Top brands are using experiential events to connect with consumers. And they work. Experiential events are fast becoming a top marketing strategy that delivers better ROI than run-of-the-mill presentations. Read on to find out just how good experiential events are for your bottom line and why they work.
The Power of Experiential Events
Screens dominate everyone’s life. As a result, we see ads and other marketing content while scrolling our phones, streaming our fav shows, and checking our email. It’s too much — for both consumers and businesses. Consumers have so much to look at their eyes glaze over. And businesses have to compete for attention spans that are dwindling with each new platform. Panel discussions and video presentations don’t cut it anymore.
Experiential events are different. They’re firmly grounded in the real world, but they don’t stop there. They draw people in, engage their senses, and inspire interaction. They use the power of experience to elicit emotion, drive connection, and win attention. Consider the following experiential marketing statistics:
- 85% of attendees say that being at a live event makes them more likely to make a purchase.
- 91% of attendees say events made them feel more positive about a brand.
- 70% of users who attend experiential events become regular customers.
Emotions: Driving Force Behind Purchasing Decisions
How do experiential events do all that heavy lifting? As any first-year marketing student would tell you, emotions drive purchasing decisions. The key is knowing your audience. From there, you can curate experiences that touch them emotionally. For example, Gen Z tends to love reality shows. Incorporating a “confession box,” in which participants answer a career-related question into a camera, is a fun way to encourage a small dose of emotional vulnerability.
Connection: Paving the Way to Consumer Loyalty
Connection is at the heart of human social experience and, by extension, the heart of the consumer experience. Experiential events are an excellent way for brands to connect with their customers. Experiential events bring them closer, transforming your audience from spectators to participants.
Attention: Marketing’s Most Precious Commodity
Done correctly, experiential events grab attendees’ attention. They become experiences that people can’t stop talking about. Projection mapping, pop-up retail shops, and hands-on workshops draw your audience in and become core memories of your event.
Technology Takes Experiential Events to the Next Level
Marketing has always centered around emotion, connection, and attention. Experiential events are uniquely positioned to enhance these essential components of a successful marketing strategy, even as traditional events fall short.
The trappings of technology may have made run-of-the-mill presentations less effective. But when it comes to experiential events, technology unlocks possibilities.
- LED walls and projection mapping immerse attendees in a branded experience.
- Augmented and virtual reality transport users into another world where they can interact with products or participate in branded games.
- AI makes personalization and networking more effective with personalized itineraries and targeted networking suggestions.
Experiential Events Blend Story and Technology
Technology can level up your next event in countless ways. But technology for technology’s sake will backfire and feel too much like empty screen time. Your experiential event should center around using your brand story to elicit emotion, create connection, and drive attention.
The best event planning company will help you develop that story and use just the right amount of technology to bring it to life. The result will pull participants from the overwhelming glare of screens into an enhanced, unforgettable experience.
Give Your Experiential Event the Right Blend of Storytelling & Technology With EMRG Media
Experiential events are light-years more effective than traditional presentations, and the numbers prove it. Experiential events outperform traditional presentations on key metrics. When you’re ready to plan your next experiential event, call the New York event planner with 25+ years of experience and 1,100+ events under their belt. EMRG Media has worked with Fortune 500 companies, including Netflix, Google, and BuzzFeed. Let EMRG Media put that experience to work for you. Contact us today.
