Vending Machines: Ideas That Dispense Inspiration

By: Manavjot Kaur, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

“They may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel.” —Carl W. Buehner

The possibilities are limitless when it comes to experiential marketing and creating unforgettable experiences. Brands are becoming increasingly creative with their promotional campaigns, utilizing innovative techniques to interact with consumers and reinforce brand message on the show floor and beyond. Is there a medium that continues to gain traction? Experiences with customized vending machines. Yes, you read it correctly: customized vending machine experiences!

In the experiential realm, vending machines are nothing new, but the interactive machines have been resurfacing in a range of activations, providing brands the opportunity to enhance their swag drops, educate their audience and offer personalized experiences. Not to mention that the range of things they are capable of dispensing, has expanded dramatically in recent times, with anything from bottles of wine and fresh pizza to make-up products and gadgets.

Due to its potential to deliver a hygienic, cashless, and contactless self-checkout experience, these savvy vending machines have been in great demand since COVID-19 emerged. Let’s look at 6 examples of such vending machine experiences that dispense inspirations for us-

1.) Orangina’s #ShakeTheDispenser

experiential marketing vending machine
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What if your brand’s one of the most successful marketing initiatives hinged on a vending machine failure? This is precisely what Orangina’s #ShakeTheDispenser campaign aimed to achieve. The iconic soft drink brand installed custom-built vending machines in France’s La Defense and Lille Europe. Consumers had to shake these devices in order to get their drink out, as they were designed to capture cans while they were being dispensed. They also encouraged consumers to shake even harder if they weren’t being aggressive enough. What’s the end result? Orangina gained awareness for their new brand signature, Shake the World, in under 48 hours. Consumers’ initial dissatisfaction turned into a viral opportunity.

2.) Maybelline- #PumpedUp

Jam Van Experiential Marketing Event Vending Machine
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Maybelline created an interactive, product knowledge and data-based experience for consumers, for the launch of the new Maybelline Pumped Up Mascara, to drive awareness and product trial. This branded social media vending machine dispensed mascara after a consumer sent a tweet to @MaybellineCAN. They enriched the experience and deepened product education with on-the-spot applications by certified make-up artists. This campaign’s reach was further extended with post-makeover photos. The result? 1000s of target-right consumers reached over 4-day campaign, 775 live makeup applications delivered, 2,500 coupons to drive sales distributed and 2,000+ tweets for product drove reach beyond activation footprint.

3.) Walkers Crisps: Tweet to Eat

Experiential Marketing Event Vending Machine
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Walkers Crisps in London had a wonderful campaign called ‘Tweet to Eat,’ that turned bus shelter advertising panels into full-fledged vending machines, with a twist — the Walkers brand ambassador stuck inside virtually. It was an innovative approach to add newness to everyday life, with the added benefit of dispensing a physical product that customers can enjoy right away. What was the end result? Walkers witnessed a 22 percent improvement in favourable brand perception as a result of the campaign, which generated 5.7 million Twitter impressions. The virtual ambassador distributed more than 500 packets in response to direct tweets.

4.) Reese’s Halloween Candy Converter

Experiential Marketing Vending Machine
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The “Reese’s Halloween Candy Converter Machine” was a hit during the town’s Halloween parade in New York. The machine’s goal was to allow consumers to trade in their unwanted candy for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. After a survey revealed that 90% of Americans had exchanged or desire to swap candy on Halloween, Reese’s created the machine. The vending machine concept arose from a conversation about trick-or-treating, and how people really simply want to find the home with the good stuff—the Reese’s. That, plus the fact that children already like exchanging candy for something they want more. People usually have something in their bag that they wish to get rid of. This is a significant Halloween tradition. So Reese’s put themselves right in the center of it.

5.) The Short Story Dispenser

Experiential Marketing Vending Machine
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While many people have bemoaned the loss of the art of reading in our social media-driven world, only few have attempted to remedy the situation. The exception is Short Édition. Short Édition is a French publishing house of short literature: poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. They designed and constructed the Short Story Dispenser to merge the old with the modern in giving an ever-changing cache of short tales to provide people unexpected literary moments in their everyday lives, inspired to promote literature in an ever-faster, digital world of screens. The Dispensers, which are linked to their web platform, print free stories of 1, 3, or 5 minutes on paper for the public.

 

6.) The Cuterus by The Pill Club

Experiential Marketing Vending Machine
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The Pill Club, a direct-to-consumer women’s healthcare business, put a novel vending machine in New York City on September 26 in honour of World Contraception Day—and the public wouldn’t have been able to miss it because it was built like a giant uterus. Healthcare products that do not directly pertain to cisgender men continue to be a major barrier to access, such as birth control, which requires a prescription, despite the fact that millions of women use birth control. By placing this vending machine, The Pill Club hopes to break the social stigma around birth control and remind that access to these products should be as easy as getting a snack from a vending machine.

Brands are using vending machines as part of their marketing strategy in a variety of ways, with new themes added to each vending machine activation. There is no limit to the sort of experience brands may create utilizing vending machines in their experiential strategy, from philanthropy to sustainability to sheer fun.

When it comes to creating an experience that is memorable, distinctive, and can help drive your brand messaging home in a fun, engaging way, this a tactic you should absolutely consider. Get in contact with us to explore possibilities!

