Dan Kahn is the president and CEO of Kahn Media.
Close your eyes for a moment and pretend you’re a photography influencer.
Two camera brands have reached out to you. The first has organized a traditional press event where you, other influencers and journalists will be able to listen to a representative discuss talking points about a new line of cameras, with the promise that you’ll be able to try the cameras at the venue after the talk. The second has organized a day-long excursion at a nearby lake, where you and other invitees can mix and mingle with representatives and snap photos of the water and wildlife to try out the cameras.
Which of the two would you rather attend? Probably the latter—because it’s more experiential.
People Increasingly Want Experiences
People are increasingly interested in experiences, especially in the years following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, 2022 research by Microsoft found that searches for tour operators and tourist attractions grew by 45% and 14% respectively in 2022 compared to 2019. Moreover, in a 2021 survey by travel booking platform GetYourGuide.com, 62% of respondents indicated that they “prefer experiences over physical items when it comes to gifting.”
Many people now have an appetite for exploring the world around them, which presents an ample opportunity for brands. Traditional marketing and PR tactics, such as mass emailing press releases and exhibiting at industry trade shows, will always have their place. But to stand out, brands cannot rely on traditional tactics alone. By organizing thoughtful, engaging experiential events for journalists, influencers and prospective consumers, brands can nurture authentic connections, get real-time feedback and drive high-value coverage and conversions.
To Make An Impact, Experiential Events Don’t Necessarily Have To Scale
Some brands might be reluctant to organize experiential events. That hesitation stems from a common misconception: Experiential events must scale to have an impact. But I’ve seen firsthand that they don’t need to be extravaganzas. In fact, it’s better if they’re smaller in scale, as it allows for the most important element—authenticity—to flourish.
For instance, my team recently brought two dozen people together in the forest. The journalists and influencers we invited learned about various outdoor lifestyle topics from experts, including how hiking boots are made and how to ward off grizzly bear attacks. People learned about the world, each other, and by extension, our sponsor brands, over campfire conversations and meals. There weren’t direct sales pitches; the pressure journalists, influencers and consumers might feel during a more traditional event like a press conference wasn’t there. The comfortable, natural environment enabled the brands to show invitees their “why.” And because of that authenticity, the brands will be top of mind for attendees the next time they need to purchase that type of product.
The Foundations Of Putting Together Successful Experiential Events
A lot goes into organizing successful experiential events. First, don’t try to rush an event and haphazardly bring together vendors to make something happen. If you’re in a hurry, you’re more likely to pick the wrong venue or vendors. You also want to avoid the least expensive vendors; don’t sacrifice quality. Selecting the wrong vendors can create negative brand touchpoints and memories for invitees. For instance, an influencer who gets food poisoning from a meal will likely remember that illness every time they think about that brand. As a general rule of thumb, decision makers shouldn’t try to have champagne on a beer budget. A high-quality beer is better than cheap champagne.
When it comes to brainstorming and planning potential events, stakeholders need to know how they will define the “win” from the event—be it media coverage, increased brand recognition among prospective consumers, strengthening relationships with current consumers, etc. Additionally, as strange as it sounds, brand leaders should think about their post-event follow-up strategy in the planning stage. Knowing that strategy will enable them to put the right foundations in place early on. For instance, if they want to email people thanking them for attending and letting them know what the next steps are if they’re interested in making a purchase, leaders can work with that end goal in mind and plan to ask attendees whether or not they’d like to opt into marketing emails when they check in on-site.
From there, start defining the budget. As I mentioned earlier, brand leaders should consider these events curated, unique experiences for a small group of people, not flashy ones with thousands of attendees. My recommendation is to bake a 10 to 20% cushion into your budget. Curveballs happen, and leaders need some wiggle room to address them. For instance, extra funds would enable leaders to buy attendees umbrellas during an outdoor excursion if there’s unexpected rain—which will go a long way.
Then, brand leaders need to brainstorm creative ideas and explore how they’ll execute them, including the logistics, such as securing a location and getting the necessary permits and insurance (requirements could vary depending on the specific activities). At this stage, they should consider which activities they want attendees to experience and what they want attendees to walk away with. Identifying a key differentiator is critical. What about the event will set it apart from other events? What will make it so that attendees remember it for years to come? Speakers, hands-on events, curated activities and memorable high-quality takeaways and gifts all contribute to a positive experience guests will remember.
Finally, be sure to capture the event in its entirety—not just for posterity’s sake or your own social channels and website (although those are important reasons), but also for the guests. Remember, the point of an experiential event is to drive coverage and conversations about your brand, service or product. So make that job as easy as possible. Have photographers and videographers on-site, and turn the content around quickly so they can use it for their own coverage. Additionally, follow up quickly with a link to a well-organized content folder and a parting gift. Even if the parting gift is a handwritten thank-you note, it will leave a lasting impression and serve as a gentle nudge to get that story, video or reel posted while it’s still fresh.
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