Some of the best marketing brings a fresh experience to your customers.
A movie theater in Austin has taken this to a new level. Sea level, to be exact. Instead of your typical promotions, they go out of the way to bring jaw-gripping experiences to their audience.
Sell experiences, not stuff
This summer, The Alamo Drafthouse presented Jaws on the Water. They showed the movie at the Texas Ski Ranch that had a great venue including a lake. They invited movie goers to watch the movie while floating on a tube in the lake as the movie was projected on the big screen. I don’t know if they offered waterproof popcorn.
This company understands marketing.
They have a very clear attitude to bring something special to their movie showings. Yes, they own conventional theatres but their experiential approach to marketing is stellar. They understand that they need to sell experiences, not stuff if they want the community talking about them.
What does your business do that could be part of an experience?
If you are just offering 10% off on Tuesday, it is easy for competitors to copy. Still giving away a toaster to every new customer? Seriously? You need to find a way to bring what you do and blend it into a special event that customers will want to share and brag about online.
CLIPS IN THE PARK: Imagine a barbershop taking haircuts to a beautiful park on a Sunday. Haircuts in the sunshine – partner with a non-profit who has a lemon stand fundraiser with kids tending the little stores. Bring a friend who owns a nail salon so customers can enjoy a sprucing up in the great outdoors.
DOWNHILL BOWLING: Imagine a bowling alley bringing creating an event where to the steepest hill in the county. Get life size bowling pins created. Hire a band. Get a BBQ partners and creating a one-of-a-kind event that gives customers a connection that strikes a chord. Do something that your competitors will have a hard time duplicating.
SCHNAUZERS AND SENIORS: Imagine a dog kennel that brings some puppies to a senior citizen home. Invite the news media and do it on a day when grandchildren are around. The kennel develops a special experience for the community and everyone will want to post pictures on Instagram.
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How Coca-Cola sells a Moment of Happiness.
Even large companies need to think about experiences too. Coke created an extraordinary project (Small World Machine) where they put soft-drink vending machines in India and Pakistan to try and bridge the gap between those two communities. This experience of buying a coke for someone in another country who is considered an enemy is sheer brilliance. The focus is on bringing consumer a unique experience unlike anything they can image. Watch the video to learn more about this idea.
It’s the Experience, Stupid!
Whether you sell pipe insulation, financial services or rubber bands, marketing experiences can elevate your brand so that your customers will talk about you. Sharing your story is the goal. Getting word of mouth to spread throughout a community is the key. You must give customers an experience to talk about that they will share with other potential customers for your business.
Come on. You can do better than a 10% discount.
Needs some ideas to bring fresh experiences to your clients. Click her to set up time to talk.
Hat tip to Andy Sernovitz for info on this event and his great blog post “Damn I wish I’s Thought of That. http://damniwish.com/