Jam Van is a leading experiential marketing agency that offers specialization in experiential marketing, mobile experiences and out-of-home media, thanks to our 20+ years of experience. If you want to get started, send us an email at info@jamvan.com.

 

What is Gamified Experiential Marketing? 5 Inspiring Examples

Event Marketing Expereiential

As someone said, gamification and experiential are a match made in marketing heaven.  Incorporating a game aspect into your campaigns boosts interaction and allows you to engage with your target audience while boosting dwell time.

Even though gamification has been around for a while, it is still seen as a future marketing trend and, because of this, is gaining popularity as a wonderful way to engage a consumer audience. ​That’s because the idea of playing a game and winning a prize is something that appeals to almost everyone’s creative, fun, and competitive side. Gamification is fun, but it goes beyond reading text or watching a video.

Gamification is a method of incorporating the core of what makes games so fascinating and compelling into non-game experiences. It is a means for marketers to stand out and leverage the emotional high of winning to seal a transaction on a product or service. Gamification leaves a lasting impression on the user, who may feel compelled to tell their friends about the experience they had. This strategy has been shown to boost engagement, loyalty, the customer experience, and most importantly, product movement.

Gamification in marketing, in truth, opens up a plethora of creative opportunities. Let’s look at 5 inspiring examples-

1) Unlock your inner ‘007’

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Train station users were invited to unlock their inner Agent 007. This was done to market Coke Zero in Antwerp while also promoting the James Bond film Skyfall. They were allowed 70 seconds to reach Platform 6 after visiting a modified Coke machine. But first, they had to navigate a series of stumbling blocks. Finally, they had to perform the Bond theme song to receive their free movie tickets. This was a fantastic activation.

2) All eyes on S


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Players are given the opportunity to win a new generation smartphone by merely staring at it for an hour. As a throng forms around the contestant, they are pushed to dodge all kinds of absurd distractions including barking dogs, arguing couples, and motorcyclists. Samsung had built an experience that raises brand awareness on several levels. This includes not only the participants themselves but also the secondary audience of onlookers on the scene and online. This is an excellent demonstration of how gamification can be integrated to provide a social experience that is both amusing and immersive.

 

3) McDonald’s Monopoly

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Since 1987, McDonald’s has been running its world-famous McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. It currently operates in 23 countries throughout the world, attracting millions of customers each year. The campaign concept was developed after discovering that the majority of Mcdonald’s Customers value life experiences higher than material possessions. It was also discovered that people prefer to have a choice, which is something that was introduced at “every level of the prize pool”. McDonald’s Monopoly makes use of several different gamification mechanisms to create a fun, enticing experience for McDonald’s customers. McDonald’s Monopoly’s various mechanisms all work together to produce a one-of-a-kind, intriguing campaign that has demonstrated its success year after year.
4) Spin-the-wheel

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Spin-the-wheel marketing ideas date back to a time when few people considered them to be effective marketing strategies. They are a big hit for a reason. This is not only a favourite among our clients, but it is also incredibly effective in rewarding loyalty, engaging customers, and, of course, generating a spike in sales. It’s ideal for branding. The wheel can be customized to your plan, and your design/layout can be applied to the game, giving you the ability to customize the game and include your logo/product. This is ideal for Brand Activations, Product Launches, Trade Shows, Experiential Events, and Trade Shows. Have you seen our post on four reasons to use spin-the-wheel in your next campaign? Look here!

5) Contrex mineral water- ‘Contrexperience’


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Nestle had launched a new marketing campaign for their Contrex mineral water, which has a high calcium content and is said to help people lose weight by speeding up their metabolism and burning calories. The concept behind Contrex’s campaign in which ladies burn 2000 calories in just a few minutes of fun and playful cycling. A group of women burnt 2000 calories in just a few minutes of pedalling bicycles which then powers a neon sign male stripper. Gamifying marketing encourages people to collaborate as a team, even if they are total strangers. People that take part in these kinds of marketing efforts are a lot more receptive to follow-up emails, replying in much more detail, and their interaction with the brand is much stronger.

The utilization of gamified tactics is an effective strategy for brands to boost sales. The examples above show not just creative gamification, but also the outcomes of happy, engaged consumers who, in many cases, were eager to tell their social circle about their experience.

Feeling Inspired to integrate gamification in your next campaign? Let’s start exploring the possibilities together!
Jam Van is a leading experiential marketing agency that offers specialization in experiential marketing, mobile experiences and out-of-home media, thanks to our 20+ years of experience. If you want to get started, send us an email at info@jamvan.com.

4 Benefits Of Guerilla Marketing For Your Brand

Marketing Event Experiential

By: Manav Kaur, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

When conventional methods are failing, the guerrillas are dispatched.
It’s difficult not to think of guerrilla warfare when we hear the word “guerrilla marketing,” which is understandable given that this form of marketing is named after it. Guerrilla tactics in warfare rely heavily on the element of surprise like ambushes.

But how does this apply to the job we do on a daily basis? Guerrilla marketing tactics rely heavily on the element of surprise. Its goal is to develop very unusual campaigns that catch people off guard in the course of their daily lives. These techniques are intended to elicit feelings of surprise, awe, or shock. Guerrilla marketing is primarily reliant on imagination. In comparison to traditional marketing and advertising, the goal is to leave a lasting impact on customers.

