Marketing the Experience of the Brand

It's not enough to market a good product or a brand. Today, more firms are marketing the experience of the brand. This is a positive way to make the brand tangible and memorable through a specific experience. It's also a way to generate word of mouth and social media mentions as visitors post selfies or comments about their experience of the brand.

Hershey, known for its Kisses and other chocolate treats, already operates the Hershey's Chocolate World theme park in Pennsylvania, offering the "sweetest feeling of pure happiness." It also has a new store, Hershey's Chocolate World, just opening in New York City's touristy Times Square. The company planned three distinct candy aromas for those who step inside. According to an executive, "we wanted it to be highly experiential so it becomes part of the family's narrative and storytelling when they talk about their adventure in New York."

At the retail level, brands are upping their game by adding to the atmospherics and offering unique experiences to encourage engagement and, well, sales. Brands that do this particularly well in retailing are LEGO and Disney, among others.

LEGO House recently opened in the company's HQ city of Billund, Denmark, attracting fans of the iconic plastic building block. Some exhibits in this sprawling building require paid admission, other areas are free. "All activities in the house are related to our LEGO philosophy that learning through play promotes innovation and creativity," states LEGO House's CEO. It's a unique way to enhance the experience of the brand beyond a typical retail environment.

Neuroscience Helps Advertisers Connect with Audiences

Neuroscience research is helping advertisers determine what catches the audience's attention, what people remember and why, what tugs at their heart strings and what makes them yawn.

For example:

• Print ads can stick in the memory because of the involvement in recognizing, comprehending, and processing words and symbols.
• Ads with emotional content are much more effective than those without.
• Ads embedded in mobile entertainment shouldn't interrupt the game before an important play.
• Ad content should connect with the audience's objectives.

At top, an example of what can make an ad engaging and memorable. It engages at multiple levels, as the audience sees the unusual image of a fashionable, fully-dressed woman in an updated version of the old-fashioned bathtub (notice the red swan instead of the usual yellow duckie in the bubble bath). The words are also engaging--few ads use language like "old lady." If you recognize this fashion plate "old lady," you'll really get the comparison. Even if you don't, you'll smile and be intrigued by the image, the words, and the comparison.

The store is Pirch, and the "old lady" is Iris Apfel, known for her distinctive sense of style. The CMO says, "We looked at this campaign from the approach of explaining and establishing Pirch as a lifestyle, experiential brand." An interesting ad that puts a different spin on "experiential" to attract attention.