Experiential Marketing relevant for B2B

Customer loyalty is equal to the collection of positive experiences which produce positive customer emotions. The more positive experiences customers have, the stronger their loyalty and therefore the stronger the brand. But don’t take my word for it. CMO Magazine has written a great article on how more B2B companies are using experiential marketing and includes 4 great case studies – including IBM.

Consumer brand builders like Starbucks and other retailers have been thinking about customer experience for more than a decade. But the approach of most B2B marketers to connecting with customers is still stuck in Powerpoint mode. The experiential marketing trend holds promise in helping transform our industry's marketing from a product orientation to more of a client orientation.

Come to find out that IBM has a guy with the title of "program director of brand experience design". He argues that business clients are not emotionally inured, and bring to any decision the same mix of human qualities usually attributed solely to consumers – and consumer marketing. What a concept.

Don’t think that just because your technology product or service is complicated and your messages very specific that your company can’t improve its user experiences, CMO explains. Examples the article cites include how to “sex up” experiences most of us already control and execute – such as call center scripts and product roadshows.

Here's a summary of the article's guidelines for a memorable customer experience:

• Make sure the information or entertainment imparted is truly relevant to the customer, not just to you
• Involve a rank of influencers are the client company - not just the buyer - for a more collegial, communal experience
• Make sure it’s delivered clearly in a limited time frame that respects busy schedules
• Leave plenty of time for conversation and interaction. Keep it high level and strategic to create a more consultative experience.
• Find ways to delay introducing your technology into the experience, and then showcase only what it enables for end users
• Avoid talking about your industry and competitors

Finally, the experiential marketing experience created doesn’t have to be an expensive, full-day exercise that demands customer immersion in some fictional world of your creation. How about sprucing up that lobby of yours to make it more warm and inviting?

Remember the cardinal rules of customer-driven brands (i.e. ALL brands):
Every experience communicates Brand. The customer experience is the Brand.