That's So Trendy - Experiential in 2020
We have seen a significant shift in the marketing landscape over the past decade, what we are now seeing are consumers’ demanding high quality experiences rather than interruptive advertising. Now the challenge is to stop people in their tracks in a face to face environment as the competition to entertain and deliver an experience worthy of someone taking notice is higher than ever. Brands everywhere are cutting through the clutter to engage stakeholders in person.
Here are our top 5 experiential trends and strategies to keep in mind when developing out your next campaign.
Sustainability
This may not be at the forefront of every brand’s thinking, but it matters to the consumer and is very much an important part of an event strategy. Consumers perceptions of brands are significantly impacted when a brand is being sustainable at an event. From zero waste events, to energy efficient footprints, to using reusable or recycled materials, sustainable events are set to be one of the biggest trends over the next few years. Be careful though, because consumers are savvy and can tell the difference between a checkbox eco-activity and true eco-advocacy. So if you are going to do it, do it right.
2. Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are discussed more than ever at the moment, but creating welcoming environments and relevant content for all attendee demographics is far from a trend. It’s paramount to successful events though. Speaker line-ups are becoming more varied, generating better content, sparking new ideas, and giving brands broader reach which is vital to ensure event success. Brands are also becoming more conscientious about the spaces they create to ensure all attendees feel comfortable and welcome. This type of thought process has not always been there in the development of the event concept but cannot be ignored anymore.
3. Advocacy
In today’s business landscape, brands are expected to have their advocacies and create social good. This is especially true, on average, with Millennials and Gen Zers. Thus, this is likely going to put more pressure on marketers in the future. However, experiential marketing has had its share of advocacy-based events. Don’t forget, experiential marketing isn’t about putting products or services out there. It is about creating valuable experiences that customers can associate with your brand. Thus, since many prospects and customers value advocacies, you should consider playing up to this preference. However, you should note that consumers smell fake easily. Therefore, keep whatever you advocate for real. It should be an actual cause that you care about or a CSR programme that ties back in to the business beliefs.
4. Content
An experience can have the latest gadgets, the best food and beverage, and the most beloved celebrity speaker — but if the content is poor, the event will be forgettable and attendees won’t return. One of the highest value-adds of any event is the opportunity to expand knowledge and learning. Attendees can forgive a lot of ancillary production elements if the content is excellent. Rarely is the opposite true.
5. ROI
Ok, so this isn’t exactly a new trend, more so a constant one but needs a shout out. Experiential is part of a well-rounded marketing strategy and needs to be treated with the same post-campaign analysis. Goals and desired results differ from event to event, so there isn’t one set way for measuring success. It’s important from the outset that a defined set of objectives and set KPI’s against those objectives are clearly outlined. In an environment where we are sometimes tapping in to emotion and feeling as part of the wider experience, it can be difficult to track hard results but if success is clearly outlined at the beginning then the strategy should be developed with the end goal in mind and therefore developed so as to ensure ROI is captured and delivered throughout.