Word-of-mouth marketing can be one of the most impactful strategies a company uses to increase business. Consumers trust the people they know to recommend services or products. As a result, these conversations about personal experiences with a company often bring in new consumers. When companies master word-of-mouth marketing, they expand their reach beyond a single campaign or event. So how can you take your business to the next level using this strategy?

Understanding Word of Mouth Advertising

The most successful word-of-mouth advertising comes from great customer experiences. This could be a person who owns a product and shares it with a friend or an event they attended sponsored by a company. Memorable experiences and interactions with a business increase the likelihood that a consumer will talk about this with a peer. Because people trust their friends’ and family’s experiences, they are more likely to try what those close to them recommend.

This helps to fill the gap when commercials or other advertisements fail to reach a target audience. For example, some young adults may be skeptical of a celebrity recommending a product because they know this person is getting compensated for their review. However, the same review from a friend is often effective because of their personal relationship.

Experiential and Word of Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing doesn’t only come from people who use a product or service regularly. In fact, some of the best advertising for businesses comes from conversations during and after an experiential marketing campaign. Here are a few examples of how these two strategies can work together:

1. Tangible Takeaways: One of our most recent projects featured a collaboration between Crocs and Jellysmack at VidCon ‘22. Here, attendees could customize a pair of Crocs with Jellysmack jibbitz. This is something they could wear throughout the conference and take home with them. The brightly colored shoes and charms encourage word-of-mouth marketing as people talk about their unique footwear, expanding the reach of Jellysmack’s popup. 

2. Memorable Moments: VidCon ‘22 was definitely the place to be for memorable moments. We worked with Spotify to create an Audio Aura immersive experience. Participants had the opportunity to get their picture taken and aura read. Different aura colors were displayed on the wall with a description and Spotify code to scan. This code connected to a playlist for conference-goers to add their favorite song. The use of colors and personal connections to the product certainly prompted conversations about this experience.

3. Perfect Photo Ops: Stunning backdrops and theming encourage customers to take pictures at events. Intentional marketing experiences create a fun environment that people want to remember. We partnered with The Hampton Social in Nashville, Tennessee as they hosted The Pink Party at the beginning of the summer. Known for their Rose All Day room, this campaign featured 99 rose bottles in an ombre pink design. Attendees took pictures in front of the cascading flower wall to share with friends on social media. Well-designed photo opportunities often lead to conversations about the person’s experience, expanding the market reach.

MadeFirst Experiential Marketing Campaigns

At MadeFirst, our goal is to bring your vision to life. We work with your business to create a design plan that best fits your target audience and desired budget. Our campaigns reach far beyond the experience itself. We ensure your consumers have something they can take away from your popup to expand your impact. Your satisfaction is our priority, so you are an integral part of each stage of our design and building process. This means you can rest assured that nothing will be a surprise. If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, contact us today.