Experiential marketing has been gaining ground among the most effective strategies for brands seeking to create genuine connections with their audience. More than an impactful event, loyalty requires consistency between what is promised and what is delivered. In a scenario where consumers are increasingly aware of their actions and demanding from brands, companies must reinvent themselves to stay relevant.
For Ale Tcholla, partner and creative director ofBlood, a reference agency in non-stop experience, a successful experience must genuinely reflect the company's values. "The consumer perceives when there is truth behind an action, and that is what makes them trust and engage. The goal is to provide people with a memorable and unforgettable moment, allowing the audience to leave with a memory of something positive and impactful they experienced due to creativity, delivery, and work," he explains.
"The weather on the day of the event, the venue, the current needs, the message to be conveyed—all of this can be used for branding and to reinforce the product's image, but truly and credibly uniting all of this is the great challenge of Live Marketing," he emphasizes.
In this scenario, the specialist outlined the five essential steps to win the audience's loyalty in experience activations:
1. Define and communicate a clear purposeFor Tcholla, every action must start from an objective that represents the true value of the brand to its audience. "Communication should be direct and consistent. The purpose is what differentiates a truly impactful experience from just an aesthetic action. When the company is clear about what it represents, everything aligns around that," he adds.
2. transparent and consistent in all interactions
According to him, the values presented by advertising campaigns need to be truly aligned with the reality and actions of the brands. "It is important that these values reflect what the brand believes and what it can truly offer to consumers. For a campaign to be effective, it should not only attract attention during an event but also demonstrate that it continues to act in accordance with these principles afterward. Thus, consumers can trust that the company fulfills what it promises," explains.
3. Explore technological innovations to strengthen the relationshipUnderstanding technology as an ally, from the product production process to communication strategy, is essential to get closer to the audience. "However, the possibility of anyone picking up your phone and commenting on a product, or even seeking an answer about a controversial action, makes brands more vulnerable," emphasizes the director of Blood.
For Tcholla, technology brings people closer and reveals. "Use it consciously, from production to post-event, to reinforce the message and create new ways of engaging with the audience. In this way, it is possible to explore all contact points and their peculiarities to deepen the message, reinforce the consumer's positive perception, generate loyalty, and even turn them into a brand promoter," he states.
4. Plan actions that connect before and after the eventAccording to the executive, the experience does not start or end at the moment of activation. Continuity is what reinforces memory and consolidates the bond. "The event is a point of contact, and communication must be planned to reinforce a message that has been consolidating across all relevant channels. The idea is to build a relationship beforehand and nurture it afterward, with messages that reinforce the experience and prolong engagement," he/she/they points out.
5. Create memorable experiences that generate spontaneous engagementMemorable moments are those that evoke emotion and become shareable by the audience's will, not by imposition. For Tcholla, in-person events provide a sensory experience that no other marketing tool involving screens can offer.
Knowing how to explore all these senses to reinforce a specific message or positioning is a huge challenge. A memorable experience doesn't have to be grand, but rather meaningful. When the company truly touches the audience, they become the brand's greatest promoter, he concludes.
