As a current buzzword within advertising and marketing circles ‘experiential’ is now more popular than ever. Whilst it is certainly popular however there are some misguided opinions over what experiential is and precisely what an experiential marketing agency should do.

Some still believe that experiential marketing is purely handing out free samples, creating a particularly engrossing piece of advert copy or even launching branded mobile applications.

Ultimately it is not any of these, at least solely anyway, as each could be used as a wider experiential campaign. Instead it is better to think of experiential marketing as an idea, a different way of approaching marketing and a alternative way of getting across a marketing message.

Key to following an experiential marketing strategy is to think, to look at the campaign in its entirety in a different light, but how do you do that? There are 5 key questions that need to be asked when planning experiential campaigns, each must be considered carefully.

How will affect my brand?

Branding is a highly important element within experiential marketing. Essentially a campaign that heads out to meet and engage with the public is the personification of the brand so brainstorming ideas and putting plans in action, the effects of the campaign on the brand image should always be considered.

Who is the target?

Practically all marketing works best when it has been strategically targeted towards those people that have an existing interest in the subject. This is why during the planning an audience should be defined, profiling people into their likes, aspirations and lifestyle to identify the where, how and why of engagement.

How will it connect emotionally?

At the heart of every great experiential marketing campaign is an emotional attachment between the brand and the consumer. Emotions are the result of stimulating the senses so within the planning stages it is important to consider how a campaign will deliver touch, sight, sound, smell and taste. This stimulation can be multi-sensory, as long as it remains worthwhile, relevant and personal.

How will the experience spread?

Using TV, word of mouth, print media, the internet and social media to your advantage are key to how far your marketing message travels. To utilise these channels you can use traditional advertising methods but for today’s marketer encouraging participants to share their experiences through social media channels is the modern word of mouth and should not be ignored.