Global trends of experiential marketing and how to adapt them to Ukrainian realities

In Ukraine, 2018 actually became a year of rethinking both the classic tactical marketing tools and the traditional approaches to sponsorship and partnership projects. In Adsapience we have identified six global experiential marketing trends that we can effectively adapt to both local objectives and budgets.

VR, AI, AR and drones

Today in marketing more advanced technologies are used to get new experience, but not just for consumer entertainment. Technology for the sake of technology is already boring for consumer. Technology as itself doesn’t surprise anyone anymore. The idea, quality of content and its interactivity are moving to the front row. Technology should effectively broadcast and enhance brand message. The key factor of success is the qualitative unique content.

The good news is that experience that uses technology has an infinite potential for the creativity. With new technologies, it’s much easier than ever to create breakthrough ideas. Moreover, we are already witnessing the rethinking of VR and AR content – it gradually ceases to be just fun in the form of video games and begins to be useful in the form of reproduction of user experience.

Last year, thanks to VR technology, Kyivstar Company made affordable the most popular Christmas 3D-show of Ukraine – “The Guards of Dreams” – for residents of 15 cities in Ukraine. As a part of enormous road show, the Adspience team and STB Channel literally “delivered” a unique new experience directly to the main streets and squares. In the technically upgraded cinema bus, we showed a short version of the show in the form of the panoramic VR video 360-degree.

Multi-sensory experience

While most of media campaigns focus on visual content, in experiential marketing, for the complete immersion in the brand, more and more other senses involved. Almost everyone knows how your brand looks like. But how does it smell or what is it to touch? Is there a sound or jingle that reminds it?

The more various human feelings you can add to the brand, the more it will be recognizable, the more consumers will be able to imagine its life style that they will share when they buy your product.

In our portfolio there is a project with non-standard work with a scent. Last year, we offered customers of one of the tobacco companies to create their own individual perfume, which then  they would associate with the brand. At the party the invited perfumer talked to the guests and, based on their preferences and wishes, helped them to make their unique fragrance using a certain palette of essences.

Advanced scenography

One of the key elements of the most events is a scene. Recently, more and more attention we pay to its design and decoration. This is not just a place for artists’ performance, but a part of the performance, the important visual element. We use stages of nonstandard forms with unique light solutions and various specific effects. The content on a scene screens can be supported and enhanced by such expressive tools like a projection on decorative elements around the screen or scene, dynamic light, laser, drones, synchronization of artists’ movements with content on the screen, kinetic installations, etc.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Kyivstar Company in Ukraine, the Adsapience team organized a reception for business partners and key clients. During the evening, the attention of visitors had to concentrate on the stage. To do this, we used unique technologies to synchronize kinetics and laser, choreography and audio-visual effects. The key performance combined video on the stage screen, 190 kinetic balls, light, music and laser. At the end of the show, all the guests received SMS with the words of gratitude. Innovative solutions caused a strong resonance in the market and the desire of other companies to use them.

Brands go to consumers

Companies have never been more interested in modeling experience and space, which will allow their customers to become even more involved with the brand’s life, to touch its perfect world. Companies are constantly looking for opportunities where and when it’s possible to open doors to their consumers to help them to feel what they may have been unable to experience before, or in general, they have no means, tools or knowledge to get closer to it.

More and more brands interact with consumers in non-standard channels. Usual mobile teams of promoters are replaced by mobile brand zones or pop-up experience zone. This is the right way to start a conversation. A simple concept is supported by fear of losing something new, exclusive, which will never happen again, thus causing the consumer to hurry and not to miss.

Designing pop-us, our team always takes into account the following factors: how it looks during a day and at night, program of interactive brand activities, set up time, ease of maintenance, scalability of solutions for various locations. Particular attention is paid to the location. Previously, mobile zones were integrated into huge events, but now we meet them as independent activities in squares and parks with good organic traffic.

New formats of viral content

Historically, the cost of contact in experiential marketing is quite high, so offline activity is always supported by word of mouth (WOM) and user generated content (UGC) – free branded content that consumers place in their feed. With the launch of 3G/4G it is possible to post not only photos, but also videos, animations, live streaming. Increasingly, for their special events, brands begin to use live broadcasts – standard or 360 degrees.

It is high time to think about how to use UGC with more benefit for brand? How to monetize? How to convert to a purchase? How to turn into a permanent source of income? Perhaps, this is the largest business challenge and opportunity for experiential marketing in the nearest future.

During “Eurovision” in the branded zone of Lvivske beer, we invited guests to make panoramic photos with a spherical camera of 360 degrees. Such type of shooting is most relevant for concerts, festivals and unique locations, because visitors get an opportunity to show what is happening around them. At the Kyiv Light Fest, we gave guests a chance to experiment with light effects. There were 2 technologies at their disposal: light graffiti and bullet time. As a result they got branded dynamic content in the format of video animation with flying around effect and light abstract objects on the background.

Personalization/customization

Personalization was very popular even before. This is a tool that has no lifespan. Now in order to attract the attention of consumers, brands customize content, interaction interface, handouts or gifts. We all want to feel themselves as a VIP-person. Whether it’s the owner of a gold card, an honorary member or a customer who has just shown some interest and loyalty. The brand’s mission is to give all of them an opportunity to feel themselves special. An exclusive approach is important because it gives a customer the right to own a brand. When consumers feel that they are part of your story, you become part of their. And it’s priceless!

In one of the projects we installed an interactive projection table that allowed guests to create a personal symbol with their own name and surname: to choose the font, style, decorative elements of a personal anagram. After this, the master applied an individual anagram – embossed on leather goods or engraved on metal objects.

Let’s hope that the days of logos in the “fraternal graves” have already passed forever, and brands will actively switch to true objects of passion of their clients. The next step after testing and adapting global trends to our realities is to engage relevant tools to measure effectiveness and impact on the audience. In Adsapience we have already started to think about a new generation of such metrics, because the previous ones no longer satisfy neither our team nor our clients.