How to create an experiential marketing campaign

Customers today have more options than ever when it comes to travel and entertainment, leaving marketing directors like you in a tricky position. While investing in social media ads and quality content will always be part of a well-rounded marketing strategy, every other operator is doing the same.

It’s time to think outside the box with experiential marketing, a strategy that involves creating an experience that allows customers to interact with your brand in a more immersive way. Experiential marketing can transform how you connect with your audience, creating memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Whether you’re part of a team running a tour company or attraction, this guide will help you create a successful experiential marketing campaign.

• Step 1: Setting Your Goals and Objectives
• Step 2: Understanding Your Target Audience
• Step 3: Conceptualizing the Experience
• Step 4: Planning and Logistics
• Step 5: Setting A Budget
• Step 6: Integrating Technology
• Step 7: Staff Training and Preparation
• Step 8: Launching the Campaign
• Step 9: Promoting Your Campaign
• Step 10: Measuring Success

Step 1: Setting Your Goals and Objectives

Before diving into the creative aspects of your campaign, it’s crucial to set clear goals and objectives.

• What do you want to achieve?
• Are you looking to increase brand awareness, boost sales, or enhance customer loyalty?

Clear objectives will guide your campaign’s direction and help measure its success. Define specific, measurable goals that align with your overall business strategy. Then, set a timeline for achieving these goals.

For example, a city tour operator wanting to increase bookings for its new night-time historical walking tour will set its primary goal as boosting ticket sales by 20% within three months.

Step 2: Understanding Your Target Audience

Knowing your audience is essential for crafting an experience that resonates with them. Analyze your customer data to identify demographics, preferences, and behavior patterns.

One of the best strategies for doing this is to create detailed buyer personas—a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers. You can gather this data by conducting surveys or focus groups and analyzing social media interactions and customer feedback.

For example, the city tour operator studies its recent booking activity and identifies that the night-time tour appeals mainly to young professionals and history enthusiasts aged 25 to 40 interested in unique and immersive experiences. Now, the operator knows how to create marketing campaigns centered on that specific group of visitors.

Step 3: Conceptualizing the Experience

This step involves brainstorming and developing a creative concept for your campaign. Experiential marketing is a strategy that aims to create a memorable, emotional connection between the brand and the consumer through immersive experiences.

Now, it’s time to brainstorm ways that potential customers can meaningfully interact with your experience before they book a tour or visit. Focus on creating immersive and interactive experiences. For example, a whiskey distillery might offer a tasting and blending workshop where guests can learn about the distinct flavors and aromas of the brand’s different varieties. Following the tasting, guests can create their unique blend, guided by a master distiller. Then, guests can take home a small bottle of their custom blend as souvenirs.

Only some operators can create such a hands-on experience, which is where technology comes in. To enhance the experience, you can leverage AR/VR elements, interactive displays, and social media integration.

Step 4: Planning and Logistics

Proper planning and logistics are critical for the smooth execution of an experiential campaign, especially one with many interactive elements. Logistically speaking, this might include: 

• Securing any necessary permits or approvals from local authorities, such as health and safety permits—or alcohol licenses, in the distillery tour example above.
• Coordinating with reliable vendors for equipment, catering, props, and other required services.
• Determining staffing needs, including tour guides, facilitators, security, and support staff.
• Setting up an online registration system, if applicable, and designing an efficient check-in process that minimizes wait times. Pro tip: Consider using digital check-ins with QR codes for a seamless experience.

Choosing the Right Location and Timing

Location and timing are critical elements in an experiential marketing campaign. Ensure the venue aligns with the theme and objectives of your experience. For a whiskey distillery tour, the location would be the distillery itself, using various parts like the aging barrels, distillation room, and tasting areas. 

Wherever the experience occurs, it should be easily accessible to your target audience. Consider transportation options, parking availability, and any special accommodations needed. And, of course, you want the chosen location to comfortably accommodate the expected number of guests.

Choose a date and time carefully that also maximizes attendance. Avoid major holidays or local events that might compete for your audience’s attention.

Then, decide on the event length: Single-day events can create a sense of urgency, while multi-day events could attract more participants over a more extended period.

Step 5: Setting A Budget

Like every marketing campaign, you want to set a budget that allows you to allocate resources effectively. Because experiential campaigns have an immersive component, there may be extra costs—such as staff and equipment—that you’ll need to consider. Break down all potential costs and set a contingency fund for unexpected expenses.

Step 6: Integrating Technology

Technology can be important in many experiential campaigns, especially if you’re leveraging AR or VR features. For example, a museum might promote a new exhibition with a virtual reality installation.

As an activity operator, having flexible booking software that can be integrated with your campaigns is paramount to capturing new customers. Even if customers don’t make a booking on the spot, you can use your software system to store customer information and later follow up with an offer. 

