2 experiential marketing ideas to inspire advertising students

Tue 1 Dec 2020

Experiential Marketing Example for Online Advertising Strategy & Planning Masters Degree Students: "D Rose Jump Store"
What Masters in Advertising Strategy & Planning Students can Learn from Lean Cuisine's "Weigh This" Campaign
Experiential Marketing Inspirations for Students Pursuing a Masters in Advertising Strategy & Planning

To really make an impact with potential consumers these days, brands are seeking to directly engage them through a fun and memorable experience. It's called experiential marketing, and its ultimate goal is to establish an emotional connection with consumers and corresponding brand loyalty through creating unique, face-to-face branded experiences.

While the concept may share characteristics with event marketing, guerrilla marketing, and the classic PR stunt, experiential marketing uses an imaginatively integrated approach to engage as many senses as possible. Students on Falmouth Flexible's Advertising Strategy & Planning MA gain key insights into the creative process of successful brands to develop effective campaigns that stand out in this competitive and fast-moving industry.

Here are a few inspired examples of experiential marketing to illustrate how this concept can be applied to your next innovative campaign.

Experiential Marketing Example for Online Advertising Strategy & Planning Masters Degree Students: "D Rose Jump Store"

Adidas took pop-up stores to new heights when it made the "D Rose Jump Store" in London a few years ago, featuring Chicago Bulls basketball star Derrick Rose. The Cannes Lion-winning creative campaign had Rose in attendance, challenging fans to win a free pair of his new signature line of sneakers by jumping to take them off a 10-foot high shelf—the same height as a regulation basketball hoop.

Rose's presence was enough to create buzz and the unique concept guaranteed a memorable experience for participants, whether or not they got the shoes. Adidas correctly identified the aspirations of their target audience, developed meaningful connections with the local community and established positive brand associations. Of course, they captured the fun in a compelling viral video and social media campaign.

What Masters in Advertising Strategy & Planning Students can Learn from Lean Cuisine's "Weigh This" Campaign

Companies don't need to invest a fortune to earn an experiential marketing success. Lean Cuisine makes frozen diet-friendly dinners but instead of focusing directly on weight loss, their #WeighThis campaign invited women to "weigh in" on scales that were actually small boards where they could write how they would like to be measured. Rather than body image, participating women chose to highlight examples like being the sole provider for four children or being back in college at age 55.

The display in busy Grand Central Station in New York City encouraged voluntary interaction with no Lean Cuisine samples or interruptions. Locations like train stations or bus stops, where people have nothing to do but wait, can be ideal for experiential marketing installations. The branded hashtag was sufficient to generate social media sharing, leading to over 204 million total impressions. They clarified a desired brand message and built an emotional experience around it—a good lesson for any student pursuing an online advertising strategy & planning masters degree.

Experiential Marketing Inspirations for Students Pursuing a Masters in Advertising Strategy & Planning

Excellent experiential marketing events give consumers a new way of seeing your brand, increasing the return on the initial investment by leveraging social media opportunities. Grads with a Masters in advertising strategy & planning know that an effective experience should draw on your target audience's interests, with prominent product placement to motivate engagement and purchases. The best experiences are so imaginative that they draw a crowd and inspire social media sharing, leading to measurable engagement and long-term brand success.

Interested in pursuing an advertising strategy & planning masters degree online?

Falmouth University's Flexible Learning MA in Advertising Strategy & Planning is an in-depth, creative course, enabling you to accelerate your career while continuing your working practice. 

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