MEC Wavemaker Experiential Marketing Checklist
The more boxes you check off on this list, the stronger activation strategy you have. Click away and see if you're ready!
Is there an immediate and obvious value exchange?
This one is mandatory, because without this you cannot hope to draw your audience’s attention. A value exchange makes your consumers want to attend or take part. Creating an event that has an immediate and obvious value exchange means ensuring your consumer is aware of the benefits to them, which helps to drive interest. The value exchanged can take the form of a physical memento, a unique experience, a great picture for Instagram, etc. Typically it should fall within one or more of these four categories: Personal Growth, Personal Identity, Entertainment, Utility.
Can it be socially enabled to earn user generated content (UGC)?
i.e. -
i.e. - Having a consumer post about or from your event can be one of the best ways to increase your reach. Brands should create experiences that consumers want to talk about instead of asking them to tweet to enter a contest or take other actions that aren’t as genuine and don’t create lasting affinity for the brand. Two great ways to encourage social sharing is to make your event visually stunning and ready to be photographed, and to create parts of the experience that can be personalized.
Are we asking for lightweight participation that aligns with natural behavior?
i.e. - Consumers can easily shy away from interacting with a brand that is asking them to do too much, so it’s important to align with natural consumer behaviors and ensure the barriers to entry are minimal.
Can this experience expand past the in-person event?
i.e. - Activations can leave a lasting impression with attendees but brands should always consider ways to extend the experience into other channels to create value for consumers who couldn’t attend. Always consider how you can extract content that can be amplified from the activation, how you can allow consumers at home to participate in the activation, and how you might be able to re-target attendees after the event.