Just as the trend from paper to digital has left some publishers in the dirt, brands are having a tough time attracting the attention of tech and brand-savvy young adults using traditional forms of marketing. Billboards, junk mail, commercials, even digital ads are being ignored, thrown out or ad blocked by potential customers. You don’t need to look far to find evidence of this: Facebook is often ridiculed for being on the nose with their ads, to straight up vilified for using data collection to target the most specific audience.
If you want your next campaign to target the millennial demographic, you need to think outside the box – or in this case, the booth!
Experiential marketing is a great way to attract attention to your brand. People love experiences: just look at the number of conventions, concerts, exhibits and sporting events that sell out day one. In fact, a study from the Harris group reported that 78% of millennials prefer an experience over a material item (The Harris Group). This group wants the latest and most exciting experiences, and they’re happy to spend more money on those experiences rather than experience #FOMO. Experiences are also great for connecting to the community and networking with friends, something millennials definitely value over materialism.
Speaking of networking, these experiences allow you to directly connect with consumers, and that’s something your target demographic really values. These days it’s all about authenticity, brand integrity, and transparency, to the point where these overtake product uniqueness and popularity in the consumer’s minds.
These events speak for themselves in terms of marketing. Millennials are more than happy to talk about brands on social media and that includes sharing photos of the event, tagging the brand or using an event hashtag and signing up to mailing lists. Unlike traditional ads, experiential marketing events are more likely to be talked about days, weeks, months after an event – even years! #ThrowbackThursday
Social Exposure can help you inject into your brand. We have worked with brands to deliver experiences that are fully immersive (such as Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.) or simply add a bit of extra fun to your event. With a wide variety of booths, fully customisable features and professional staff, we can provide the experience of a lifetime and give you the organic & authentic social media exposure you want.
