Experiential Branding
-
Upload
sarah-allanson -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Experiential Branding
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
1
Brand Experience
See me, hear me, touch me, smell me and taste me
There are various types of connections that brands can have with their consumers –
some very rational while others can be extremely emotional. All organisations are
aiming to achieve a common goal, that is, how best to serve the people who
purchase their products and services. These people are the reason why brands are
constantly undergoing improvements to help maintain and revive their relationships
with customers.
The public can be true advocates of any brand, the power of word of mouth has now
moved online, thanks to blogs and social networks. This is known as buzz
marketing. It is becoming more and more apparent that brands have to build
relationships with their customers not just advertise to them.
http://gianfranconatale.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/loreal-australian-awardshd-2.jpg
“Successful brands of the future will be those that connect on a real level –
brands that don’t appear to be pushed at us, but discovered and created by the
consumer.”
(Jonathan Sands, Chairman, Elmwood. Future of Brands p10)
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
2
The newly recognised forward movement for brands is experiential marketing - the
power of persuasion. Brands are now looking to engage with their customers,
merely throwing information their way and expecting a connection with them is not
effective deliverance, thus beginning the filtering out process. How can brands stand
out from the masses of commercial clutter that is readily overloading the public
today? How can they appeal to their senses?
“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I experience and I understand”
(Conficius, Hotcow.co.uk)
Experiential marketing is all about showing a customer why they should love, trust,
purchase and recommend your product and brand, creating a memorable, emotional
and interactive occasion. This leads to boosts in sales and more importantly brand
loyalty. Simply telling a customer that you are the best is no longer acceptable to
gain competitive advantage.
“With the average person now seeing hundreds of seller-spun commercial
messages per day, people just don’t trust advertising. We turn it off in our minds, if
we notice it at all.” (New rules of marketing and PR p7)
Traditional advertising methods are in decline and consumers are looking for brands
to exceed their expectations, provide memorable experiences to create that unique
buzz about them. Brands are feeling the need to go back to basics, build upon
relationships with real people, communicate in a more casual, intimate and friendly
way.
One outstandingly established brand has not been phased by the depersonalisation
and overload of technology today. It has kept its experientially led focus and
cohesive strategy that is to provide quality, satisfying and engaging experiences for
its customers, or, in this brands lingo, its ‘guests’. Brands need to relate to their
consumers and Walt Disney recognised this.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
3
i173.photobucket.com/.../Walt_Disney.jpg
Walt Disney, ‘the pioneer of experiential branding and merchandising’ was a
mastermind, “think beyond your lifetime, if you want to do something truly great.”
(Walt Disney, evancarmichael.com) Accompanying each experience came the
merchandise campaign to follow. Disney do not underestimate the power of
persuasion, the pressure one may feel to buy the corresponding product, prolonging
the happiness and memory brought by an experience. Such tactics trigger all forms
of viral marketing, these selected memories will go home, put in a photo album,
written on reviews, shared on blogs and social networking sites and talked about with
friends. All of which reflect the happiness that the family have shared, transforming
the reality of Disney being just a theme park, into a magical world of clever
experiential branding.
http://www.derenthalrealty.com/neighborhoods/Windsor-Hills-
Neighborhood/disney%20crew.jpg
http://www.floridatix.co.uk/images/photos/large/walt-disney-world3.jpg
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
4
Disney aimed to make unforgettable experiences. Developing Walt Disney World
into what he claimed to be, the ‘happiest place on earth’ and where ‘dreams really
could come true’. The employees or ‘cast members’ as Disney calls them are
smiley, helpful and are constantly engaging with visitors, whether this is at a park,
hotel or restaurant.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050811/biz1.jpg
Cast members are sent through a process at the Disney University, educating them
to provide excellent customer service. They develop and communicate performance
behaviours through a system called a ‘Service Box’ to help the widespread team to
deliver the brands Quality Service.
“The Service Box includes a series of training and motivational videotapes,
issued to leaders every two months, that explain and explore another aspect of the
Service Standards.” (Be Our Guest, p112.)
A training meeting is given to staff, an opportunity to pitch in ideas that are shared
across the company, thus creating happy staff, eager to please their customers.
