subject: Activation connects audiences with brands [print this page] Activation connects audiences with brands
These days everybody has a viewpoint on marketing and how to effectively approach the consumer to sell products and services. In these viewpoints one of the more innovative methods would have to be experiential marketing and brand activations.
Experiential marketing is a theory that fuses basic thought processes namely emotion, logic and general appeal with a view to connect and strengthen the interaction with the consumer. The end objective of experiential marketing is to make a unique interaction with the consumer on emotional and rational levels. This interaction is orchestrated so that the consumer positively responds to the product or service being offered. The result: Brand activation. This type of marketing is used as part of a marketing communications mix, and it often succeeds when other marketing initiatives have failed to deliver.
Activations appeal to a mixture of senses and dials-into the consumer-centric ideas of desire and logic. The marketer therefore needs to understand the target market intimately to create the levels of credible appeal for the product or service.
One of the important features of activationsis the ability to reach specific consumer environments, like the Bottom of Pyramid, that has unique driving influencing factors. Companies such as Primedia Face 2 Face, is a great example of how businesses can develop strategies to provide a direct consumer and brand connection.
Experiential marketing affords marketers a chance to cut through the clutter and develop tangible Return On Investment (ROI) for their campaigns. These day's consumers are intelligent and make purchasing decisions based on readily-available information. Therefore measurable systems and controls should be built into every campaign to provide valuable client feedback. By implementing the right creative elements mix, the platform is activated to engage with the desired target market. Creative mixes include unique digital channels and innovative design.
The benefits of utilising activations and experiential marketing in your marketing strategy are multi-fold. It makes the connection between consumer and brand in an unobtrusive, engaging and relevant manner. The consumer gains valuable insight into the brand and due to these insights and high impact results, activations are gaining popularity. Other reasons for its popularity are the powerful face-to-face interactions that bring the brands alive to the consumer. These interactions allow the consumer to benefit from the product or service, resulting in long-term brand loyalty.
Marketers wanting to expand their brand and position it in a segment that boasts national reach to a broader target market should place activations and experiential marketing at the top of the marketing strategy list of must-haves.
