The previous article discussed a little about internet-based experiential marketing (Part 1). Now, let's continue the discussion. Here, we will talk about the second point regarding the intricate relationship between brands and products.
Secondly, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), should experiential marketing focus on the brand or the product first?
This seems to be a topic of endless debate. Companies with strong resources emphasize brand experience; all their products are based on the brand’s connotations, serving the brand while enjoying the sales promotion brought by a strong brand. This method of mutual support is naturally the best path for experiential marketing. However, some less resourceful companies place more emphasis on the product. Compared to building a strong brand, these companies prefer to achieve high product sales. I think this is not because these weaker companies fail to realize the positive significance of the brand, but rather due to the lack of resources required to perfectly implement marketing strategies in reality. The company relies on a few limited products for survival and cannot just invest heavily in branding and wait for it to mature.
This is a disadvantage for enterprises that are at a disadvantaged position in terms of brand and resources. However, from another perspective, there also lies an opportunity. Limited resources mean the need for more efficient marketing, so new marketing methods are the best choice for these enterprises. These unconventional marketing strategies often bring rich returns at an excellent cost-performance ratio. We can see that companies conducting experiential marketing mostly belong to SMEs with low brand awareness, indicating that more and more companies have realized this point. Unfortunately, the experiential marketing campaigns of several SMEs I personally encountered were quite disappointing. A product plus a manual - that was all I got. In such a case, even if the product is excellent, I cannot perceive the power of the brand. In today's era of product homogenization, as long as the brand does not occupy a place in the consumer's mind, they will turn to similar products of other brands once they turn around. This is the blind spot in the experiential marketing of some SMEs. Different companies, at different stages, have different tactical arrangements for products and brands, but such arrangements must have a common base point to balance both. Especially when conducting experiential marketing, the infusion of brand symbols and connotations is indispensable. Experiential marketing aims to give consumers a feeling of getting more than what they paid for, and this value does not come solely from the product's functionality or utility value (only partially), but mainly from the personal value experience based on the product and brand. For example, FedEx delivers the value experience of "commitment." In contrast, SMEs conducting experiential marketing often operate in a very rough and crude manner, where the product is often the only touchpoint, greatly weakening the value of experiential marketing. This also reflects a lack of "conversation" awareness.
When it comes to experiential marketing, DHC is a case that must be mentioned. After experiencing DHC's service, I have great admiration for this skincare company. The success of DHC's experiential marketing, apart from its substantial resource investment and understanding of how to "converse" with consumers, also lies in its excellent integration of products and brands. I have always believed that brand building and communication is a detail-oriented task where details determine success or failure. The product is the most important support point of the brand, but it is not the only one. A brand is like a ball, with the product being the core that determines the framework of the ball, and the elements outside the product (such as brand image promotion) acting like the skin of the ball, perfectly packaging the brand. When enterprises conduct experiential marketing, they should make full use of the limited space and control every potential touchpoint. We can see that DHC offers audiences not only excellent products but also demonstrates higher-level brand commitments and care through effective touchpoints.
Brand building is a cumulative process over time. I have always insisted that this grand project requires countless details to construct. Different enterprises, when conducting experiential marketing, need to have priorities, but they cannot focus solely on products while ignoring the brand, or vice versa. Products can be perceived concretely, but brands lean more towards psychological recognition. This recognition is built on various touchpoints such as products and corporate services. Therefore, handling these touchpoints well becomes the core content, which is the detail!