In today’s patient-centric era, it’s critical for healthcare marketers to create authentic connections with their customers. One of the most effective ways to accomplish that is through experiential marketing (XM).Also known as event marketing or experience marketing, XM is a nontraditional approach that builds direct connections with customers. It’s all about creating a memorable event or experience that sticks with your audience and boosts brand loyalty.
In an Adweek article, Bryan Icenhower, president of WME, IMG’s experiential agency IMG Live, said, “What takes traditional advertising weeks, months or years to do, we can do in a moment.”
IMG Live has worked with major brands like Marriott, Subway and Budweiser. “Experiential is a uniquely fast and effective way to build brand awareness through one-to-one connections with consumers,” Icenhower pointed out. “It engages all five senses, sparking emotions that form lasting memories which have been shown to drive brand loyalty.”
Impactful Impressions
To support the launch of its Hypervenom 3 football boot, Nike sponsored an XM event called Nike Strike Night campaign. As part of the event, Nike invited the best strikers from all across Europe to compete against each other.
While only 400 people were able to experience this event in person, the campaign spread like wildfire across Facebook Live and other social media platforms. In total, Nike Strike Night generated over 700 million impressions.
During Advertising Week in New York last fall, Mastercard introduced its own experiential campaign: A new virtual reality e-commerce experience with Swarovski. Using a VR headset, consumers can see what Swarovski chandeliers look like in various spaces. The customer can then purchase a chandelier directly through the headset using Mastercard’s Masterpass.
Considering these and countless other success stores, it’s no wonder why companies are shifting dollars from traditional marketing to XM campaigns. In fact, one in three CMOs is expected to allocate between 21 and 50 percent of their budget to brand experience marketing over the next three to five years, according to the Freeman Global Brand Experience Study by Freeman and SSI.
Healthcare Experiences
Consumer brands across the globe are making waves with XM campaigns. Why couldn’t healthcare companies do the same? I believe experiential marketing is the ideal solution for hospitals and other healthcare companies looking to create meaningful connections with patients.
As healthcare marketers, we face the unique challenge of having to communicate complex information in a compelling way to consumers. It can be difficult to achieve this through traditional marketing strategies. However, experiential marketing would allow hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers to engage in one-on-one conversations and experiences with patients.
Plus, XM also has the power to transform boring healthcare messages into an interactive event. Case in point: A few years ago, toothpaste brand Sensodyne hosted an event in London. During the event, guests could play games and experiment with new products before meeting privately with a dentist for a consultation. This allowed consumers to learn more about their oral health in an entertaining environment.
In other words, Sensodyne educated and engaged consumers without boring them. It’s about time for other healthcare brands to follow their lead.
Ready to explore the power of experiential marketing? IHM can help! Contact us today for more information.