Is Experiential Marketing A Blast From The Past?

Experiential Marketing

For some, experiential marketing can be a brand new term introduced post-pandemic; for others, it wasn't relatively new as they knew experiential marketing was a key marketing player since the 90s. But how many of you knew that experiential marketing actually began in the 1800s?

A Blast From The Past

Do you imagine flashy, high-tech, modern games and immersive spaces when you think about experiential marketing? Then it would be really hard for you to believe that experiential existed back when there were just traces of technology.

The History

Experiential marketing literally began in the 1800s. The Chicago World's Fair that took place in 1893 witnessed some major brands flaunting their products with the help of experiential marketing. Since the fair took place more than 125 years ago, we can imagine high-tech product placements were not possible. Then what exactly happened at the fair?

The brand ambassadors took center stage and distributed the newly launched products, gathering a massive crowd.

The Collision Of The Past And Present

Now that you know experiential marketing is more than a century old don't think it's an archaic recipe for a modern event's serving list. Experiential marketing has evolved with time.

Experiential marketing campaigns in the past have focused on being instagramable, while the present and upcoming are more experiences driven, where every element of a campaign must evoke a thousand emotions.

The campaigns have now become a catalyst to draw people out from behind the screens and render memorable experiences. We are not saying it's a bad thing to be at the center of attraction, and all the feedbacks are not worth it. But this has paled in comparison to what the new benefits of experiential marketing have to offer.

The past campaigns were good at grasping the attention of anyone walking past them. The latest campaigns, however, are more story driven.

The older experiential marketing campaigns, especially those set back in the early 2000s, seemed too eager to fill it with technologies, whereas the recent ones focus on the thoughtful use of it. The recent campaigns have become more centric on how to use technology in the most useful way that can be used by any age group.

What's new in the latest experiential marketing campaigns?

Promoting a good cause has also become a new thing in recent experiential marketing campaigns. Apart from all the technicalities, increased brand collaboration has also witnessed a soar.

Why Is It Beneficial?

Experiential marketing campaigns are a great way for brands to engage with their customers in a more personal and interactive way. By creating unique, memorable experiences that consumers can directly interact with, brands can create stronger bonds with their target audience and really connect on an emotional level. This is especially important today, as consumers are increasingly savvy about the various forms of marketing that bombard them every day – from pop-up ads to billboards to unsolicited emails. By creating an experience for customers instead of just bombarding them with messages and offers, brands can stand out in the crowd and build lasting relationships with loyal customers who will spread the word about their brand through positive word-of-mouth referrals.