The ultimate goal when it comes to marketing is to sell. In today’s world people are regularly barraged with countless forms of marketing. We turn on the TV, we are being sold to. We get the mail and direct marketers are selling to us. We drive to work while listening to sales on the radio, seeing countless signs and billboards placed all over cars, bus stops… seemingly everywhere. Everyone is selling to us.
What makes us buy?
A good experience with a seller is always more likely to make a person want to buy.
This is why a carefully crafted experience marketing program is an essential and important piece to any marketing plan. The goal of an experience is to supersede all the other types of marketing out there and to make a connection with your customers. To create a connection that lasts.
Companies who develop marketing “experiences” – which we define as interesting or different events, effectively designed to attract new customers and to reach out to existing customers are truly creating relationships. A solid relationship is the core and success of any long lasting customer experience. While the “experience marketing” event itself may be miles away from a companies ordinary line of business, it becomes the entrance for a relationship and host of potential transactions.
For example – many companies like Starbucks, REI, or even the good old Benihana have business plans that rely on the basic idea that the experience is the marketing. These types of companies realize that by putting focus on a location and the customer experience in that location, they create an experience which brings the customer back time and time again.
The success of an experience marketing program working can be seen directly by taking a look at ING Direct, a bank which had no physical branches. The bank completes all customer service and banking services via the Internet, over the phone, and by good old fashioned mail. Low overhead yes, but how do they gain customers? How do they create a good customer experience which will gain the trust of individuals? What could they do to get people to put thier livelihoods into a “cyber” bank?
They chose to serve prospective customers coffee. They opened to a nice, comfortable, and relaxing lounge/cafe in midtown New York, where people could read financial news, keep up on the latest happenings in the stock market, or even use the free wireless internet to take care of any banking or other needs. It also became like any coffee shop or cafe, a great place to hang out.
While customers are not able to make deposits, or do any other banking at the cafe (other than on their wireless internet) – the “cafe” was responsible for aquiring over two hundred million dollars in the first year after opening.
They took a look at the financial services industry, and removed themselves from the norm. They created a pleasant, likable, and appealing experience which gave possible clients exposure to the bank and what it has to offer.
Starbucks makes coffee, and turns a profit of the experience. ING makes coffee, which pays for an effective trust building marketing experience and ultimately makes a great profit.