Experiential Retail is a cultural phenomenon now. Here’s what sets it apart.

There’s a popular saying in the world of marketing: cultural phenomenon You’re not selling a product, you’re
selling an experience.For decades, advertisements have attempted to bridge the gap
between the consumer and the product, mostly by using audio, textual, and visual media to
bring an audience as close to the experience as possible. More often than not, consumers
have responded to advertisements with no genuine reliability because of the belief that the
experience an advertisement tries to sell is not 100% authentic.
However, with the advent of experiential marketing, brands have finally deprioritised trying to
control the message and yielded that power to the consumer. Pillared on the concept of an
immersive experience, experiential marketing is less about telling and more about listening
and engaging. Also referred to as engagement marketing, experiential marketing is a set of
marketing strategies that aim to engage potential consumers through a multitude of creative
and immersive ideas.
Retail stores aren’t simply selling products anymore, they arere selling a vision of what life can
be with their products, all through creative pop-ups and tech-based activations within the
four walls of the establishment.
Experiential retail owes its growing popularity to a distinct set of benefits for brand
managers. Some of them are Creative Digital Agency:

Word of Mouth:

While products might be for individual consumption, memorable cultural phenomenon
experiences certainly get talked about. It’s possible that your product isn’t the hero of that
experience, but good engagements leave a lasting impression of the brand Thai Massage.

Good Vibes in the Store:

Remember why the video game store was our favourite place cultural phenomenon
during childhood? Because even though we wouldn’t buy a new console or game every time,
there were many fun experiences waiting with cool demos and an overall happy vibe there.
Brand managers would be amiss in thinking that adults do not seek similar experiences. In
fact, a study from Harris Group found that 72% of millennials were more willing to spend on
experiences than commodities. The experience, in turn, acts as a bridge for the consumers
to buy the products. Even in isolation, a lively store with good footfall is only a positive sign
for business.

User-generated content cultural phenomenon:

Digital media has adjust content in a way that voices of cultural phenomenon
users are truly heard and meaningful engagement is more necessary than ever. Any
gesture, good or bad, can go viral in a matter of hours. Digital activations and interactive
campaigns with targeted hashtags on social media can be vital in amplifying a brand’s voice.
In 2018, popular series Black Mirror had launched a first-of-its-kind interactive film, where
the audience could decide the direction of the film, as if they were the protagonist
themselves. The novelty of the concept created an instant buzz on social media, reaping
positive fruits for both Netflix and Black Mirror.
While these are natural byproducts of a strategic experiential marketing campaign, the most
direct benefit is in terms of sales that can be generated. As per Forbes, 98% users feel more
inclined to make a purchase for a product they came across through an interactive
activation, as the personal touch elevates the consideration level.
So, how do you go about being relevant in the experiential retail sphere, when nearly every
brand seems to have boarded the train? There’s no textbook formula to crack this space, but
building an experiential retail campaign does require a few boxes to be checked.

Creativity cultural phenomenon:

Every brand is different and the experience it’s selling must also be cultural phenomenon
unique. The key to building a more engaging retail experience is to marry the
functional aspects of the brand to its unique inner manifestation and present it in the
most immersive way possible. For context, a store of a leading technology brand with
futuristic products must make the consumer feel as if she’s walked right into the
future.
Today, AI and data-driven personalisation can give consumers a holistic and fun in-
store experience. One of the prime examples of immersive experiences is Avengers
S.T.A.T.I.O.N. The Avengers brand has toured with this exhibit since the first film and

it has appeared in retail hotspots such as New York, Seoul, Paris, Beijing, London
and Las Vegas. Always welcomed by massive crowds, the store features interactive
activities and displays and lifelike props from the Avengers movie franchise. Having a
dedicated fan-base of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the store allows fans to
witness a world they had only seen in movies so far. Using tech-based activations,
S.T.A.T.I.O.N. brings the brand to life.

Convenience cultural phenomenon:

While pop-ups and activations are great, too many of them can be an
overkill, often resulting in poor consumer experiences. Activations should
complement communication and personal interaction; the participation should not
feel like a chore.
Sometimes, the best in-store additions are the most simplistic ones. One recent
example comes from French Connection, which, in collaboration with Brwd Coffee,
opened a coffee shop above its store. As Cafes gain universal popularity, French
Connection worked to make shopping a qualitative experience rather than an activity
that needs to be completed before heading for actual quality time somewhere else.
There are brands that may fail with the most intricate ideas and there are those who can
succeed with the simplest of concepts; it’s all about finding the right balance based on one’s
audience.