Back in 2018, Forbes took a closer look at what makes a strong brand. What the magazine said is very true and should be every company’s goal. The customer’s experience with your brand is vital. Make the wrong choice and you could kill your business. Come up with a unique experiential marketing campaign and watch your profits soar.

How important is experiential marketing? In 2010, less than 4 out of 10 businesses were using this marketing technique. Less than 10 years later, almost 9 out of 10 are. The tricky part is that while companies think they have it right, polls find that only 1 out of 10 consumers think companies have done a great job delivering a brand experience.

What makes the brand experience stand out? Some of it comes down to customer service. A lot of it is finding a way to market your product or service in a way that reaches consumers on an emotional level. If you create a positive memory, you’re likely to have gained a life-long customer. Deliver an experience that makes them angry or annoyed and the word-of-mouth marketing could be devastating.

How Do You Create an Emotional Appeal?

How do you appeal to consumers’ emotions? Stop and think like a consumer. If you were looking at the service or product you offer, what would make it appealing? Does something about it remind you of an event from your childhood? Does it make you proud that it helps others? How do you want to feel using or buying this brand? Jot down some single word responses and use those to help build your brand. Now, think about the things consumers say they want from the brands they support. They want brands to feel human and customized to their needs and desires. They want that emotional appeal.

To do this, you can’t just focus on one aspect of experiential marketing. You take that first step coming up with the ways to reach consumers, but follow through with several other steps. You need to look at your business and figure out how you can make consumers feel something. Once you’ve brainstormed ideas, decide how social media integration, public relations, and other strategies can help solidify the experience. Would the right promotion from an influencer help drive the message home or would mobile tours be better?

Make sure you’re interacting with consumers all of the time. Remember that consumers don’t mail letters much anymore. They’re not always going to pick up the phone. They email, they post on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you’re ignoring them there, they’re not going to be happy. If they’re voicing displeasure, don’t ignore them. Apologize, find out what caused the disappointment, and see if there’s anything you can change or improve.

Look at your company’s design. This includes the website, signage, and company logo. If possible, work with a graphic designer. They’re trained to understand how logos and brand design impact the emotions. The right colors, images, and font all make a difference. Red and orange are known to invigorate and excite, while grays, blues, and greens are relaxing, soothing colors. Some fonts look unprofessional and childlike that may have consumers questioning your professional abilities. It’s important to consider these and other design elements in order to convey a strong message to the consumer.

Make Sure You Follow Through

As you implement your plan, follow through and keep promises. For example, there are businesses that add appointment scheduling, online ordering, or online reservations to their websites. When the consumer gets an error message or doesn’t get the promised confirmation email, they call the business. The person that answers the phone admits that the company really doesn’t have any employee or team checking those requests. It irritates consumers. Why have the option if your company isn’t going to use it?

Even the best brand experience can lead to a negative outcome if other areas of your company are lacking. Let’s say you have online chat support, toll-free support, and email support. These departments all do the same thing, but it different ways. If your email, online chat, and toll-free support desks are not sharing information, a customer may become very frustrated at having to repeat the same information over and over. You need to create a system that keeps each help desk channel connected.

Never Be Embarrassed to Admit You Need Help

One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is by thinking they can do it all. Sometimes, you have to call in a professional. Don’t be embarrassed. A smart business owner knows when to ask for a helping hand creating a powerful experiential marketing campaign.

Isn’t it time you got to show off all your company can do? Let your brand shine with an experiential marketing campaign that captures your audience’s attention. Call or email Factory 360 to discuss ways to stand out.