Jam Van’s ‘Breaking Bad’ Promotion

To be willing to do something distinctive that captures the attention of the audience may be considerably more beneficial and powerful than putting out a multimilliondollar campaign that is likely to go unnoticed. This form of marketing is one-of-a-kind and that is the reason it works; it gets a company or brand recognized. It may range from a smart graphic on a bus station bench to carrying out prominent exhibits that pique audience‘s interest. Let’s have a look at the four benefits that Guerrilla marketing may deliver for your brand. 
 
1) Make the Brand Stand Out 
Guerrilla marketing can prove to be beneficial to your brand since it sets you apart from the competition. This strategy not only makes your company/ brand stand out, but it also conveys to the audience that you’re a “cool” company/ brand and aids in the development of a distinct brand image; this is particularly useful when marketing to a younger demographic. Because you developed something unique in comparison to a normal advertising, which is easier to overlook, consumers will remember your brand long after they have seen what you have done. 

Fiji Water’s #FijiGirl at the Golden Globe Awards

2) Budget Friendly 
Guerrilla marketing has evolved to being a popular marketing strategy with both large and small brands/ companies, as a low-cost method to successfully reaching the target audience. Guerrilla marketers look for unique and innovative ways to convey message to the audience people in the real world rather than relying on one-way advertising. The approach is a low-cost way to raise brand awareness, as in this case creativity takes precedence over budget. 

Deadpool Tinder profile

3) Multiple Forms of Marketing Strategies  
Guerrilla marketing has several components that contribute to its effectiveness and influence as a marketing approach. It comes in a various sort that marketers might employ. Here are few sub categories of Guerrilla Marketing:

  • Outdoor (Ambient) Marketing.  Adding something to a pre-existing urban setting, such as displaying temporary artwork on sidewalks and streets or affixing something detachable to a sculpture or statue.
  • Indoor (Ambient) Marketing. Similar to outdoor guerrilla marketing, only it takes place in indoor locations like bus or train stations, shops, and buildings.
  • Event Ambush Guerrilla Marketing. When a brand “ambushes” a campaign or event to compete for publicity/exposure with competing brands; to leverage the momentum generated by the original brand in order to enhance awareness of their own brand.
  • Experiential Guerrilla Marketing. It may be some or all of the above, but it must be done in such a way that the audience is driven to interact with the brand. 
‘Ugly Betty’ Series promo

4) Memorable 
By their very nature, guerrilla marketing initiatives are unique and unexpected, and they have the capacity to make a lingering impact on audience. Customers are left astonished, pleased, and eager to learn more about the product and/or service after a successful campaign. Customers may capture a long – lasting impression and share it across their network via social mediaMany believe word-of-mouth to be one of the most effective weapons in a marketer’s arsenal. Marketing campaigns may quickly go viral and receive exposure to millions of people, leading to growth through word-of-mouth. Nothing beats the audience talking about your campaign on their own. 

Jam Van’s 20th Century Fox promotion for ‘The Greatest Showman’ Nathan Phillips Square takeover.

Guerrilla marketing can be a very efficient strategy for companies to build awareness for their products when implemented right. In the coming years, as digital marketing becomes more popular among young marketers, expect to see more innovative guerrilla marketing tactics implemented. It’s an excellent method to engage customers by piquing their interest and motivating them to learn more. 

Jam Van’s WB Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Promotion

Feeling Inspired to plan your next campaign using Guerrilla marketing? Let’s start exploring the possibilities together! 
Jam Van is a leading experiential marketing agency that offers specialization in experiential marketing, mobile experiences and out-of-home media, thanks to our 20+ years of experience. If you want to get started, send us an email at 
info@jamvan.com

The Emerging Trend of Experiential Retail

Experiential Marketing

By: Manav Kaur, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

In recent years, we’ve heard about traditional retail’s downfall and the growth of E-commerce. The yearning for retail experiences, on the other hand, is on the rise, with 52 % of millennials stating that experience-related purchases account for the majority of their spending. Brands can provide customers with entertaining, unique and in-person experiences that lift shopping to new heights by focusing on immersive retail experiences.

What exactly is a store’s purpose? Essentially, it’s to provide customers with products and, more significantly, to persuade them to purchase them. However, in recent times, the purpose of a store has been thrown into doubt as start-ups and conventional retailers alike explore experiential retail, which has become the apex of physical retail. Or, to be more specific, a successful experiential retail strategy. The retail sector is focusing on immersive shopping and customer experiences rather than features and advantages. Retailers must provide customers with a fun and engaging retail experience in order to generate sales. The sorts of goods and services that individuals buy online vs at a physical store appear to be becoming clearer.

While most items may now be purchased online, many service-based activities such as dining, fitness, and theatre need in-person interactions (experiences) and are hence better purchased or transacted in person. And, while people may and do buy things like furniture, sporting goods, clothes, and cosmetics online, they typically want to touch, try on, or engage with them before making a purchase. As a result, the word “experiential retail” has become a popular way to characterize the various types of physical retail locations that are thriving and growing in today’s omnichannel retail environment.
Experiential Event Marketing Retail Experience Victoria's Secret

What is experiential retail?
The term “experiential retail” is frequently used, but what exactly does it imply? It’s a kind of retail marketing in which customers who visit a physical store are provided experiences that go beyond the norm. Art (often interactive art), live music, virtual reality, cafés and lounges, performances, activities, and video display walls are some of the amenities available.

