Creating a meaningful relationship with customers isn't easy in today's crowded and competitive retail landscape. To stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of consumers, retailers are moving towards experiential marketing campaigns - and rightfully so. For example, Google's pop-up stores, Ralph Lauren's interactive touch-screen mirrors in their flagship location in New York, Samsung 837, and Apple stores aren't just normal retail stores ( well, some don't even sell anything), instead they create experiences which in overtime builds brand loyalty and drive revenues. 

 

The Event Marketing Institute found that 98 percent of consumers feel more inclined to make a purchase after attending an experiential activation. 

Here are 5 standout examples of retailers leveraging the power of experiential marketing in the most effective way. 

 

Adidas now has a fitness studio in London which offers free fitness programs including run clubs, workouts, and nutritional workshops for women. Fitness blogger and Adidas ambassador Adrienne Herbert described it as a big confidence booster. Adidas with the help of chatbots made the booking process interactive. Fitness freaks can know about the latest happenings in the fitness studio via the brand’s Facebook Messenger chatbot. This helps the brand create meaningful and deeper conversations with the consumers on real-time. 

 

M&M’s  transformed Times Square into a highly-interactive arcade (or ARcade) with augmented reality (AR). Fans could scan billboards to play vintage arcade games. With the marketing campaign, the brand turned the boring and static billboards to fun and interactive experience. 

 

The outdoor clothing retailer ran an ad on New York Times that was visible only when it was viewed outside! 

 

 

 

Fashion retailer Topshop effectively tapped into experiential marketing with their in-store VR water slide. To mark an exciting and fun beginning of the summer season, Topshop installed a gigantic VR-powered water slide.

The customers, upon coming aboard the slide and wearing the VR headset, could take a virtual water slide through the Oxford Street. The interactive slide sparked conversations on social media through a special Snapchat filter and the hashtag  #TopshopSplash. 

 

A demo kitchen to showcase its connected devices, a TV experience zone and spaces where consumers can experience its Gear VR products. The 21,000-square-foot shop is the brand's largest Samsung Experience Store in Canada till date.