Cover Story: Experiential Marketing

E
Eight months on from our last experiential mar-
keting feature and enthusiasm for the discipline
continues to grow worldwide. So much so that in
March a group of experiential marketing agencies
in the UK formed a breakaway industry body called
the Brand Experience Association.
Counting among its numbers agencies such as
Proximity iD, Arc Field Marketing and Cunning,
the group is developing research and measurement
tools to help marketers judge the effectiveness of
their experiential programmes.
Back in New Zealand, some of our more progres-
sive companies have given experiential a go – more
on one of those later – while others have hung back
to see what happens.
In planning this feature we decided to help wait-
and-see marketers stop sitting on the fence and get
into some experiential marketing of their own.
Once again we approached marketing engineer-
ing firm Chisel with a concise brief: tell us how
to do it.
Chisel’s team of Jake Pearce and Roger Slater
were up for the challenge, and in the following
pages present a comprehensive ‘how to’ guide for
experiential marketing. They’re applying their
techniques to Sir Edmund Hillary and The All
Blacks and then to two iconic Kiwi brands, The
Warehouse and Air New Zealand.
Marketing Magazine is also stepping up to the
plate, presenting a 15 minute do-it-yourself ex-
periential marketing challenge on page 15 with
a prize sure to motivate any marketer with an
intact ego.

M a y 2 0 0 4 . w w w. m a r k e t i n g m a g . c o . n z 11
 Cover Story: Experiential Marketing

ny’s heading in a new direction.

Being There Coca-Cola red lounges are part of that
new path. An experience-based innova-
To help launch a new version of its “Home buyer’s and seller’s guide”, Westpac recently
remodelled a Ponsonby bus stop to resemble a suburban living room. tion targeting teens in shopping malls,
The bank says the objective was to bring the Westpac experience to the public – taking they offer music, games and movie pro-
gramming.
it out of the bank and on to the streets.
Coke hopes the kids will settle in and
Where does this rate on the experiential marketing scale of excellence? “Full marks
chill with their friends on custom-built
to Westpac for having a go,” says Chisel founder Jake Pearce, “but this is really just a
Coke furniture, essentially choosing to
launch tactic and not a prolonged experience of the brand. be immersed in Coke, rather than being
“After the launch is over they’ll remove it all and move on to something else. So it’s intruded on (pushed) by traditional brand
far from true experiential marketing.” advertising.

What It’s Not

Get with the play if you think expe-
riential marketing is all about one-off
events, sponsorships, product sampling,
bar or nightclub promotions, or street
merchandising teams.
A common mistake: thinking EM is
some kind of quick fix tactic. As the sci-
ence of marketing evolves, experiential
marketing will become the dominant
marketing tool of the future.
Other media will increasingly play
support roles.

Feel The Kiwi

What It Is
To recap. Experiential marketing is about
taking a brand’s essence and amplifying it
into a set of tangible, physical, interactive
experiences which reinforce the brand.
Rather than ‘seeing’ your brand through
traditional communications like tvcs,
print or billboards, consumers ‘feel’ it by
being in it.
Experiential marketing is about a
brand creating its own media as a way of
expressing itself.
In the UK the Chartered Institute of
Marketing predicts that the key issue in
the future for marketing is an impending
war – a war between consumers and mar-
keters over intrusion into their lives.
The ultimate winners of this war will
be the companies that understand how to
offer brand experiences that pull rather
than push. We’re all drawn towards ex-
periences we want to have.
These brands will be in the business of
creating completely original consumer
entertainment and experiences.
Think Red Bull, which from its launch
has worked hard to develop innovative
ways to communicate its ‘energy’ essence.
All Red Bull marketing is built around
amplifying ‘enhanced ability’.
The company has founded numer-
ous ongoing events related to extreme
sports like rock climbing, para-flying and
aerobatics.
It also recruits ‘mobile energy teams’ to
seek out people in need of energy at sports
events, night clubs, offices and bars – and
takes Red Bull to them, making the drink
highly relevant to its consumers wherever
they shop, work or play.
Staying with the beverage market,
although Coca-Cola has for decades
spent up big time on traditional media,
COO Steve Heyer recently famously
stated “the days of mass, homogenous
marketing are behind us”. The compa-
Like the Wright Brothers and Nelson
Mandela, Sir Ed’s brand essence is all
about redefining human potential. His
personal life has been closely identi-
fied with a never-give-up attitude and a
search for excellence.
So far so simple. Now for the mind
stretch.
We’re going to amplify the Sir Ed es-
sence experientially by creating a Hillary
Centre. A place where any New Zea-
lander could go to find the thing within
them at which they truly excel.
Staff the centre with experts from a range
of different fields – sports people, academ-
ics, spiritual leaders and business people
who want to give something back.
Give attendees the opportunity to find
the thing they’re ‘born for’ – and enable
them to realise their full potential.
Create Hillary Scouts. Send them out
around the country to dig out exceptional
potential in a range of fields.
Pluck these budding talents from their
Continued on page 15