What does experiential retail do differently than traditional retail?
1. Creates a unique and memorable experience that can be shared with others.
2. Focuses on customer engagement rather than sales.
3. It stimulates the senses of your consumers.
4. Goes above and beyond consumer expectations.
5. Makes use of in-store activities and services.
6. The retail experience caters to the demands of the customer.

Let’s look at few examples to understand and appreciate experiential retail better-

Huda Beauty: Cosmic experience in Covent Garden

 

 

Sephora’s Mobile Outdoor Beauty Maze
Skateparks by House of Vans

 

Importance and necessity of XM in retail especially in post-covid world

All indicators point to a strong comeback of physical retail after being severely interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are eager to return to stores for more reasons than curbside pickup as stay-at-home orders come to an end; they want to explore and be engaged by distinctive shopping. Pandemic’s online shopping trend has highlighted what ecommerce cannot provide: deep, unforgettable brand experiences.

This is especially important for millennials, who would prefer to spend money on experiences than on products. Brand loyalty has become more difficult to achieve in such a competitive retail environment. It takes at least five transactions for 37% of customers to consider themselves brand loyal, and their prior experience is crucial; 93 % of customers say they will most likely purchase from a brand again if their previous experience was amazing. Consumers will be more likely to go into your store and spend time experiencing what your brand has to offer if you invest in experiential retail. It’s the first step in establishing a long-term relationship with your consumers.

Consumer expectations of retail establishments nowadays aren’t all that different from those of any live event, especially in the aftermath of a pandemic. During the pandemic’s isolation, we were all essentially “out of touch.” People want to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell things first-hand. When used effectively, the senses may completely immerse fans and imprint unforgettable memories that vastly outnumber those available online. People want to reconnect with other consumers who share their enthusiasm for the same brands. Successful, immersive retail experiences are mash-ups of a variety of activities that we all admire.

With so much online searching and shopping now, and so many eCommerce alternatives for customers, the real retail experience must find a balance between transaction and transformation. The idea is to place a greater emphasis on engaging experiences that convert casual visits into brand champions, and advocates into ambassadors, with the expectation that they will all become customers or encourage others in their network.

Brands benefit from experiential retail initiatives because they give a significant point of differentiation. Instead of being solely transactional, the in-store experience adds value by providing customers with inspiration and information about what a retailer can do to assist them accomplish their goals as a customer. If there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s that experiential retail isn’t simply a trend; it’s the way retail will be in the future. The need to wow consumers is increasing as more businesses invest in unique retail experiences.

Are you ready to amaze your customers with experiential retail?

Jam Van is a leading experiential marketing agency that offers specialization in experiential marketing, mobile experiences and out-of-home media, thanks to our 20+ years of experience. If you want to get started, send us an email at info@jamvan.com

The Importance of Influencer Marketing

By: Alison Chiu, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, consumers have slowly moved towards a preference for online commerce. Statistics show that the Gen Z – those between the ages of 16 and 26 – now makes up for 40% of consumers that spend about three hours daily utilizing social media (Kastenholz, 2021). As a result, it shows how digital and online social media platforms have become mainstream for the past year and are a big part of our daily lives. This has also led influencer marketing to make a great impact in the overall social media and marketing strategy for brands. The Influencer Marketing Hub states that the influencer marketing industry will grow to about $13.8 billion this year. It’s expected to continue to grow and reach $15 billion in 2022 (Richel, 2021), which means many more collaborations between brands and influencers will occur in marketing campaigns.

First of all, what is Influencer Marketing? 

It’s when brands collaborate with influencers to promote the brand’s product or service with the goal to increase brand awareness and better target their audience. Influencers have the power to impact their following base’s purchasing decisions, which is why influencer marketing is a great option for brands to consider. Brands are constantly leveraging influencers not limited to only celebrities with a high following count, but also many other types including micro- and nano-influencers, virtual, and gaming influencers. This type of marketing leads to increased brand awareness, increased trust, and increased engagement from the target market.

Experiential Marketing Jam Van

Generate Brand Awareness

As the digital market becomes increasingly competitive, brands have found a different way to compete for consumer attention and generate brand awareness. The production of creative, engaging, and entertaining content greatly helps to reach the brand’s target market. With a memorable and effective marketing campaign, it will help to easily grab their consumers attention. This is where influencer marketing becomes a great part of a marketing strategy as it overcomes the challenges of traditional advertising. Through popular social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it has become one of the main sources of advertising to consumers as they can choose which influencer they want to listen to and trust. When an influencer advertises and promotes a brand to their followers, it helps increase brand awareness as their followers learn about the brand through their trusted source. Through their trust with the influencer they follow, it helps to increase brand awareness as consumers will remember the brand and potentially buy something from them in the near future.

