Alleblog

Consumers today are being bombarded with messages at (almost) every waking moment. Through traditional media - TV, Radio, Billboards, and the many social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn to name a few. All are effective methods of relaying your brand message, however, there is nothing like interacting with your customers face-to-face.

Live event marketing experiences where consumers can interact with your brand, experience your products, and engage in conversation with your “brand ambassadors” face-to-face are some of the most effective ways to influence your current and prospective consumer audiences. These live events could be in the form of conferences, impromptu “street team” events, paid event sponsorships or even community sponsored events. Live events are especially effective in food and beverage marketing, because they create experiences that appeal to all of the senses - fully immersing the consumer in your brand.
For example, one of our clients, Hatfield Quality Meats, maximized the experiential aspects of a recent sponsorship opportunity. The event took place over a long weekend with consumers actually “living” on-site for the duration. A “street team” of brand ambassadors randomly visited these temporary residents and gave away free-product that they could throw on their grill and cook-up for dinner as well as product coupons for future purchases. One qualification – the recipient had to be prominently displaying the branded bumper sticker provided to them. The live event was a fantastic success. The street team generated a buzz, got people talking and actually seeking out street team members. The brand was displayed throughout the event area, consumers had the opportunity to taste, smell and experience the product first hand and were engaged with the brand ambassadors. Safe to say they’ll remember this experience and the brand that delivered it to them.

And, most likely, they won’t just remember, they’ll tell others all about their positive experience. Research indicates that 8 out of 10 consumers who had participated in experiential marketing said they had told others about their experience. * Not a bad percentage of new brand ambassadors creating buzz for your brand in the marketplace.

In a world where there is so much noise and so many messages, especially as a food and beverage company, it pays to take the time to create an experience, engage your audience, and immerse all their senses. Now that is a recipe for success.

Posted by Kirstin Crouthamel, Account Executive

*Jack Morton Worldwide

By Bennett Andelman, Allebach Communications, bandelman@allebach.com

Micro-blogs, social networks, wikis…all great vehicles for the new age of marketing. However, if the brand you are marketing isn’t remarkable, ins’t that “purple cow”, then no matter what media you choose to use to communicate your message, your audience will move on…in fact, they probably have moved on.

Today, the marketing world is made up millions of messages, each trying to grab the attention of a similar consumer or business profile. How do you break through the endless clutter? Create chatter? Increase your share of voice…and oh yes, ensure ROI? Well, that’s simple. BE DIFFERENT. CHANGE THE GAME. STEP AWAY FROM THE BOX.

Easier said then done. We know. In Seth Godin’s best selling book, Purple Cow, available online at http://www.sethgodin.com/purple, he provides a clear action plan as well as a needed punch in the virtual face to all marketers that think they can pitch the same old stuff that people already have too much of and expect a different outcome. Oh, you have a new cola…and it tastes like cola…and you have a small marketing budget…yeah, not going to work.

The idea…sell something different. Even if it is cola. What is different about your cola than any other and slam that message home. Stride gum is the perfect example. They have decided to create their own purple cow out of a highly over saturated category. They claim that their gum’s flavor last’s the longest and they have built an entire campaign to tell that story…using the social media outlets described above to gain a share of voice.

Harley Davidson, Starbucks, Virgin Airlines….each has broken through, created the purple cow from a traditional idea and then attached themselves to “sneezers” to spread the word. These “sneezers” as Godin calls them spread the “virus” to other consumers that are just waiting for a new idea, a new “cow” to be spotted.

So, do you have a cow? Do you:
- Sell what people are buying
- Focus on the early adopters and sneezers
- Make it remarkable enough for them to pay attention
- Make it easy for them to spread
- Let it work its own way to the mass market

Not sure? Want some help. Give us a call. We are in the business of farming…ideas!