Jane Dixon talks about the rapidly growing role of Experiential Marketing.

Sam talked with Jane about the changing world of e-commerce and
the rapidly growing role of Experiential
Marketing - what it means for retailers, how it
challenges traditional CRM and loyalty marketing practices both
online & offline?


Experiential marketing is a growing trend which involves
marketing a product or a service through experiences that engage
the customers and create an emotional attachment to the
product/service.


Physical and interactive experiences are used to reinforce the
offer of a product and make customers feel as if they are part of
them.


Experiences are positively related to customer's attitudes, mood
and behaviours. They also represent a means through which a
company can gain a competitive advantage by differentiating
itself from competitors.


To achieve success, experience should be engaging, compelling and
able to touch the customer's senses and capture his/her loyalty.


Nowadays, experiential marketing is getting more technologically
advanced and personalised. The widespread of the Internet and the
increasing competition among online retailers has led to the rise
of Virtual Experiential Marketing (VEM).


VEM uses the Internet and its various channels to create an
enriched and engaging experience by using visual and audio tools.
VEM relies on an electronic environment that engages customers
and arouses their emotional responses to create an unparalleled
experience and consequently capture their loyalty.


The elements which characterize virtual experiential marketing
are: sense, interaction, pleasure, flow and community
relationship. Furthermore, affective involvement has been
identified as a key factor which affects online purchase
intention.


Thus, the online experience must emphasize an emotional appeal to
the consumer in order to build purchase intention.