EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL

FREEMAN ON HOW TO GROW AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

USINGneuroscienceto enhance your event

5IVEACTIONSTO TAKENOW!

{smart}EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL

FREEMAN ON HOW TO GROW AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

USINGneuroscienceto enhance your event

5IVEACTIONSTO TAKENOW!

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Build attachments between your brand and customers, and understand the deep meaning of that relationship. Marketers know how important exhibitions and trade shows are for building strong bonds with customers, and they factor this into their budgets.

Would you like to enhance audience engagement as part of your event marketing endeavors? Gain more customers and fans? The field of neuroscience is used by leading companies to enhance marketing initiatives – and with great success. Simply defined, neuroscience uses brain research to understand why people make the decisions they do and how emotions come into play.

Using experience principles founded in neuroscience and based on the work of Steve Walden at Beyond Philosophy, it’s possible to differentiate your event or exhibit programs by creating more emotional value. Here are simple ideas you can implement to create a stronger emotional connection.

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EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE

MARKETING& Loretta Hudelot Senior Manager of Customer Insight and Research at Freeman

EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL PRINCIPLE #1

It’s about what customers want from an experience at a deeper level.

EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL PRINCIPLE #2

Sometimes we don’t know what influences us – we just subconsciously perceive it.

Someone might buy a car and say the decision was based on price, but the key influencing difference may really be the interior layout (think cup holders). Customers perceive value from seemingly inconsequential touch points.

Swag, for example, is more important than you may think for an engaging experience. Giveaways make a noticeable difference in encouraging visitors. The trick to positively impacting business is to provide swag that reinforces your desired strategy.

ACTION #1People crave experiences which create deep personal connections. Encourage activities to better understand customer goals and provide experiences that strengthen relationships.

ACTION #2Emotional wows make a difference in how people decide. What can you do to create experiences that engage ‘for the simple emotional hit they can give?’

TRADE SHOWS CLAIM THE BIGGESTPORTION OF B2B MARKETING BUDGETS

TRADE SHOWS

EMAILMARKETING

33%

12%

9%

*Companies with more than 1000 employees, Marketing Sherpa, 12/11

SWAGisimportant

52%say they’re more likely to visit an exhibit with giveaways. Swag with the right strategy can positively impact business.

American Marketing Association, 12/11

WEB DESIGN MGMT

FIG. 1.1

FIG. 2.1

Enjoy!

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EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL PRINCIPLE #3

Emotional twinges affect our “in the moment” decision- making and behavior.

Have you considered that too much negative news might actually trigger a double dip recession? If people believe the economy is bad, they’ll stop spending and the economy won’t improve. This principle builds on such thinking.

We want to be associated with winners – or products/services that impart an impression of confidence. The events industry outperformed the U.S. GDP, events budgets are increasing and attendees are more optimistic.

ACTION #3Package positive messages about the health of the industry to encourage more participation in events.

EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL PRINCIPLE #4

We identify a moral code in what we do, even if not directly relevant to the purchase at hand.

When customers have a relationship with a company, they want to see the good that company does. Eco-friendly activities or donate-as-you-buy programs are examples of this. These ‘morally good’ campaigns reflect on who the company is as an organization and can influence any other information customers receive.

What if your event or exhibit had a cause that drove action by attaching a moral benefit to a marketing tactic? Perhaps make a donation to a cause for every booth visitor or for a website visit via a mobile or virtual channel. For Thanksgiving 2011, Pepto-Bismol donated meals to the hungry for every Facebook “like” they received that day.

ACTION #4Consider a contribution to a moral cause, at any level, AND actively communicate this to your customer base.

EXPERIENCE

INFLUENCE

EMOTION

MORALCODESOCIAL PRINCIPLE #5

We like to be seen as part of the group.

Customers enjoy feeling they are part of a community – which may explain the popularity of social media. Being with like-minded others fills subconscious needs for being heard, appreciated, supported and remembered.

In the events industry, associations are a good example. The top reason why people join is to network. And in 2011, associations experienced strong growth for total membership, new members and renewals.

ACTION #5Provide ample opportunities for your customers to connect and engage in community activities. Optimize these efforts by creating communities of customers with similar mindsets.

The number of people using social networking sites has

doubled since 2008,and the population has gotten older.

78%

of attendees report they are more optimistic aboutattending events.Virtual Edge Institute, 11/11

+ + + +

Pew Research, 6/11

FIG. 3.1

FIG. 5.1

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Let go of pre-conceived marketing ideas and let Freeman help you set your brand apart with our integrated experiential solutions. Contact us today about how we can help you compose a complete face-to-face brand strategy.

800.453.9228freemanco.com/action