The Power of Brand Experiences

With so many brands competing for attention, as marketers it’s essential to focus on activities that build engagement, connections and personal brand experiences.

Let’s start with my definition of brand experience:

A brand experience is about designing a sensory experience that brings a person into a lasting and meaningful relationship with a brand.

These experiences are more powerful than a simple customer interaction or message pushed to a mass audience. They create connections, built loyalty, add personality, build trust and show that the brand has character and is something you can interact with.

Now more than ever, brands are looking to find ways to build long-standing loyalty. That’s why companies are investing increasingly in face-to-face brand experiences. But, it’s not enough to create an event that tells your audience who you are and the benefit of your product/service. Live events which include memorable experiences, tell your story and engage the audience are the most effective for building brand awareness and loyalty.

According to a recent study from Freeman, the largest brand experience company in the world, 58% percent of CMOs felt that brand experiences are an effective way to drive brand advocacy; and nine out of 10 marketers agreed that brand experiences deliver strong face-to-face interaction and a more compelling brand engagement than other channels. Further, more than one in three CMOs are expecting to allocate 21-50% of their budgets to brand experiences over the next three to five years. In addition, 89% of CMOs surveyed said they value brand experience for its ability to generate sales leads.

Today’s consumers value live experiences and expect those experiences to speak to them on a personal level, and to respond to their needs for information, community and fun. Brand experiences that satisfy these needs and are meaningful and engaging lead to consumer loyalty and brand advocates. Today more than ever, brand experiences should be at the centre of any well-conceived marketing strategy.

A fantastic example a brand experience was delivered by Encore for Dom Perignon Champagne. The highlight of the exclusive gala dinner was no doubt the magical 3D mapping which took guests on a breath-taking journey through the brand’s history.

The innovative creative solution, dazzling stimuli coupled with the branded cocktail spaces were unlike anything that the attendees had experienced before. It was a breath-taking way to tell the Dom Perignon story and will no doubt shine in guest’s memories for a very long time.