12 w w w. m a r k e t i n g m a g . c o . n z . M a y 2 0 0 4

DevelopingA Plan
Step 1 Have absolute clarity about your essence. It needs to be
timeless from the moment you commit to it. Examples: Coca-
Cola = refreshment, Swatch = fun, Harley Davidson = power.
Step 2 Ascertain the key emotional touchpoints for your brand.
Step 3 Identify missing touchpoints for your brand or create
new ones.
Step 4 Generate a series of experiential concepts that will amplify
your essence.
Step 5 Filter those concepts around the following:
■ Relevance to delivering essence/touchpoints – conceptual
relevance.
■ Resource/deliverability – pragmatic deliverability.
Step 6 Identify the concepts which pass through the filters. If
How It
Works
The Warehouse
Step 1 What is The Warehouse’s essence?
Perhaps surprisingly, we’d argue that the essence of The Warehouse
is ‘smart’. People shop there for a wide range of items at value-
for-money prices. Warehouse shoppers like to feel they’re getting
a bargain – are smart shoppers – thus the brand has to provide
information to make people feel empowered to choose.
Step 2 Ascertain key emotional touchpoints.
Easy enough. This is the entire instore experience.
Step 3 Identify missing touchpoints or create new ones.
There are some excellent opportunities for The Warehouse.
■ Pre-shopping assistance.
■ Instore fast track shopping.
■ Warehouse kiosks.
■ Championing and or reviewing new consumer products as they
hit the New Zealand market.
■ A Warehouse inhome advisory service.
Step 4 Create a series of experiential concepts that will amplify
The Warehouse’s essence.
■ Pre-shopping assistance. Provide a more comprehensive website
so customers who wanted to better prepare for their shopping
experience could do so easily. Greet customers at the door and
Cover Story: Experiential Marketing
none do, go back to step 4.
Step 7 Double check that the concepts deliver on your essence.
Do a reality check through formal/informal research if unsure.
Step 8 Find the best way to deliver on the experiential marketing
programme. If you don’t have the resource internally, find a partner
with the right experience to deliver on your concept. Evaluate them
on the following:
■ They understand your essence.
■ They’re passionate.
■ They’re a pioneer/early adopter.
■ They’re not media biased (they won’t try to persuade you to spend
money where you don’t want to).
offer help/directions. An out-there idea, maybe, but hardware
retailer Bunnings does this to great effect in its new Christchurch
super-store.
■ Fast track shopping. Make selecting a bargain easier. In the UK,
Safeway has installed self-scanning electronic devices enabling
customers to scan their own purchases. Contrary to predictions,
research shows that shoplifting has not skyrocketed as a result. The
Warehouse could provide hand-held devices or kiosks (like those
at the library) to help shoppers find the product they’re after faster.
These devices could also provide relevant comparative product
information to enhance the sense of smart buying.
■ Championing and reviewing new consumer products as they hit
the New Zealand market, The Warehouse could publish a Con-
sumer-style magazine devoted to comparing products and estab-
lishing product value. The chain could also develop a tv programme
dedicated to finding the best bargains in any category.
■ Inhome advisory service. Like ANZ mobile managers, Warehouse
staff could come to your home, consult with you and establish the
relevant products for your needs – and plan the purchases over a
year to ease the financial burden.
Step 5 & 6 Filter.
Prioritise instore fast-track shopping and pre-shopping assistance
because they’re closest to the core business.
Step 7 Double check that the concepts deliver on the ‘smart
shopping’ essence.
Step 8 Delivery.
Pull together the best team to deliver the new initiatives.
M a y 2 0 0 4 . w w w. m a r k e t i n g m a g . c o . n z 13
 Cover Story: Experiential Marketing
How It
Works
Step 1 What is Air New Zealand’s essence?
Air New Zealand
Chisel reckons our national airline needs to clarify its brand. Its es-
sence was once a kind of down-home ‘genuine hospitality’ (can you
imagine a United Airlines hostess recruiting kids to pass out boiled
lollies?). Today it’s not so clear. We’d put forward a strong case that
Air New Zealand’s essence is now ‘relaxed efficiency’ since that
can be applied anywhere in the world, is reflective of New Zealand
culture and is relevant on both international and local flights.
Step 2 Ascertain key emotional touchpoints.
Not difficult in this case. We’re talking airport check-in and the
in-flight experience.
Step 3 Identify missing touchpoints or create new ones.
From the customer’s perspective there are some great opportunities
for Air New Zealand.
■ The potential need to feel cared for before I get on the flight. Do I
have accommodation sorted? Do I have currency? Can I pre-check
my bags to make my life easier?
■ The potential need to feel cared for after I’ve got off the flight.
Is there someone who will help me in an emergency? Do I have
transport?
Step 4 Create a series of experiential concepts that will amplify
Air New Zealand’s essence.
Pre-flight
■ Call and check passenger requirements for transport, accom-
modation and travellers’ cheques.
■ Offer transport on an Air New Zealand minibus and provide cur-
rency services at the airport.
■ Luggage check-in arrangements – offer hotel check-in or de-
velop town centre check-in facilities, so passengers can check
their bags conveniently before travelling to the airport (as is done
in Hong Kong).
■ Provide fresh New Zealand bottled water from airport vending
machines at no charge. Labels could tell the Air New Zealand story
and show route maps. Water would be available to passengers from
any airline – New Zealanders are a generous people after all.
■ Ascertain the in-flight experience required. Does the passenger
want to work on the flight, chat with people, be entertained or
simply be pampered?
14 w w w. m a r k e t i n g m a g . c o . n z . M a y 2 0 0 4
■ Duty free. Offer a service at check-in, where passengers’
duty free is purchased for them at the airport and
placed on the plane.
In-flight
■ Passengers are assigned seating according to their desired in-
flight experience.
Post-flight
■ If passengers want to continue their ‘relaxed efficiency’ experience
they can stay at a hotel chain established by Air New Zealand.
■ Travel bureau. Arranges an experience – ie route/itinerary and
hotels in countries which deliver relaxed efficiency.
■ Brand New Zealand/Air New Zealand global windows. In mega
cities create a brand New Zealand experience. A showcase of all
that’s great about the country (think Te Papa’s New Zealand expe-
rience exhibit on a larger scale). Staff it with real Kiwis with real
stories from different parts of New Zealand. Lay it out according
to geography so people can ‘visit’ different parts of the country
and get a flavour with visual and aural stimuli (and perhaps even
smells) from the area. People who have experienced brand New
Zealand will be in a better position to understand the airline and
how it relates to the country.
■ Experiential ‘brand New Zealand’ touch-screens could cost-ef-
fectively extend the concept to smaller centres.
Steps 5 & 6 Filter.
■ Time for a reality check. Air New Zealand marketers should
focus on their core current business and decide what is actually
do-able.
■ Pre-flight, check-in and in-flight experiences would be priori-
ties.
■ Beyond this, however, the bolder brand New Zealand experience
booths and screens could be prioritised, as they’re better able to
amplify the essence in a compelling, distinctive way (and could be
structured to create sales leads).
Step 7 Double check that the concepts deliver on the ‘relaxed
efficiency’ essence.
Focus on the specific concepts and do a reality check through
formal/informal research.
Step 8 Delivery.
Pull together the best internal/external team to deliver the new
initiatives.

