Imagine your brand as a physical space. What would that room look like? Sound like? Feel like? What happens there? What impact would it have on people who enter that space?
You’ve just imagined an immersive experience, a type of experiential marketing that invites consumers “into” a mini-world that’s all about the brand.
At their core, immersive experiences capture a brand’s identity in a space that envelops visitors and shows them who the brand is in its purest and most authentic form through a firsthand experience.
Immersive experiences have the power to connect with consumers in a way and at a depth that outstrips any other marketing or advertising. In the last decade, brands have raised the bar by blending digital and material media. They’re engaging potential customers on multiple levels to create positive interactions that stick with those consumers long after the experience. Here's a breakdown of some of the ways brands leverage the power of experience, along with cutting-edge technology, to achieve connection and brand loyalty.
Offering Multisensory Experiences
We know that experiences that engage multiple senses create longer-lasting and more impactful memories. Sight and sound are a good start, but immersive experiences that go beyond visual and auditory stimuli to include touch, smell, and even taste activate more areas of the human brain. Memories formed this way are richer, producing stronger memories and recall. They resonate more strongly with consumers, connecting the experience to the brand and thus connecting the brand to the individual. “The visceral, sensory-rich nature of immersive marketing evokes stronger emotional responses,” says Amazon’s immersive marketing guide, “which can foster more meaningful brand-consumer relationships.”
By focusing on the senses rather than the facts, stats, and benefits around a product, “brands can create immersive environments that evoke emotion and encourage connections,” says Draw and Code.
Leveraging Technology
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology are relatively new resources in marketing, but they have proven to be game-changers. Beauty, fashion, furniture, even home improvement brands let customers virtually try on their products thanks to AR features in their apps and on their websites, transforming even online browsing into experiential shopping. VR lets customers step into the brand’s world, exploring products and places in realistic, multidimensional scenarios.
As artificial intelligence (AI)expands into more and more areas of modern life, it’s making its presence known in immersive marketing, where it enables real-time personalization. AI algorithms allow brands to offer “personalized content, recommendations, and experiences that resonate with consumers on a deeper level,” says Amazon.
“These technologies bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, creating memorable and engaging customer interactions,” says yourstory.com.
Encouraging Active Participation
Within the temporary, brand-themed environments created by immersive marketing, customers see, hear, touch, and move through a physical manifestation of the brand, interacting with products while getting to know the brand’s personality. This in itself is active, but brands often increase participants’ activity level through AR and VR tech that allows users to “try” products ranging from clothes to beauty products to furniture.
Gamification is another way brands get consumers more actively involved in immersive retail. Integrating game elements like challenges, points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards capitalizes on consumers’ desire to “win,” not only drawing them in but keeping them there as they try to achieve bigger discounts, exclusive products, or freebies. Loyalty programs are another variant of gamification and often incorporate multiple game mechanics into interactions with consumers. Game elements are “interactive, engaging, and rewarding experiences that influence customer behavior and elevate brand interactions,” says useinsider.com.
Forging Emotional Connections through Storytelling
Immersive experiences are a perfect medium for storytelling, allowing brands to build narratives that evoke strong emotions. When consumers feel emotionally connected to a brand through its origin story, they develop trust for that brand — they know “where it’s coming from” — which can translate into loyalty and a desire to engage further.
“Storytelling can transform a passive experience into an engaging journey,” says Draw and Code. This helps participants feel like they’re part of the story, too, strengthening their emotional connection to the brand.
Where storytelling meets AI and behavioral analysis, brands can respond in the moment to consumers’ reactions. Marketing experts forecast continued development of this trend, which TechFunnel calls “empathetic marketing.”
Today’s consumers are primed and ready for this approach. They want experiences, not objects. Immersive marketing satisfies that craving. “Effective use of technology, sensory engagement, and storytelling are crucial for leaving a lasting impression” on modern consumers, says Draw and Code. As consumers continue to seek immersive, engaging, highly personalized experiences, the technology that enables customer-driven storytelling will continue to evolve.
Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing firm based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Want to discuss your next project? Reach out below.
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