Step 7: Staff Training and Preparation

In an interactive campaign where customers are in constant contact with your staff, the outcome will heavily depend on that front-facing team. A well-trained staff is vital for delivering a seamless experience.

Conduct comprehensive training sessions to ensure your employees understand the storyline and how to help guests make the most of the experience. For example, if your activation features AR technology, you want your staff to be well-versed in that arena.

Step 8: Launching the Campaign

The launch is your opportunity to make a solid first impression. Before going live, make sure to:

• Run through a checklist that goes into every detail of the experience.
• Perform a final walkthrough.
• Test all equipment and tech elements.
• Prepare for customer inquiries and feedback.

Here’s a helpful strategy: You may want to organize a soft launch with a select group of customers to gather feedback and make final adjustments before the official launch.

Step 9: Promoting Your Campaign

Effective promotion is vital to attracting your target audience. Use various marketing channels to spread the word about your campaign.

Leverage social media, email marketing, and influencer partnerships. The more engaging the content, the better it will attract people. Focus on highlighting the unique aspects of the experience, which will make customers excited to try it out.

Another idea is to offer early bird discounts or special incentives for an exclusive group of customers. Again, you are generating buzz about the new campaign to generate curiosity and excitement about your experience.

Step 10: Measuring Success

After the campaign, measuring its success and gathering insights for future ones is essential. Let’s look at the key performance indicators (KPIs) you should be tracking to refine your experiential marketing strategy.

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Measures customer satisfaction with your tour or attraction via post-tour surveys, online reviews, and feedback forms. High customer satisfaction indicates that your experience met or exceeded expectations, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) Gauges customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your tour to others. Include a simple NPS question in your surveys: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our tour to a friend or colleague? A high NPS suggests strong customer loyalty and a high likelihood of referrals.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as booking a tour after visiting your website or engaging with your marketing campaign. Monitor website analytics, booking software data, and track specific campaigns to see how many leads convert into paying customers.
• Attendance and Participation Rates: The number of participants in your tours or events compared to the number of bookings or invitations sent. Track the number of attendees using your booking software. This KPI helps you understand the effectiveness of your promotional efforts in reaching a desired audience.
• Return on Investment (ROI): At the end of the day, every operator is interested in the ROI of a campaign. ROI measures the profitability of your marketing campaigns by comparing the revenue generated to the cost of the campaigns. Considering that interactive campaigns tend to be more resource-heavy than others, ROI is an especially important metric to track.
• Social Media Mentions and Sentiment: Use social tools to track the number of times your brand is mentioned on social media and the overall sentiment (positive, neutral, or negative) of these mentions. This provides insights into brand awareness, customer opinions, and the effectiveness of your campaign. You might, for example, come up with a specific hashtag for your campaign and encourage guests to use it when they share about the experience.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The cost of acquiring a new customer through your marketing efforts. You can calculate this by dividing the total cost of marketing efforts by the number of new customers acquired during a specific period. Overall, the CAC helps you evaluate the efficiency of your marketing spending and identify cost-effective strategies.

Collecting and Analyzing Feedback and Data

Collect feedback through surveys, social media, and direct interactions. Then, the input will be analyzed to understand customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.

• Post-Tour Surveys: Post-tour surveys are a direct way to gather feedback from guests immediately after they’ve experienced your tour or attraction. This method captures fresh and specific insights while the experiencen is still top-of-mind for guests. To encourage completion, keep surveys short and focused, mixing open-ended questions with multiple-choice and rating scales to gather diverse insights. Offering incentives, such as discounts on future bookings or small rewards, can further boost participation. For example, a boat tour company might send a short survey via email to guests within 24 hours of their tour, asking about their satisfaction with the guide, the cleanliness of the boat, and their overall experience.
• Social Media Monitoring: Social media platforms are rich sources of real-time feedback where guests often share their experiences and opinions. Monitoring social media allows you to track brand mentions, sentiment, and engage with your audience in real time. Again, encouraging guests to use specific hashtags related to your tours makes it easier to track posts. 
• On-Site Feedback Collection: On-site feedback collection involves gathering input from guests during the experience, often through interactive kiosks or mobile apps. Collecting immediate insights allows you to act upon guest feedback quickly enough to enhance the experience while it’s happening. A TV studio tour, for example, might set up interactive kiosks near the exit where guests can rate their experience and provide comments before leaving the premises.

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Making your brand stand out requires more than just the basics in a world brimming with choices. Experiential marketing is your ticket to transforming customer interactions into unforgettable experiences.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to crafting campaigns that not only capture attention but also foster deep connections with your audience. Embrace the power of immersive experiences, and watch as your brand becomes a standout favorite in the crowded landscape of travel and entertainment.