Is it easy to sell your products and services? No matter how established your brand is or how popular your mobile app is, you won’t deny that it has become tough to market your brand (and app). The competition is rising. More and more new brands are emerging – grabbing the attention of your target audience and leaving you with a handful of audience. The challenges to engage the audience and keep them stuck to your mobile application are growing exponentially.
In such a scenario, it is imperative to go beyond billboards and traditional advertising methods. You have to target the emotional side of the consumers. You have to add numerous other marketing tactics into your mobile app development process that make them emotionally connected with your brand. In other words, you have to focus on Experiential marketing.
Experiential Marketing
As depicted by the name, the Experiential marketing is a marketing tactic where you focus on creating a memorable experience for the end user. You work on building a closer bond between the customers and your brand. You strive to stir positive emotions within the target audience for your brand. You invest in the activities that involve user participation and prompt them to associate your product/services with their daily needs.
Wondering if it works? Is it a profitable practice? While several brands have tried implementing this approach into their process, the best examples in the market are:
Use Cases of Experiential Marketing
- Zappos: “Google Cupcake Ambush”
To boost awareness about its new photo application, Google took a cupcake truck on the streets of Austin (Texas). People were allowed to have their favorite cupcake, but they were supposed to share a photo taken with their app instead of currency. The outcome is that hundreds of people downloaded the app and loved it.
- Blinkbox: “Game of Thrones”
The UK movie and TV streaming service, Blinkbox placed a dragon’s skull on a beach to create a hype at the time of the release of the third series of Games of Thrones. The skull, with the size of a bus, gained the attention of a lot many people and presses which made the idea successfully. On the day of the launch, the company achieved a 632% increase in revenue compared to that scored last year.
- Volkswagen: “Piano StairCase”
Volkswagen, a reputed car company, tried something beyond the premises of the automotive industry to engage its customers. The company created a concept, “The Fun Theory” to add a pinch of fun to the customer experience. The team created a “piano” stairs next to the escalator in a subway stop in Germany, which prompted the commuters to prefer stair over the escalator. As a result, 66% of people chose stairs over the other medium.
The basic concept behind this tactic was to test how associating your brand with emotions can help you win over them.
- Royal Caribbean: “Virtual Balcony”
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines created a digitally-powered “Virtual balconies” on their “Quantum of the Seas’ ship. The balconies give each stateroom a real-time live-streamed sea view, along with the guardrail to ensure that their passengers could have an incredible travel experience.
- City Social: “AR bar experience”
City Social, a bar in London city, introduced AR to the bar experience. The users were encouraged to use their mobile app and see AR characters dancing and playing music around the drink coaster. The idea was exciting and helped them to advertise their drink section.
Seems interesting? Wish to give this app marketing tactic a try? While mobile tours, pop-up experiences and other marketing campaigns mentioned above might seem expensive and time-consuming, you can easily win the hearts of your target audience with the following app promotion tactics:
Ways to Market Your Mobile App with Experiential Marketing Tactics
- Invest in AR/VR Promotion
AR/VR technology holds a profitable deal for the mobile app development experts. The technology helps them to let their target user base understand the functionality of the app without even downloading it on their devices. This will empower them to enjoy something they couldn’t get without downloading the application before and help them experience this as many times as they want. In addition to this, it will also boost the user traction and make people stick to your brand.
- Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing is yet another great method that mobile app development experts can employ to enhance the customer experience. By posting ‘behind the scene’ videos, crispy content, screenshots, hashtags, and hosting other activities like polls, contests, etc., you can make the end users participate in this type of marketing and encourage them to try and share.
- Live Video Streaming
With live video streaming, the brands can empower their customers to experience the products/services in real-time. This engages the end users, boost the customer relationships and enable them to communicate with the brand easily. Besides, displaying a live video coverage, you can also host an “ask me anything” event.
- Video Marketing
The main mantra to rule the minds of your customers is to let them know that you are familiar with their pain points and wish to help them. And this is what video marketing can do.
By sharing how-to tutorials, explanatory videos, and other video content, the mobile app experts can let the customers relate their product/services with the customer’s daily chores. And this way, encourage them to integrate with the brand and its services.
Now, as you are well-versed with the what, why, and how associated with Experiential marketing, plan your next step wisely. Put your efforts into this practice and leverage higher benefits.