Experiential Marketing Event Toronto Jam Van

Increased Trust

When an influencer promotes and advertises your brand to their followers, this greatly helps their following base develop trust in your brand. This results in increased trust and credibility, which is crucial as brands with increased credibility tend to develop better relationships with their customers. The challenges posed by COVID-19 have brought many people, including influencers to move on from the days of a maintained social media feed and nice photos. As influencers continue to share their more authentic moments and photos through social media, this helps to establish the trust of their followers. People tend to follow certain influencers that they feel like they can relate to, which is why authenticity is important. This helps increase brand awareness the influencer can easily encourage their followers to remember the brand they are advertising for. For instance, when an influencer provides their honest opinion and feedback on the brand’s products, their followers will very likely have more trust in the brand. As a result, it will also help increase the brand’s engagement as the influencer’s followers will likely visit the brand’s social media platforms and engage with their posts.

Experiential Marketing Event Toronto Jamvan

Increased Engagement

Depending on the type of content that the influencers post, it helps to increase the interaction and engagement between the influencer and their following base. Those followers are very likely to visit your brand’s social media accounts and engage with your brand as well. For instance, if your brand were to have a giveaway and have the influencer advertise it, this type of engagement and content will help your brand not only gain interaction, but can later result in greater recognition and revenue. Also, giving the influencer a discount code to advertise to their followers will also help increase brand awareness, engagement, and generated revenue.

Experiential Marketing Event Jamvan

As social media continues to become one of the main ways to connect with customers, there are many methods to promote your brand online. Out of numerous ways, influencer marketing is a critical component of a brand’s marketing campaign and strategy. Through their strong influence over their following base, they can conveniently and effectively deliver the message to help them better understand your brand. Overall, the influencer marketing industry will continue to grow and evolve over the years to better send the message across to potential consumers.  

Interested in learning how influencer marketing can be an integral part of your marketing strategy? Contact us today info@jamvan.com

 

 

Hiring Brand Ambassadors for 2021 Experiential Campaigns – What to Know

Experiential Marketing

By: Anna Vo, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Nowadays, experiences are key when it comes to shopping. Although it is critical for your company to have attractive pop-up ads and social media advertising ready to reach a larger audience, you should also consider how to convert these customers into sales leads by elevating their shopping experience.

Experiential marketing is slowly recovering to its full potential, activations are already seeing a rise, especially in the US, for brands wanting to increase awareness as soon as possible.

And guess who plays an important role in enhancing brand experiences? Brand Ambassadors (aka. Influencers).

So, who are brand ambassadors?

When it comes to generating consumer interest in brands’ products, brand ambassadors are chosen to represent it and spread the word on social media or through face-to-face experiential marketing. They contribute to giving positive reviews, recommending, and generating content that helps promote your products to their followers.

But how should you invest in the right brand ambassadors (B.A.s) for your brand? Here are the top 4 things that you need to know when hiring B.A.s for your next experiential campaign in 2021.

Experiential Marketing Brand Ambassador

1.      Outline your goals for choosing the brand ambassadors

In your campaign, choosing the right brand ambassadors that understand and match your products’ identity is key in bringing your brand closer to the audience. Ask yourself, “What do you aim to achieve with ambassador marketing strategies?”.

Setting clear goals is important for outlining how you want your brand to create impressions through the ambassadors’ influence. The objectives should tie in with the overall development strategies of your brand, whether it’s to covert more sales, generate brand awareness, or spark a conversation in the community.

 

2.      Authenticity comes with proven value-driven content

Remember Joy Mangano from the movie Joy with Jennifer Lawrence? If you’re a fan, then you should know this scene where Joy decided to step up and take over the on-air television selling channel and introduced the mop she created herself. Why? Because she knew that only she at the time could show the audience authentically how the product worked.

It’s easy to bypass the authenticity factor when hiring brand ambassadors. In an experiential marketing environment, it’s not just about having a good-looking appearance anymore, it’s becoming what educational and entertaining values they can bring to the table while communicating with their audience and followers.

Brand ambassadors can be active on social media with up to thousands of likes and engagement rates. But you should ask yourself, “If they are to promote my product in person, would I buy from them?”. The ideal candidates for your product should be the ones who can represent your brand’s voice and create the value-driven appeal that their audience relates to.

According to stats, more than 70% of users are likely to purchase a product after seeing the authentic content shared by “normal” people. Although B.A.s are paid to promote their products positively, audiences still prefer those moments where they can see how the actual products can be beneficial to them in real-life. The last thing you would want from a brand ambassador is not knowing how your product works and how it can deliver the right message to the audience.

Experiential Marketing Brand Ambassador Jam Van

3.    Personality, professionalism, and communications skills are important

Even in the digital landscape, brand ambassadors should be able to showcase their unique personalities and the skills to capture people’s attention with words. Excellent communication skills stand out as the top priority for any B.A. who wants to pass the test. It should also be in recruiters’ minds when assessing how the people they choose fit their campaigns.

At Jam Van, for any experiential campaigns to be executed, it’s important that we choose someone with proven sales or customer service experience as they know the best practices when it comes to communication. In various scenarios from face-to-face interactions, product shoutouts to giving out instructions, it’s essential that a B.A. knows that they are doing their best but still staying relevant by giving out helpful product-related information.

4.    Drive Diversity in Brand Ambassadorship

Inclusion and Diversity are two of the biggest contributing factors and are considered a yes-no requirement by people to decide whether to become a loyal customer or not. According to Heat Test Report, brands that possess the highest diversity scores see up to 83% higher consumer preference.

