Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are goods that come in packaging. It’s the tube of toothpaste, the jar of skin cream, and a box of breakfast cereal you see in stores. Items like vitamins, over-the-counter pain relievers, and toilet paper are other goods that fit into this category. It’s one of the most competitive markets there is, and brands in the CPG market are competing against huge names like Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and Unilever.

No matter how large or small your brand is, experiential marketing is the marketing strategy you need to help you stand out. But, how do you make sure you’re budgeting, planning, and succeeding as you plan and execute this time of marketing campaign?

Research What Works and What Doesn’t

Before you get started building a marketing plan, you need to research. Look at past campaigns to see what worked and what didn’t. Check out your competitors. Have they tapped into experiences that went viral? How could you build upon that idea?

As you take a closer look at past and present campaigns, think about how you could do even better. Read feedback to find things people wish had been better. You want to address those situations and make sure you keep them from happening during your campaign.

Are you planning to go heavy with ads on social media? It’s not the best approach. A social media post that shows a connection is more likely to draw attention and go viral. TV and radio ads rank higher than social media ads. Email and direct mail also perform better than social ads. You’ll get more attention from a social media post that gets likes and shares.

Get to Know Your Target Audience

Who is your target audience? You need to meet them where they like to be. You may love Facebook or X, but that doesn’t mean they do.

Hootsuite reports that YouTube and TikTok users spend about 23 hours per month viewing videos. TikTok alone reached 1 billion active users around the globe. The reach is phenomenal. And a quarter of those users are women between the ages of 18 and 24, while 31% are 25 to 34.

Compare that to Facebook where users reportedly spend 19 hours per month. Instagram is 11.7 hours. X is the weakest link at 5.7 hours. Make sure you’re reaching your target audience where they spend time.

Have you heard of the trend of “TikTok Made Me Buy It?” TikTok’s potential ad reach is about 945 million. In 2022, Hootsuite found that TikTok was also the top app for spending. It outperformed YouTube in driving sales.

Be Clear in Who You Are

While the goal is to market and sell your CPG, you can’t overlook the need to tell a story. That story has to appeal to all consumers, and one of the best ways to do that is by showing who you are and what you stand for.

Sprout Social asked around and 80% of the respondents admitted they feel that society has become more divided than it’s ever been. Of those, 72% felt the government and politicians were to blame. Another 55% said social media is also at fault. Here’s where you come in.

Of those people, 78% say they look at brands to help bring them together. With the right marketing strategy, you can become incredibly appealing by skipping the great partisan divide and bringing everyone together in a warm, welcoming environment.

Why does it matter? In the end, 76% of consumers say they will purchase from a brand over its competitor if they feel a connection. Another 57% will increase their spending with a brand they connect with. This is what they want the most.

• 72% feel brands need to contribute to society positively
• 64% feel brands need to use their power to help others
• 64% feel brands need to connect with consumers
• 49% feel brands need to unite consumers for a common goal

Here are a few more tidbits to keep in mind. Consumers develop a connection by trusting a brand. That’s top of the list. Having a brand that aligns with their values and that they believe understands them rounds out the top three.

What Do You Know About Experiential Packaging?

Here’s one more tip to consider for an experiential marketing campaign with CPG. Experiential packaging involves the use of packaging that creates an experience. It personalizes your brand by telling a story or enticing users to customize the packaging to their preferences or needs.

Have you gotten a birthday card that you planted in the ground to watch the flowers grow? How about the newer six-pack rings that are made from food that provides nutrition to aquatic animals? Those are both examples of experiential packaging that make a brand stand out.

Sensory packaging is a marketing tactic where you incorporate the five senses (smell, touch, taste, hear, and see) into your packaging design. Musical birthday cards encourage people to hold on to them for years. Boxes that contain game boards and game pieces within the packaging remain in a consumer’s thoughts.

If you’re planning to give out samples, free items with a purchase, or a prize like a gift basket, make sure you’re looking at experiential packaging. If consumers are really happy with what they’ve received, photo and video shares of those items are likely to go viral and get the reach you’re hoping for.

Consider the Materials You Use in Your Packaging

Brands face a lot of competition. Standing out is essential, and packaging plays a major role in that. How much of a role? Consider these facts from PR Newswire.

• 9 out of 10 Gen-Zers will pay extra if packaging is sustainable.
• 8 out of 10 consumers of all ages admit they’ll pay more for sustainable packaging.
• 6 out of 10 consumers look at the packaging for information on sustainability and recycling before making a purchase.

If you’re not making packaging a key component of your experiential marketing campaign, you’re missing out. In today’s experience-driven world, packaging is the tool that makes or breaks your success. Yet, it’s also the one area that so many companies never stop to think about. Packaging is far more about the design or color scheme nowadays. It’s also about the materials you use and how you use them.

While you establish your marketing campaign, don’t forget to look at your packaging and make sure it’s adding to the experience and not distracting from it. Thoughtful and eye-catching packaging prompts consumers to subconsciously associate quality and value, thus increasing the likelihood of choosing one brand over another.

With the popularity of social media and unboxing videos, brands are increasingly turning to experiential packaging to get consumers talking. A thoughtful, comprehensive experiential marketing campaign is going to consider these aspects and use them to come up with a campaign that generates buzz.