The answers continue! At Exhibitus, we start with questions – questions that develop a strategy that take a concept to an event’s business success.
In our current webinar series, we answer five of your pressing questions in 25 minutes. Below are nuggets of expertise and insights we learned during our September session with Exhibitus’ Stacie BeVille, VP – Strategic Accounts, Rob Majerowski, Director – Strategic Projects, and Lynn Reves, VP – Marketing & Results Strategy. To hear each response in its entirety, listen to the replay of the September 17th 5-in-25 webinar here.
We look forward to continuing to provide answers at our next webinar on November 12th at 11:00 am EDT. Register and submit your questions for this and future webinars here!
From Idea to Impact: Crafting Strategy for Memorable Experiences
Q1: What is strategy and what role does it play in marketing?
- The formal definition of strategy in any business endeavor is an intentional plan of action designed to achieve one or more long-term goals. It’s the “how” behind reaching an objective—it aligns resources, decisions, and activities so that day-to-day actions move toward an intended outcome.
- The starting point of any strategy asks the question “WHY.” Simon Sinek explains that the “why” is a company’s fundamental reason for existence, and it’s the foundation of any strategy. Simon Sinek: Start with Why
- Strategy, whether for an overall corporate perspective, a general marketing plan, or a specific experiential marketing event, begins with asking:
- What is my goal?
- What are my specific objectives?
- Why am I doing the thing we plan to do?
Q2: What are the key characteristics of a brand experience strategy?
- A brand experience strategy is about shaping how people think and feel and act when they interact with your brand across every touch point. At its core, it is going to ensure that your brand is not just seen but also felt and remembered.
- First step is to determine what is that one thing I want my audience to remember or do. Next is the who – determining who is the audience and then understanding
- What they care about
- Their personality types
- How they like to learn
- The strategy should be rooted in meaningful design and bring together storytelling, visual identity, customer engagement, and brand purpose to create a unified, lasting impression. From first glance to post-purchase moments, every interaction becomes a chance to make your brand clear, memorable, and distinct.
Q3: What are the benefits of a brand experience strategy that I can expect?
- A strong brand experience strategy gives you a clear edge in a crowded market. When people connect with a brand on an emotional level, they remember it, and that memory often drives action.
- Always, the goal in any transaction path is to get to the next step. You want to be memorable when that audience member is looking to make a change. You want to be in that consideration set.
- Brand experiences activate a customer’s progression through the typical buyer’s journey – awareness, consideration, evaluation, decision, loyalty. In other words, by taking a strategic approach to development and planning, you can elevate your program to a higher level and, more importantly, build business growth.
Q4: What role does storytelling play in a brand strategy?
- The history of storytelling is as old as humanity itself—it’s how people have always made sense of the world, passed down knowledge, and built community.
- The goal is to put the customer into the story and engage them with multiple senses and with a relatable story to create excitement and form memories that turn your event into a truly impactful experience.
- Ultimately, storytelling is the heartbeat of brand strategy. It gives the brand a voice, makes it memorable and ensures every experience extends to a bigger story, one your audience wants to be a part of.
Q5: Often, as event managers, we don’t get to choose the reps who staff our events, and sometimes they aren’t the best at this for a variety of reasons. What can I do to get them engaged and motivated?
- A big part of the success of any experiential event or customer activation is the role of the event staff and the brand ambassadors. Event staffing strategy is a critical component of your experiential marketing program’s success. While architectural design, visitor engagements, and hospitality offerings are important parts of an event, it’s really the PEOPLE who make someone’s visit truly memorable.
- Keeping staff engaged and motivated starts with preparation and communication that sets them up for success. Here are a few tips:
- Scripted ice-breaker questions to help kick start conversations.
- Training on lead collection process so critical information is captured for follow-up.
- Suggestions on ways to disengage visitors that are not part of your target audience and/or take attention away from valuable prospects.
- These tips (and others discussed during the webinar) should be communicated to staffers through a pre-event training program and distributed through a detailed event manual.
Thank you Tammy, Daniel, Jill, Rebecca, and Karin, for sharing your “top-of-mind” questions with us. We look forward to responding to the next set of issues and challenges on our 5-in-25 webinar session on November 12th.