The Blog

What can we learn from the most loved brands in the world?

What is Brand Love?

Given so many options, why will customers choose you?

The most loved brands in the world have so many things in common. They give customers satisfaction, and value, and never fail to establish a relationship with them. This technique has garnered customers who are brand-loving and turned them into loyal supporters or influencers.

“My day is incomplete without my McCafé.”

Some may find it ridiculous when they hear it, but we can’t blame the person for how that cup makes them feel (devoted, comfortable, dependable). Some may ask, “All that from just a cup of coffee?!”. Yes, and the same goes for a person’s love for MAC lipstick, or Starbucks coffee.

People don’t simply consume or interact with brands; they engage in relationships with them as well. [1]

Brand Love x Experiential Marketing

We’ve come to know that the most loved brands in the world didn’t just come to be without making huge marketing efforts to do so. One of the notable efforts is experiential marketing – a marketing strategy that never grows old but just continues to evolve over time.

Below are some case studies that explain how this marketing strategy has benefitted these well-loved brands.

Nike

According to Forbes, an average person sees about 4,000 – 10,000 ads every single day. And for this reason, they start to become more mindful of the ads they engage in and block what they don’t need or personally don’t connect with. [2] Nike is one of the well-known brands that has cut spending in traditional advertising (commercial TV ads) by about 40% even though their campaign budget has steadily driven upward. What Nike has been investing in is advertising through experience. No longer do they completely rely on superstars to move a product but rather invest more in experiential marketing and interactive means. [3] In fact, one of the most memorable experiences Nike has created was installing a giant ‘footprint’ in the highly congested areas of Manila and Singapore instead of opting for a spot for TV commercials. This was when the brand promoted the LunarEpic sneaker. To enhance the shoe experience, Nike has created a stadium that was meant to drive runners out of their comfort zone. They designed a LED running track in the shape of the LunarEpic sneaker’s shoeprint which surrounded an entire block inside the city. It was a 200-metre track with LED panels that after the first lap, the runners’ personal avatars were created. Runners can then race themselves, set their own speed, or utilise the avatar to push themselves as they come on screen. [4]

It is such a job well done. Nike’s message will live on with consumers when they buy new shoes or athletic clothing because of the experience and the engagement it fostered. It also supports the perception that Nike is the greatest option in sports apparel for people who already use it. The success of Nike’s marketing experience will also be seen in the company’s sales. [4]

Universal Studios

Let’s take a look at one example. ‘The Mummy’, a film by Universal Studios.

Surely, you’ve heard or at one point seen the movie ‘The Mummy’. The Mummy movie franchise first appeared in 1932 with many more that came after that. In 2017, the film once again rises with the help of experiential marketing. Universal Studios promoted The Mummy with a pop-up VR experience in addition to the usual trailer reveals and talk shows.

The movie franchise that appeared in 2017 stars actor Tom Cruise. We all know that Tom Cruise does his own stunt and encourages his co-stars to do so too. Because Universal Studios wanted the fans to experience the stunt and get them excited about it, a remarkable scene from the movie where Tom Cruise and Anabelle Wallis were tossed out from the plane where they plummeted in high speed (because it was shot in a reduced gravity aircraft), was experienced by fans thanks to the 360 degrees behind the scenes view from The Mummy Zero Gravity Stunt VR Experience. [5] All their marketing efforts have paid off and finally hit it with the global box office at $400 million USD.

Google

In 2019, Google made noise once again when they installed a playground called The Ride outside the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Central Plaza for the CES 2019. It was the talk of the show and got the attendees’ attention because they were all looking up with their phones out taking pictures. Some people were saying that it was like Disneyland. There were also friendly Google Guides who greeted and offered a tour of the place. [6] Google’s installation of The Ride was a success considering everyone’s reaction. It was a sure winner in terms of talking about ‘visibility’. ?

Experiential Marketing x Black Diamond

Putting up an event, pop-up, or exhibit already requires a lot of time and effort. Most of your time goes into organising, site visits, and organising suppliers, not to mention the need for hiring staff to execute the campaign.

Gone is the time when you need to worry about hiring staff because these days everything can be outsourced. This saves you time and money and allows experts to manage different aspects of the whole campaign.

Placing your confidence in Black Diamond Agency’s promotional staffing services will take away the hassle of organising staff yourself. We have over 500 people you can choose from – the best in the industry.

Are you ready for the Black Diamond experience? Call us on (02) 8319 5544 or send us a message, today! Black Diamond Agency offers promotional staffing Australia-wide.