Brands that provide engaging and intense experiences instead of merely satisfactory performance are more likely to stand out. As audience needs are rapidly evolving, brand experience marketing is taking place as a key player in any marketing strategy. When executed genuinely, it is a holistic and immersive platform for brands to spread their message.
It is experimental marketing created by an organisation to influence a customer’s feelings. Brand Experience has an impact on spending and recommendations and even encourages consumer loyalty.
Advertising was still breaking into the scene it to offer and for customers to receive. What counts is how you make the customer feel while you still have their attention.
Let’s take an example: Under Armour, a sports equipment company did a campaign on supporting breast cancer. It did not just make an ad film, it went beyond. It launched a clothing line on the same. It took an undertaking to invest in cancer research. It spread awareness in younger and minority communities so they grow up much healthier. An integration of this sort makes an impact and wins people’s trust.
They created the ‘Power in Pink’ campaign to help educate female athletes about the importance physical activity can play in helping to overcome breast cancer. Throughout September and October, consumers will be able to purchase pink ribbon-imprinted styles at Under Armour speciality stores, online, and select retail locations nationwide, while supplies last.
Today, the brand is so much more than communication, it must be embodied in every interaction between the consumer and the organisation. When done well, the interactions that make up a brand experience can deepen emotional connections and foster brand affinity.
There is often a misconception that brand experience takes place in only the physical world or finite spaces of time in the form of live events or brand activations. These are important elements but do not define the brand experience alone.
Events are targeted toward specific audiences that often provide prolonged but time-boxed interaction with a brand (i.e. conferences, trade shows). Experiential activations are creative promotional experiences that create physical and emotional engagement with a brand (i.e. pop-ups, festivals). Brand experience, on the other hand, encompasses the digital, physical, and long-term experience of all current and potential customers. Live events and activations are subcomponents of the larger brand experience.
Now that you have some insight into the brand experience, let’s look at some innovative brand experience marketing campaigns from big-name brands.
Another great example of brand experience is the House of Vans from shoe retailer Vans. These events are in New York, Brooklyn, London, and Chicago. The brand has created events for the community of skateboarders to bring them together and let them enjoy their similar passions for sports, film, and music.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctmRdPRHwy4
Previously on International Women’s Day, the brand also created the event to promote and encourage women in the art of skateboarding and hosted skate sessions, live music, and documentary screenings as well. With this event, the brand was successful in bringing together the skateboard community to promote the visibility of women as part of their brand experience marketing.
Indian startup Oyo is the second biggest hotel operator in the world per room count with more than 18,000 hotels existing in India after Marriott International. The 6-year-old startup is expanding fast to reach the shores of the US, the UK, and China – thus, expanding its branding campaigns as well.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctmRdPRHwy
The Raho Mast campaign is an example of a brand experience campaign of the company to let consumers know that it does not matter where they are, who they are, or whatever their budget is, they are sure to get quality service.
The campaign shows different scenarios of a family and a couple struggling to find their perfect hotel within budget.
Ed-tech firm BYJU launched a TV campaign called Keep Learning, Keep Winning, which featured the Indian cricket team with their new jerseys showing the BYJU brand name. The company’s campaign spreads the “keep on learning” messaging to its audience and engages them through famous sports stars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hmgoi9WOY
As cricket is the most celebrated sport in India, the brand associates with it to expand its reach broader. Cricket inspires millions of people in India, and BYJU is trying to reach the heart of people, especially the younger generation, to learn more and more.
Netflix is undoubtedly a must-have for many people around the globe. The brand was also influenced by the idea of brand experience marketing when it launched its campaign Luke’s Diners and converted about 200 coffee shops in the US into a pop-up version of the diner from the famed TV show Gilmore Girls.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJegwmVCOUU
The brand started this campaign to promote Gilmore Girls’ 16th anniversary as well as its fourth season’s release. Although the brand kept a low budget, it was successful in spreading high awareness due to its brand experience marketing strategy.