We as consumers all love connecting with someone in our same situation and background, someone who is close to understanding our needs in choosing the best products to our preferences. For brands to succeed with their diverse marketing tactics in mind for experiential campaigns, diversity should mean highlighting people of all races, cultural backgrounds, social classes, sexual orientations, and more.

It helps the brand to not only build long-term connections with their customers but also stand out as a brand that is inclusive of all.

Experiential Marketing Jam Van

 

Want to know how we choose the right Brand Ambassadors for your brand? Give us a call at 416-203-2375 or email us today!

Top 3 Trends for the Future of Experiential Marketing

Future of Experiential Marketing

By Nguyen Tram Anh Vo – Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Experiential marketing is a promotional strategy that involves brands making face-to-face contact with their customers at events such as conferences, trade shows, festivals, seminars, and so much more. In order to succeed, event marketers of the future must stay on top of the event marketing game and update the latest trends to customers’ preference to maximize engagement and connection.

Although COVID-19 has left event marketers with difficulties over the past year, most have witnessed the tremendous shift in the trends of organizing and running an event in a digital or virtual landscape. However, while we may not go back to pre-pandemic environment of conferences and trade shows in exactly the same way as before, the opportunity of having face-to-face events isn’t going to be disrupted anytime soon.

That’s why, there’s still a great deal for events (even hybrid ones) to be used and developed potentially by many brands. Below are my top three predictions for the future of experiential marketing.

 

Trends Experiential Marketing Toronto
Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

#1 – Hybrid Events

As Covid-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out and many more consumers start to return to their normal lives, it’s understandable to see a new form of hybrid events evolving in which in-person and online platforms are combined. In the past year, COVID-19 has rattled in-person events and even shifted some of the biggest conferences to a virtual stage.

From this, we were able to witness the transformation of events in which digital livestreaming platforms were used to deliver high-quality and engaging activities to the online audience. From business summit events to awards gala all over the world, we saw a huge surge in users of Twitch, WebEx, social media Live, Vimeo, and Zoom, recognized as the best video conferencing video app.

Along with Zoom panels, chatboxes, and pre-recorded fireside chats, in-person gathering activities will continue to be important components that can effectively attract customers in the future. Relationship building and interactive connections are difficult to replicate. As a result, event marketers will need to up their game when it comes to creating compelling and safe experiences that audiences want to attend.

Trends Marketing Experiential
Photo by Teemu Paananen on Unsplash

#2 – Interactive Events with High-Tech Components

To effectively elevate event experience, brands should consider current virtual technology that can keep the audience engaged. With the ongoing situation of COVID-19 and the new adoption of hybrid events, it is predictable that businesses will look for at-home-friendly social media filters or virtual stages that can still provide the same appeal as if they were offline.

It is not a new concept to incorporate 3D technology and make it a part of experiential events, particularly in the automotive and fashion industries. For example, in the context of NYFW21, to improve the quality of the fashion show in the COVID-19 context, a mannequin was dressed in Rebecca Minkoff’s designs and through the use of VR, popped up inside the users’ home. The viewers were freely able to move around the model and get a 360-degree view of the looks attached with a shoppable link while Minkoff was presenting.

Aside from 3D events, the trend of sending event kits /vox boxes to audience members’ homes as part of igniting branded and user-generated content is also popular. They can be used as gifts for influencers and brand ambassadors when they join as well as attracting followers to the brands with which they collaborate. These sampling boxes are also a great way to encourage user- generated content.

Mobile Experiential Marketing Trends Toronto LCBO
Photo by Jam Van, LCBO Mobile Winery Tour

#3 – Pop-Up Activations

Many people expect pop-up events to provide an immersive and exciting experience for event attendees in the future. Many brands, from brick-and-mortar stores to small businesses, are considering using this type of experience to better attract customers.

Pop-up shops may be combined with various exhibition concepts in the future to improve the overall aesthetic of the events. Pop-up events can be customized to become Instagrammable spaces where the audience can actively interact.

Womanish, for example, is a pop-up art experience that transforms women’s empowerment into an Instagrammable moment. Opening at the end of June, the event aims to raise awareness about important issues such as the pink tax, the gender pay gap, and mental health through photo-worthy rooms and exhibits.

Pop-Up Shops are useful when a brand does not need to build a store. It is not only cost effective for the marketing budget, but it is also a worthwhile investment. Furthermore, it is recommended for businesses to market a pop-up shop around holidays or during a sale to ensure that consumers spend on potential products. Mobile pop-up shops are also a great option, allowing the mobile store or exhibit to go wherever consumers are. This allows a level of flexibility not afforded in a stationary shop. As long as it is a physical location where customers can customize and enjoy taking photos to post on social media, it can increase sales and brand impressions exponentially.

Experiential Marketing Toronto Trends Mobile Tour
Photo By Jam Van, Maybelline Baby Lips Activation

Ready to wow your audience with experiential marketing?

Jam Van is a leading experiential marketing agency that offers specialization in mobile experiences, experiential marketing and out-of-home media, thanks to our 20 years of experience. If you’re looking to get the ball rolling, give us a call at 416-203-2375 or email us info@jamvan.com

 

What Will Experiential Marketing Look Like Post-COVID19?

