Experiential & sampling

What we know about experiential marketing and sampling

Article • WARC Best Practice, January 2019

This article provides an overview of the thinking and reading on the subject of experiential marketing and sampling, both live activities that involve direct interactions with audiences that can have an impact indirectly.

How to do effective experiential marketing

Article • Alex Smith, WARC Best Practice, April 2016

This article explores best practice in the area of experiential marketing, arguing that it is a technique, not a channel, putting the idea first, and thinking about media second.

What we know about stunt marketing

Article • WARC Best Practice, February 2019

Provides guidance and reading on the tactic of stunt marketing – a form of experiential marketing that aims to generate buzz and boost engagement.

Event marketing may boost young brands

News • 25 January 2019

Young brands may benefit from tapping the power of event marketing to enhance their status and drive revenue, according to a study published in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR).

Bajaj Almond Drops: Sliding into the Guinness World Record

Case Study • Kavita Acharekar, Nirmal Desai, Prasad Patwardhan, Maitri VJ, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2018

Bajaj Almond Drops, the leading brand in the hair oil market in India, decided to gain market share by setting a new Guinness World Record, which would demonstrate the importance of the traditional habit of hair oiling engagingly and interestingly.

Event-marketing and advertising expenditures: The differential effects on brand value and company revenue

Research Paper • Lei Liu, Jin Zhang and Hean Tat Keh, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 58, No. 4, 2018, pp. 464-475

Surprisingly little empirical research has examined the effects of event marketing at the company level.

Mondelez: Hunting Season - Creme Egg Camp

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - UK, Bronze, 2018

Cadbury's Creme Egg, a chocolate confection sub-brand, propelled brand growth in the UK by providing consumers with the chance to get their hands on a limited run of white chocolate Creme Eggs in a "Willy-Wonka style hunt".

Pampers: Bums don’t lie

Case Study • Vandana Mehra, Manish Lohana, WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

Baby care brand Pampers created a programme of paediatrician-led workshops to boost nappy sales by targeting young mothers and their mothers-in-law in India.

Barclaycard: Monkey Business - Fraud Fighter Tool

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - UK, Gold, 2018

Barclaycard, a multinational credit card and payment services provider, engaged UK customers and warned them of the dangers of fraud by launching a stunt in a zoo and encouraging people to visit its Fraud Fighter tool.

Genesis: Genesis x Refinery29 x Inc

Case Study • Finola Austin, Drew Kerr, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

Genesis, the luxury vehicle division of vehicle manufacturer Hyundai, achieved a brand lift by generating awareness, familiarity, and preference among professional women aged 25-54 in the US.

KFC: Gamers' Playground

Case Study • Summer Liu, WARC Media Awards, Gold, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

KFC, the fast-food brand, used a partnership with a video game to increase sales in China.

NIIT Technologies: Innovating Easy

Case Study • Direct Marketing Association - UK, Silver, 2018

NIIT, a management training company, promoted its company as an innovation partner by launching an office takeover in Atlanta as part of an account-based marketing (ABM) campaign.

Refinery29: 29Rooms 2017

Case Study • Finola Austin, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

Refinery29, the women-focused media publisher, created 29Rooms 2017 which brought the digital-first brand into real life to connect brands with millennial and Gen Z consumers in a more experiential way in the US.

Listerine: Bring Out the Bold – Listerine and The Voice

Case Study • Mario Mejia, Laura Murcia, Sandrino Vejar, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2018

Mouthwash brand Listerine partnered with TV programme The Voice to reach audiences across Latin America.

Volvo: Racing the Sun

Case Study • Dario Cosmelli, Chris Kilroy, WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Use of Tech, 2018

Volvo, the car brand, used livestreams and VR around a solar eclipse to showcase its new XC60 model in the US.

National Safety Council: Prescribed to Death

Case Study • Lauren Brown, WARC Media Awards, Grand Prix and Early Adopter Award, Effective Use of Tech, 2018

American non-profit organisation, the National Safety Council, raised awareness of prescription opioid overdose in the US with an innovative live experience, supported by a multimedia campaign.

Kia Cadenza: Luxury Transformed

Case Study • Caryn Wiley-Rapoport, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2018

Automobile brand Kia created a live immersive experience, supported by digital, social and search, to raise awareness and drives sales of its Cadenza model in the US.

Gillette Deodorants: I don't roll on Shabbos

Case Study • Gilad Kat, WARC Media Awards, Gold, Effective Channel Integration, 2018

Gillette deodorant used a multimedia approach, biblical texts and a battle of synagogues to appeal to the Orthodox Jewish community in Israel.

Gillette India: Bachelor of Shaving

Case Study • Mitesh Soni, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2018

Safety razor brand Gillette Guard Razor drove sales in under-performing states in India through an educational approach.

Sangobion Iron+: Bloody Concert

Case Study • Melissa Garrovillo, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2018

Iron supplement brand Sangobion Iron+ used online music video, OOH and online ads to persuade people to have blood tests to detect anaemia in the Philippines.

The Women’s Foundation: #MyRealCareerLine

Case Study • Jocelyn Tse, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2018

Non-profit organisation The Women’s Foundation created a fake plastic surgery clinic to spark social media buzz and challenge gender stereotypes in the workplace and the media in Hong Kong.

Neurobion: Nerve Therapy Trip

Case Study • Melissa Garrovillo, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2018

B-vitamin supplement brand Neurobion used an experiential campaign to increase market share in the Philippines.

Cathay Pacific: Wake up fresh in Europe

Case Study • Amanda Shapiro, Tracy Lui, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2018

Cathay Pacific, the airline, needed to promote three new European routes to people in Hong Kong.

Coke: Coca-Cola Food Fest 2018

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Finalist, Vietnam, 2018

Coca-Cola, the carbonated soft drink brand, reaffirmed its position as the favourite drink to go with food by starting a food festival in Vietnam.

Saigon Special: Make it your SPECIAL SUMMER

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Finalist, Vietnam, 2018

Saigon Special, a beer brand, created a beach festival to improve brand experience in Vietnam.