Strategies Guide.