Experiential Marketing; Jam Van

By Alison Chiu

 

Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, experiential marketing industry has been greatly affected. However, this has helped brands to recognize the importance of bringing and connecting people together, whether it be in socially distanced groups, virtual, or through hybrid experiences. The advancement of technology has evolved and changed to adapt to the current state of the world. People and brands learned to embrace at-home experiences as the lockdown kept everyone indoors. This leads to the importance of customer interactivity and brands having to figure out how to reach their target market during the difficult time.

Experiential Marketing

1) Technology

Since March 2020, virtual experiences online have come a long way to adapt to the global pandemic. Over time, the technology used to capture these online experiences will continue to improve and become more advanced and immersive. Technology, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, will continue to become more advanced and won’t be reserved for just music performances or keynote presentations. These types of technology currently have high demand and we will see them become more accessible and used widely from now on.

Experiential Marketing

Virtual reality is a strong alternative to video calls, as it has the ability to make people feel like they’re in the same space together without the need to travel. It has also opened doors for marketing where it allows consumers to receive an immersive brand experience. These kinds of campaigns promoted through social media platforms are proven to be successful for increasing brand awareness, especially when there is no tangible product involved. By allowing people to experience a similar feeling to face-to-face contact through virtual reality, it shows the importance of human connection and this is what the pandemic took away from many people. When brands find ways to create engagement and interaction through that connection and use of technology, it will be a successful experiential marketing campaign that draws the target audience’s attention.

2) At-Home Experiences

The pandemic has greatly affected everyone who had to stay home and many brands/industries who are very used to creating out-of-home experiences. Companies had to quickly adapt to executing live virtual conferences and events to reach their target audience. These at-home experiences will continue to improve over time as consumers have experienced memorable virtual events right in the comfort of their homes. Brands have learned and understood that direct connection through virtual brand experiences is still possible without in-person events. By being able to add to your consumers’ lives, especially during these uncertain times, they will highly appreciate customized and memorable brand experiences at home.

Experiential Marketing

A way that brands have decided to create a branded experience for consumers at home is to release recipes for their food products. For instance, Hilton DoubleTree released the recipe for their iconic chocolate chip cookies. The direct-to-home approach is an impactful brand experience that is enjoyed on the individual’s own terms as they can decide when to make the cookies and even alter the recipe to their liking. This is a great way to allow an individual to create a personal and memorable baking experience, as it keeps them feeling occupied, whether they are good bakers or not. As there are many strong segmentation tools available to utilize, it shows that it is highly effective to target direct-to-home branded experience for their target market.

3) Importance of Consumer Interactivity

Brands have also learned about the importance of attendee interactivity during virtual live events. Live chats, real-time networking, and polling are some of the important ways to allow attendees to feel engaged and connected with the virtual event. As gaming usage and viewership has spiked drastically during the pandemic, brands will continue to find ways to embrace and apply e-sports and gamification to enhance their audience’s experience. For instance, virtual e-sports events featuring games like Fortnite and League of Legends have been very popular with the virtual and gamer interaction. Brands can choose to sponsor these types of virtual events to bring in more engagement from viewers and consumers.

Experiential Marketing

Overall, as we slowly adapt to a post-pandemic world, you can expect to see experiential marketing to include a mix of virtual and live event experiences. As we already see that a lot of different and new technology can be utilized to create a memorable virtual experience, this will rapidly grow and become more complex. Brands will continue to develop creative ways to combine elements of in-person and virtual experiences to connect with their consumers. This ultimately demonstrates that hybrid events will eventually become the new way of experiential marketing.

Are you interested to learn how these new technologies and experiences can connect your brand with your consumer? Give us a call at 416-203-2375 or email us info@jamvan.com

References:

https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2020/04/10/Hilton-DoubleTree-releases-recipe-for-iconic-chocolate-chip-cookies-to-help-home-bakers-beat-coronavirus-blues

Want to Promote Your Brand? Choose Experiential!

experiential, marketing, audi, mobile, popup, promotion, brand ambassador, automobile, car promo

Why are more and more companies choosing experiential? The lure behind the choice for experiential marketing as the ideal marketing strategy is the immersive and engaging nature of its campaigns. It is important we understand what is meant in detail by experiential marketing and how it differs from traditional marketing. Experiential marketing is sometimes used interchangeably with “live marketing” or “mobile marketing” and makes use of branded experience such as an event, as part of an event, parties, or mobile popup activations that may not necessarily be tied to any event to create lasting positive brand impressions.

There is no one right way to approach experiential marketing but the end game is to ensure that whatever strategy that is chosen, is one that creates engagement and live immersive experiences for the consumers.

experiential, marketing, mobile, promotion, truck, brand ambassador, sampling, food
Smilin’ and Samplin’ for Sugar-crisp!