Disney stood by the theory that "You can dream, create, design and build the most
wonderful place in the world but it requires people to make the dream a reality," (Walt
Disney)
The ‘Disney Institute’ has also been a training ground for “tens of thousands of
practitioners in virtually every industry” (Be Our Guest, p11) as part of a professional
development program to learn about the “business behind the magic.” Companies
all around the world, who aspire to have exceedingly good experiential success,
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
5
desire the corporate thirst for knowledge of Disney’s success factors. These
programs “inspire the practitioners to see themselves, their organisation and the
world around them in an entirely different light” (Be Our Guest p12)– what an impact!
http://www.markbeeson.com/mark_beeson/images/2008/02/23/disney_training.jpg
http://www.nawbopulse.com/.a/6a00e550446a888834011168aa08ee970c-320wi
"Our programs are designed to be sure that participants have an opportunity to share
with each other and to share with us. We often use those groups for a benchmarking
opportunity or a research opportunity to find out what they are thinking about current
needs in the industry and what's working and what isn't." (Valerie Oberle, vice
president of business development of the Disney Institute, qualitydigest.com)
“Imagination is more important than knowledge”, (Albert Einstein) imagination is
endless, Disney’s success is evident to this. The passion and creativity behind this
multi billion revenue brand is astounding. Walt Disney set new industry standards,
pushed the boundaries, created new experiences, saturated the market to stay ‘top
of mind’. His passion behind his ideas was phenomenal and inspiring to brands all
around the world. He constantly looked through the customers eyes, from the child
within him, a different perspective. It is said that Disney’s ‘Imagineers’ (the people
who design and build the theme parks) actually “have been known to put on
kneepads and crawl around the parks to experience them from a child’s perspective.”
(Be Our Guest, p118) By putting themselves in their target audiences’ shoes they
achieve the best possible experience for them, whilst also accommodating the
accompanying adult.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
6
“Magic is not a word that is much used in the corporate world”. (Michael Eisner,
former chief executive of Walt Disney World) however this is what sets the
benchmark for what Walt Disney wanted to create for his guests.
“The magic of a Disney vacation is to me the magic of quality, the magic of
innovation, the magic of beauty, the magic of families coming together, the magic of
our cast members. All of those things kind of bundle together.” (Michael Eisner, Be
Our Guest, p18)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3203487797_d296858fc5.jpg
http://www.dizpins.com/archives/images/2006septemberpics/wdw_dreams_storyboo
k_092206.jpg
Walt Disney harnessed the talent of his cast members, and inspired their hearts with
his vision to create unparalleled entertainment experiences. “He understood innately
that his long-term success depended on his ability to motivate people, one day and
one innovation at a time.” (Be Our Guest, p11)
It was this quality that even after his death has sustained his principles, imagination
and quality customer service, engaging new visitors to the parks and encourage old
ones to come back. He created the framework for customer experience and ensured
that his visions were so strongly conveyed that the brand would never deviate from it.
From every aspect Disney are building a priceless relationship and sensory
experiences for their customers, the enjoyment, stimulus and feeling you get from the
brand is unforgettable.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
7
Disney aims to appeal to all five senses, sight, smell, sound, touch, taste are all
taken into account to provide good Quality Service, whether it be the sound system
on the shows and parades or the smells from the popcorn stands and bakeries.
Disney even conducted an experiment to demonstrate ‘colour vocabulary’, “flags of
different colours were once set out on a property and guests were asked which ones
they remembered seeing. Purple and red were colours they recalled most often.” (Be
Our Guest, p123) These two colours are used on the directional signs on the public
roads in and around Walt Disney World.
The standard of quality customer relationships within the Disney brand has given it a
reputation of “being the benchmark for outstanding business practices”, (In Search of
Excellence, p168) the methodology, marketing and customer service behind the
magic, values that have achieved groundbreaking level. Disney even researched
into how far a person would walk before dropping a piece of litter. Customers could
look around the parks and observe that trash cans are placed exactly 27 feet apart
from each other from every direction. This maintains a clean, nurturing environment
within the parks.
