Ms. Angelou hit the nail on the head with that simple but powerful quote. No matter who you are, no matter how old you are, where you live or what language you speak, at the end of the day, we are all emotional creatures. And when it comes to marketing, we want to be entertained. We are looking for the ultimate experience. We want a brand/product to make us feel good. And if done right, we’ll go a step further and buy that product or service. And if the experience is really good, we’ll tell our family and friends about it. This extends the experience for us, and inspires them to check it out, which grows awareness and sales.
Enter social media. Thanks to multi-device and cross-screen usage, we are constantly being entertained or looking to be entertained. In this “brave new world,” marketers are trying everything and anything to get our attention – some campaigns become an overnight viral success while others fall flat instantly. Why is that? We believe the critical element is the experience.
Take, as an example, 9-year-old Caine Monroy, whose cardboard arcade became a huge international success. Caine didn’t spend millions of dollars on an advertising campaign, he just created a great experience. One curious customer had a great time playing his games, decided others should know about his experience, and spread the word virally through a short film. Then the floodgates opened.
Caine’s arcade started a movement. People traveled the world and waited in long lines to be a part of the experience. They were inspired to create their own cardboard games. This in turn led to the formation of the Imagination Foundation, a non-profit group created to foster creativity and entrepreneurship in children across the world.
Think about it. If a 9-year-old boy with no marketing plan or budget can turn a cardboard arcade into a huge international success with just an experience, what can we marketers do?
Use your imagination and, most importantly, don’t forget about the EXPERIENCE.
References:
Caine’s Arcade
• Original Short Film
• From a Movie to a Movement
• Website
Heather Harding, Business Intelligence Analyst, GlobalHue