Some of the benefits of using experiential marketing to get your brand includes but is not limited to the following;

  1. Humanizing your brand: Experiential marketing can help to give a human face to your brand or sponsor’s brand. With experiential marketing strategies, you create an immersive and lasting experience for the consumers while creating a positive brand impression. An immersive experience paired with social content in a great location can create a lasting impression and help amplify your efforts across different social media channels. Using this form of marketing allows for direct interaction between the business and its fan base, creating lasting experience and increased knowledge.
  2. Brand awareness: This is very important and particularly true for new brands or brands making market entry. Using experiential marketing strategies, there is a limitless opportunity to sway the minds and hearts of consumers towards patronizing your brand by creating engaging touch points that leave lasting memories. And when nearly 70% of buying experiences are based on how customers feel about a brand this becomes vital.
  3. Increased Social Expressions: You and I are aware of the power of social media to driving brand awareness. Experiential marketing is immersive and usually involves photo opportunities which helps the conversation to continue online, there is a marked increase in social awareness of brands that partake in such events. The more marketing efforts made during the event, the better the publicity for the brand.
  4. Increase sales: Experiential marketing when done right, translates to increased sales and business for the brand. Evidently, the more a business is known, the more likely it is to see better patronage.

Experiential marketing may not be “a one size fit all” but it is a sure way to gain consumer attention and increase brand awareness.

To find out how Jam Van can help you add an experiential element to your next campaign and put a smile on your face, reach out to us at 416-203-2375 or email info@jamvan.com

experiential, marketing, portable, streets, toronto, victoria's secret, popup, sampling
Hot Cocoa to warm you up on a cold day with Victoria’s Secret. (Toronto, ON)

How a Brazilian Girl Ended Up In Experiential Marketing In Toronto

By: Elisa Nolli, Marketing Co-op Student

Marketing is not only selling or delivering a product, it is far more than that. According to Dr. Philip Kotler, an American marketing author, consultant, professor and also known as “The Father of Modern Marketing”; marketing can be defined as “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit.  Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. It defines, measures, and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs and promotes the appropriate products and services.”

My first experience dealing with marketing was at university, in Brazil, where I had two important subjects, “International Marketing” and “International Market Analysis”. I was able to learn that if a company wants to succeed, its marketing department is crucial to lead it to the top.  This division is in charge of not just to promote the product or service, but also to analyze the environment needs, political situations, if the product/service needs adjustment, potential markets and even other issues that could interfere in the company’s management. Likewise, it is responsible for promoting and representing the business of the organization, coordinating and producing every promoting material from the company, expanding the customers/investors catalogue and also producing a positive view of the brand. In other words, the marketing department plays a vital role in the company.

cineplex, popcorn, food, experiential, mobile, sampling, world popcorn day
I was asked to chose my favourite photos to add to my blog. First up, I choose this photo because I really like the sunlight in the background of the photo which really highlights the brand. (Cineplex World Popcorn Day January 2018)

Once I got my degree in International Relations, my country was passing through a tumultuous economic and political situation. Some politicians and businessmen from multinational companies were arrested, the President suffered impeachment and all these events culminated in the increase price of products, taxes and rates. Due to this, most companies were not hiring new employees and instead were firing their employees in order to preserve their savings. In this way, myself, as a recent graduate, decided that studying abroad would be a unique experience to improve and qualify my knowledge and skills while my country was experiencing an unfavorable scenario in economic and politics terms.

After analyzing pros and cons of some countries and their study/work programs, my family and I decided that coming to Toronto would be the right choice to make. Canada is the second-best country in the world to live in, the safety rates are extremely high, and the study program was compatible with my desires and expectations. Here, I started a co-op course in “International Business Management” where I studied marketing such as its concepts, strategies, marketing mix (product, place, price and promotion); international business; Canadian law; human resources and the Canadian environment workplace.

Meanwhile, I volunteered at the Brazil Canada Chamber of Commerce and at a business consulting business called Mandala Group. In both places, I had the opportunity to practice what I studied at the university in Brazil and college here in Canada: I helped in planning and organizing some of their marketing events, provided marketing research such as looking for suppliers / clients / competitors, supported the negotiation among Brazilian and Canadian companies and governments on health / mining / education / technology; and assisted in bilingual receptions for senior executives doing business between both countries.

TIFF, kids, film festival, toronto, mobile, brand ambassadors,
I chose this photo because I loved the interaction between the Brand Ambassador and the consumers. It shows their happiness and engagement with the activation. (TIFF Kids Family Day 2018, Toronto)

As part of the course, I am now a co-op student at Jam Van Inc.; a national, award winning, experiential marketing agency that pioneered mobile experiences in Canada which is now expanding its boundaries in the marketing role. The company’s knowhow is in experiential marketing activations and with its well qualified employees and brand ambassador staffing, is one of the top experiential marketing agencies in Canada. The promotional vehicles can rapidly pop up and are always the hit of the event.

The experience of being an intern at Jam Van Inc. is certainly challenging and taking me out of my comfort zone. Apart from the language, everything is new and different for me. Working just with Canadians; fighting against my shyness; writing and speaking in English, which is not my native language, all day long, is not easy for an exchange student. However, I am lucky to have an understanding team which is patient enough to comprehend that, in the beginning, I might have some limitations. I am absolutely sure that during my time at Jam Van Inc. I will develop my marketing and management skills, learn with and from my colleagues besides creating memories that will last forever and worth all the effort of being alone in a different country.

If you want to chat more about the work we do at Jam Van or even about how my international experience is going, reach out to us at 416-203-2375 or email info@jamvan.com