Reflecting on personal experience, what you figure out from the Disney environment
from very early on is that, they are not merely selling the fundamentals i.e. the rides,
the shows, the food etc. No, they are selling a customer experience, and this is what
the new rules of marketing are all about.
http://nextup.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/wdw_magical_express.jpg
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
8
Some may not understand the appeal of Disney to the people beyond infancy and
teenage years, however one has to appreciate the interaction, appearance, simplicity
and customer standards this place has with its guests. Families are constantly
wanting to take people, whether it is children, grandchildren, friends or extended
family, each need is provided for. The spectacular shows that bring their favourite
characters to life, the rides and the culture are appreciated at all levels irrespective of
the age of the guest, bringing satisfaction from all angles. This could be that smile on
a loved ones face or the anticipation of the new exciting experience since your last
visit, which constantly heightens and exceeds expectations. That long-term
customer base is priceless and is what many brands are desperately trying to
achieve.
http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2009/02/suri-cruise-disney-world.jpg
Disney focuses on achieving customer satisfaction and amazement, encouraging
them to want to return, spend more money, recommend to friends and family thus
increasing their client base and ultimately profitability.
Banks on the other hand have been cutting costs and services to their customers as
a means to increase their bottom line. They have reduced high street branches,
depersonalised their services, employed call centre staff, with little accountability and
commitment, disengaging the emotional relationships with their customers.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
9
The Halifax brand’s slogan is “a little extra help”, however is this ‘little extra’ enough
to build a foundation, trust and exceedingly good quality service? Are they engaging
with their customers on a personal and interactive level? It seems advances in
technology and data has destroyed what should be a personal relationship, after all
these people are trusting this brand with their livelihood and even more importantly
for some, their children’s livelihood. How about giving ‘a lot of extra help’?
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/getinvolved/corporatepartnerships/partners/halifaxlogo200x1
47_wdi64227.gif
The Halifax ultimately should be looking to provide a life long experience with its
customer. People acquire different needs from their bank throughout their lives from
toddler to pensioner, looking to place trust in their services and a sense of security
from their brand, managers and employees. The slogan “a little extra help”
immediately triggers heightened expectations, a stand out from the crowd, and these
expectations come from existing and potential customers. They should be provided
with extra personal services and interaction; after all, the most human way for a
brand to engage and build a trusting relationship with a customer is face to face.
Disney is a brand that nurtures the needs of its large customer base, the Halifax can
do this too, providing a comfortable environment where customers feel they can have
no reservations, where that dreaded small print can be explained to them in a clear
way.
To analyse how to make the Halifax a more experiential brand it is important to
address their previous efforts as a building block for improvement. As far as Halifax
marketing goes, at the forefront of peoples minds is the campaign from “DLKW
Creative Directors Malcolm Green and Gary Betts.” (Wikipedia.org) The jingle TV
adverts that boast the involvement of Halifax employees singing customised lyrics to
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
10
well known catchy tunes, formerly lead starring the unique face of the campaign,
Harry Brown.
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object2/1554/51/n10381755615_8253.jpg
http://www.thisisull.com/music05/singlereviews/chrisplant/img/howardbrown.jpg
Adverts like this trigger a talking point, a ‘buzz’. On many occasions posts on sites
such as youtube express viewers opinions as to whether the song is appropriate to
the brand. This is the new way forward encouraging people to engage with the
qualities that the brand shows through innovative and unique ideas. However, the
public can be incorporated into an experience rather than viewing by chance.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
11
Although this campaign proved to be one of the most successful and effective in the
UK, Green and Betts departed DLKW and the new campaign recently released is
bringing in a less than enthusiastic response. In addition to this the Lloyds TSB
group (which the Halifax belongs to) have since lost their place in the ’50 Worlds
Safest Banks’ list, leaving the only rivalry UK brand HSBC in the ranking. It is time
for Halifax to address a ‘workshop of ideas’, creative ideas, build upon their
previously effective approach, or perhaps, create workshops of their own, building up
trust and reliability by helping to increase customer knowledge.
An experiential marketing concept that could be put forward to the Halifax brand is
one similar to the ‘The Disney Institute’, they could engage and share knowledge
with their customers who desire to understand their finances more clearly. There are
a variety of customers the Halifax need to aim at, first time buyers looking for a
mortgage, new mums setting up a savings account for their baby, new businesses
looking for a loan, the list goes on. What a lot of these people will have in common is
lack of knowledge, as modern day approaches are not feeding them enough,
discarding important and helpful details. All these customers can be addressed
through an integral cohesive strategy from developed Halifax employees.
