This One Thing May Help Your Marketing Drive Itself 🎯

Let’s get to the point: People want experiences. Not products.‍

We’re a picky bunch these days. With an abundance of options for the everyday consumer, it’s hard for brands to stand out. Particularly new ones entering the market.

But more and more brands are being clever in the way they get in front of their target audience - specifically by bringing an experiential element to the forefront.

This is also coined as the ‘experience economy’.

What does that mean? Let us explain…

By emotive association and affinity with a lifestyle choice, a brand is able to tap into the customers’ psyche through experiencing the brand - not just consuming the product / service.

So what’s the big deal?

The reason the experience element is HUGE for your marketing efforts is because of the opportunities for user-generated content (UGC) to be captured…which in turn helps drive awareness, in the most authentic way, too!

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Instagram stories of people having a bloody good time? Instant FOMO.

‍Word of mouth and referrals are easily the best form of marketing, because it means others are spreading the word of your business for you.

See, when your customers are taking part, naturally they’re going to want to snap it and share with their mates. Now consider how this UGC helps as a snowball effect in getting your name out there - with more eyeballs seeing what you have to offer.

Basically, this is helluva formula for success!
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And here’s some fine examples of this in action that you can use as inspiration…
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🌹 Thursday - a dating app that brings singletons together for one night a week, only.

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‍Dating digitally has its perks in our busy day-to-day lives - but given the opportunity to meet your match in real life? Now that’s gotta be a go-er.

Taking over bars and venues every Thursday across London and New York, this dating app connects single people online AND offline.

This snippet from their website sums things up brilliantly: ‘A singles member's club that bridges the gap between online dating and offline experiences.’
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‍There’s tonnes of dating apps out there. But how did this challenger app do it differently? They made sure people were ACTUALLY meeting in real life. They genuinely wanted people to be brought together to find love. Not just rely on some algorithmic avenue to unite those who have been unlucky in their previous romantic endeavours.

Despite never using the app (our other halves would not be happy!), we’re big fans of Thursday, and love keeping up with their latest guerilla marketing ways.

Check them out on Instagram.

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🍻 Jubel - a beer, dedicated to après ski.

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By clear way of association with the post-ski piss up, they’ve already captured the attention of their target demographic and those who like to get loose amongst snowy slopes.

The description is clear for all to see on their website and Instagram bio…
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‍‘The Après Beer. JUBEL was born in an Après bar and we exist to bring Après to the everyday.’
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‍So suppose you can’t get to the mountains. This beer is for the après sea. Après sport. Après adventure. Après work. (You get the picture).

Not only is their range of fruity beers super tasty and refreshing, but we love all the people-centric and lifestyle shots across their Instagram because it keeps it emotive, relatable and about the social occasion and adventurous side of life.

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⛳ And a slightly more generalist field…’competitive socialising’.
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Out with just going for a few drinks. In with drinks PLUS darts / mini golf / bingo / shuffleboards etc etc.

Mixing together a few drinks, perhaps a bite to eat, and a competitive activity makes for a fun experience that is becoming more and more popular, with new venues popping up across the UK.

Flight Club. Bounce. Junkyard Golf. Crib. These establishments are all pulling in the punters who enjoy a drink, with a twist. Or putt. Or ping. Or push. Or throw.

Or if you’re Boom Battle Bar, you’ve got the full shabang!

If customers are documenting their memorable outing at one of these establishments via stories on Instagram, then clearly there’s going to be a moment of FOMO for your customers’ mates. But then it’s likely the mates who are missing out will add that experience to their social ‘to-do’ list in the near future. Meaning the pipeline of potential customers continues…

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Time for a brand positioning rethink?‍

So if you’ve got a new product or service just about to launch to market, it’s worth considering how you implement the ‘experience economy’ idea by combining an experience or association of an experience to make a more emotive and lifestyle-driven choice to help position your brand.

As we said at the start of this blog…people want experiences. And having your customers show off your business offering in the form of UGC ultimately means your marketing is being done for you.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

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Is your marketing working hard enough? Or are your social channels in need of some TLC?

‍If you’re interested in talking through your current social media activity and content creation, and looking for ways they can be improved, then we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message today 👉  hello@seenagency.co.uk.