FOCUS - READER'S DIGEST SUPERBRANDS SEMINAR: Experiential advertising gaining in importance

<p>First there was what is now called traditional advertising, </p><p>consisting of print, television, radio and outdoor. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Then, agencies had to add in the interactive elements with all the </p><p>complexities associated with that. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And, if that wasn't enough, there is now something else to think about </p><p>in strategy and planning meetings: experiential advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The concept - creating advertising that points to a memorable moment and </p><p>then producing that special time for the customer - is not new, but it </p><p>appears that it is rapidly gaining in importance because there are so </p><p>many similar brands in the marketplace with similar prices and benefits </p><p>that the average person has difficulty telling them apart. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Speaking at the Reader's Digest SuperBrands seminar in Singapore, Mr Han </p><p>van Dijk, the head of strategy at Orange Brand Visions, said that from </p><p>now on, leading edge companies would find that the next competitive </p><p>battleground lies in staging experiences. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He described an 'experience' as occurring when a company intentionally </p><p>used service as the stage and goods as props to engage individual </p><p>consumers in a way that creates truly memorable moments. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr van Dijk cited Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic as an example. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"You get picked up from your hotel by a Range Rover; driven to the </p><p>terminal with express check-in, after which you're whisked into the </p><p>Clubhouse, the Virgin Lounge, complete with a video games arcade. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"On board, you find that the whole middle row of seats have been </p><p>replaced by a standing bar in the front cabin and by two lazy couches in </p><p>the second cabin, where you can have a manicure and a massage," Mr van </p><p>Dijk said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said most retailers cannot provide the experience because they just </p><p>put out on display rows and rows of merchandise. They should learn some </p><p>lessons from outlets such as Niketowns, he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Nike is almost in the experience business. This is almost where the </p><p>athletes live, breathe, work out and perform. The whole experience in a </p><p>Niketown is so close to what the brand stands for - athleticism," Mr van </p><p>Dijk said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The changing business and societal worlds, brought on by the mass media </p><p>and accelerated by the Internet has caused a change in mindsets; the old </p><p>consumer, for instance, is synchronised, conformist and less involved </p><p>and informed compared with the new consumer, who is individual, </p><p>independent, involved and well informed. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Greg Paull, managing director of Ammirati Puris Lintas Singapore, </p><p>said the importance of experiential advertising was underlined by the </p><p>Internet where consumers can compare products, services and prices with </p><p>effortless ease. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Simply having a product list and prices with fancy graphics no longer </p><p>cuts it, because today's Web-savvy consumers don't want to be talked to, </p><p>they want to be part of the dialogue." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said that building in a channel for dialogue gives all businesses a </p><p>greater chance to establish long-term customer relationship. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Dialogue can come in the form of on-line games, clubs and other </p><p>activities. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It can also be about providing tips related to products being sold or </p><p>offering the latest TVCs on demand to show consumers how they can enjoy </p><p>and receive benefit from a product. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This is effective in building repeat visits because it creates a sense </p><p>of anticipation of new things that will be incorporated into a website </p><p>in the future," Mr Paull said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Keeping in mind that the Internet is the only interactive platform for </p><p>one-to-one marketing, Mr Paull said that websites have to give consumers </p><p>a greater sense of pleasure, learning and fun. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"If you do none of the above your potential consumer will never come </p><p>back after the first visit." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>