“When you train, develop, and retain highly-skilled employees who
understand and convey the truths and values of your business, you’ll realize positive
economic effects. Always.” (disneyinstitute.com/Topics/People_Management.aspx)
With this in mind what better job satisfaction could employees get than
demonstrating their knowledge in an interactive environment, helping the customers
needs. A variety of workshops could be structured and scheduled upon interest to
suit the customer, teaching them and expanding their knowledge base can only
reassure them that you are the best bank to trust with their financial assets.
This workshop environment would be set out in relatively intimate groups of around
20 people where customers are invited into a ‘seminar’ and taught the missing details
of the subject they wish to learn more about. This caring, teacher/student interaction
shows the customers Halifax are willing to help and engage to solve the complexities
of finance.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
12
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3485958011_1f8f2b8958.jpg
http://www.brainselleducation.com/images/products/detail_37_A12755306_7141932
4.jpg
Finally the ‘we give you extra’ melody would be beyond merely a gimmick on an
advertisement but a quality interactive showing. Feedback sheets, a twitter page, a
blogging site could all be ways for customers to express their views and opinions on
the new concept and trigger that all important marketing concept – word of mouth.
To launch this idea, a Halifax tour bus could go to all major UK cities and university
campuses with music, food, demonstrations accompanying the pitch to the public
thus appealing to the senses and creating a buzz for this new up and coming
concept.
Photoshop image of the workshop tour bus
Such a development could spiral into many other experiential efforts such as a fresh
new slogan, a more interactive web page, a fresh and contemporary interior design
that affiliates with fresh new architecture of the seminar rooms incorporated in each
branch, all of which at present are old fashioned.
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
13
“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we
created them.” (Albert Einstein) Times and conditions are ever changing and brands
are required to be constantly focused on the future. Experiential branding is the
future, the essence to stand out from the masses, everything speaks, and brands
need their voice to be heard.
Word Count omitting quotes: 2199
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
14
References Books
Ardill, R. Future of Retail Property: Future of Brands, (British Council of Shopping
Centres 2006)
Disney Institute, Be Our Guest: Perfecting the art of customer service, (Disney
Enterprises Inc 2001).
Peters T. & Waterman R, In Search of Excellence, (Grand Central Publishing; later
printing edition (August 15, 1988)
Scott, David The New Rules of Marketing and PR, (John Wiley & Sons 12 Jun 2007)
Websites
Carmichael, Evan Lesson 3 – Use Your Imagination [online] [Accessed November
30th 2009] Available from the World Wide Web:
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/614/Lesson-3-Use-Your-
Imagination.html
Disney.co.uk [online] [Accessed November 20th 2009]
Halifax [online] [Accessed November 27th 2009] Available from the World Wide Web:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_(United_Kingdom_bank)
Hotcow.co.uk [online] [Accessed November 20th 2009]
Kilner, Richard Lloyds could be forced to sell Halifax brand [online] Accessed
December 1st 2009] Available from the World Wide Web:
http://www.bankingtimes.co.uk/16092009-lloyds-could-be-forced-to-sell-halifax-
brand/
Brand Experience Sarah Taylor 08018184 DE0919
15
Madison, Scott Service Quality Disney Style [online] [Accessed November 20th 2009]
Available from the World Wide Web: http://www.qualitydigest.com/jan97/disney.html
The Disney Institute [online] [Accessed November 25th 2009] Available from the
World Wide Web: http://www.disneyinstitute.com/Topics/People_Management.aspx
Bibliography Earls, Mark Welcome To The Creative Age: Bananas, Business and the Death of
Marketing, (John Wiley; 1st edition (27 Jun 2002)
Lindstrom, Martin Brand Senses: How to build powerful brands through touch, taste,
smell, sight and sound (Kogan Page Limited 2005)
Neumeier, Marty The Brand Gap (New Riders 2006)
Wheeler, Alina Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide To Creating, Building
and Maintaining Strong Brands (Wiley 2006)