Continued from page 12
workaday lives and place them at the
Hillary Centre, giving them the op-
portunity to fast track their gifts for the
benefit of all New Zealand.
And now the All Blacks. Where the
South Africans have always been ‘brutal’
and the French ‘unexpected’, the brand
essence of the All Blacks has evolved
over the century. At times it has been
‘invincibility’, but more recently it’s
become ‘effective pioneers’.
Although rugby wasn’t invented here,
there’s no denying that New Zealand is
now the game’s spiritual home. And as
such, New Zealand and the All Blacks
should lead rugby in terms of how it’s
played.
So imagine the following (as far
fetched as it might sound – as the goal
here is to get you thinking).
A three centre (Chch/Akl/Well)
NASA-style headquarters for rugby,
famous around the world, and as large
and imposing as Te Papa.
These centres are the New Zealand
If you want radio advertising
that gets results, try the internet.
www.radionetwork.co.nz
Visit our website and see just how good radio can be. There’s a full breakdown of our network, personalities & coverage as well
as tips about getting the best out of radio and some very interesting results achieved for our clients.
TRN1311\TBWA
Cover Story: Experiential Marketing
think tank for rugby, staffed by All Black
greats young and old.
Using the suggestions of any New Zea-
lander, they filter out the best and bright-
est ideas to find pioneering approaches
to winning rugby games through game
analysis, physical training, body shape
combinations, psychology and tactics.
These new approaches are adopted and
trialed in national showcase games with
a clear remit: to test them thoroughly
and find the ones that work.
They’re All Black research and devel-
opment games. But the All Blacks don’t
play them.
Once workable new approaches to
rugby are found, they’re fed through to
the All Blacks to hone and perfect.
To own this essence the All Blacks
would play the rugby to which the whole
country had contributed.
Simply put, it’s no longer the All Blacks
on a pinnacle and everyone else below.
We’re all involved in the experience of
creating the All Blacks brand.
The Challenge
Ok, so now you know how to market
experientially, why not give it a try? Our
challenge to you is to take two classic New
Zealand brands, Weetbix and Steinlager,
and in 15 minutes, using 600 words or
less, apply steps one to seven from the
experiential marketing plan to them.
To start you off we’ll tell you we think
Weetbix’s essence is ‘healthy growth’ and
Steinlager’s is ‘rugged sophistication’.
But don’t take our word for it. If you
disagree, come up with your own.
Email your thoughts by Friday 14 May to
ruth@marketingmag.co.nz and we’ll pub-
lish the best entries in our July issue.
Feel the burn, live the dream, be the
mullet. And get experiential.
David McNickel can be contacted on email:
david.mcnickel@xtra.co.nz
®
M a y 2 0 0 4 . w w w. m a r k e t i n g m a g . c o . n z 15