Sales Staggering? Might be Time to Consider Experiential Marketing

In the CPG industry, experiential marketing is not a foreign term. The concept of letting a customer try before they buy is not new, and brands across the country are taking advantage of the benefits that an experiential marketing campaign can bring to a merchandising plan. But why does experiential marketing work? How is it that giving your customers the chance to test a product in-store actually leads to profit and what impact do these campaigns have long term?

When a customer enters a store with a shopping list, chances are good that they will add additional items if prompted. This is one of the main reasons that experiential marketing works. This works especially well when products are featured together. For example, if you are promoting a new pasta sauce, make sure to serve it with another product offered by your brand (pasta, spices, etc.). 

Experiential marketing is great for brand and customer loyalty. The emotional relationship that is formed through a taste sampling works to keep customers coming back for the same product. There is a lot to be said for memory, and when a customer can link a positive experience (the experiential marketing event) with a product, they will continue to purchase that product.

When combined with a promotion (ie. a coupon or a sale), experiential marketing becomes even more effective. Everyone loves a sale, and so being able to try a product and then purchase it at a discount is incredibly appealing.

A good experiential marketing campaign gets people talking. A regular trip to the grocery store doesn’t often stir up much excitement. Instead, leveraging an event that catches peoples’ attention can lead to word-of-mouth advertising. And they are not just talking about the event – they are talking about the product.

Another key benefit of experiential marketing is the research potential it represents. With the right staff, you can easily identify your target market through a campaign. Asking customers what they think about a product after a demonstration or tasting can garner valuable feedback to be used in the future.

Experiential marketing doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does have to be right. Individuals staffing the event need to be knowledgeable about the product, as well as energetic and outgoing enough to get customers to stop. Location is important, as is timing. The right merchandising company, one that specializes in experiential marketing campaigns, is a smart place to start to get your campaign up and running. They can handle everything and you can be sure that the campaign is used to its greatest potential.

For more information about why experiential marketing works, or to get a campaign going, please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.

Experiential Marketing to the Summer BBQ Lover

Barbeque season is in full swing and what better way to get people excited about your product than with an experiential marketing event which targets the summer bbq lover.  Whether you sell hamburgers or buns, paper plates or all the fixings, showing off your products and letting people test products that perhaps they have yet to try represents a great opportunity to boost profits.

Sure television commercials or social media can get consumers thinking about a brand, but that one-on-one is still very important. Building a relationship with your consumer is never a bad thing, and if you bring emotions into the mix, the decision to purchase is influenced even more.

New to the experiential marketing field? That’s ok – now is a better time than ever to get yourself acquainted. Experiential marketing is really just the act of connecting people with products in a live interaction. Whether it is through a product demonstration or a taste test, giving consumers an experience is one of the best ways to build brand awareness and increase customer retention.

The stats speak for themselves. A study done by the Event Marketing Institute found that almost 60% of customers reported that an experiential marketing campaign has led them to purchase the product demonstrated and over 80% said that these events have led to them becoming a regular customer! If you are looking to both retain current customers and attract new ones, experiential marketing is a great way to do it.

Whether you conduct experiential marketing campaigns on a regular basis or have never taken advantage of the opportunities these types of events represent, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

When it comes to an effective experiential marketing campaign, expertise is key. When planning an event, it is critical to make sure that those working the event have a solid knowledge base in order to be able to answer questions correctly and provide the information that customers need. An experienced CPG merchandising company will be able to provide the training and ensure that employees are experts.

Personality is key too. When you hold an event, you need to make sure that those working it are approachable and confident. Having individuals with previous experience working these types of events makes all the difference. Again, those staff members provided by a CPG merchandising company will be qualified and experienced.

So how do you take advantage of bbq season and conduct an effective marketing campaign that gets attention and boost profits? Harness the power of experience and let a CPG merchandising company plan and execute an experiential event!

To get started on your experientialmarketing campaign, please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.