IS SELF REGULATION OK FOR EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING?
Over the years it’s evolved under many different names – from Field Marketing, Brand Experience and even Experimental Marketing(!) but Experiential Marketing is finally beginning to establish itself as both a name and a discipline in its own right in U.S. marketing circles.
Many years ago ‘live marketing’ was used to describe anything where you were a little more creative with what your staff were wearing or distributing. Today creative techniques are common place. In fact one of the reasons behind Experiential rise is that it allows brands to be more innovative than ever before imagined. As well, the entry of brand agencies with their bigger budgets into Experiential Marketing has seen an increase in creativity.
Consumers themselves have also evolved. We’re constantly subjected to a variety of media channels and marketing methods so that even the most disinterested have become more marketing savvy than ever before. It’s almost at the point where we’ve become immune to all but the most cutting edge campaigns. As a result boundaries are being pushed further and further in the race to devise the most off the wall and elaborate experiences that will create the most cut through.
This in itself is giving rise to the trend for guerilla marketing techniques, live stunts and a variety of other non-permission based campaigns. As these become more and more common place we’ll see these activities get closer and closer to the mark of what is and what isn’t acceptable.
