Building Meaningful Brand Experiences: The How-To Essential strategies for effective experiential marketing

Rachel Lewandowska, Managing Director of AVANT GARDE London, a brand experience agency, underscores the importance of understanding both a brand's identity and its audience.

In this exclusive interview, she highlights how authentic storytelling, consumer insights, and digital integration are key to building meaningful connections and creating lasting brand experiences for entrepreneurs.

What are the best practices to create a cohesive brand narrative in an experiential campaign?

"To craft a cohesive narrative as part of a brand experience campaign, there needs to be a deep understanding of the brand; what it stands for, where it comes from, its' values, its' purpose. This is then coupled with a thorough understanding of the audience and what will resonate with them. Contextual relevance must be considered too, some campaigns may land extremely well in certain environments vs others. Combining the unique offering of the brand with the audience insight, a single-minded proposition is developed as the springboard for own-able creative narratives.

The 'space' where audiences engage, whether physically or digitally provides a playground for the narrative to be explored. A narrative usually follows the traditional storytelling format of a beginning, middle and end, however this isn't confined to one type of space. Meaning audiences can start to discover the brand across touchpoints that are native or new to them. The key to making the experience (and brand narrative) memorable is providing peak moments where the audience is provoked emotionally - surprised, delighted, happy, moved, etc."

How can brands effectively utilise consumer feedback to refine their campaigns?

"Data collected within campaigns can be used to optimise experiences. At AVANTGARDE we have a proprietary tool which monitors how consumers move around a space so we can understand which elements are more or less engaging. The unique facial recognition software identifies emotional reactions. This collection of data points provides us with the opportunity to react and adapt brand experiences thus maximising their effectiveness."

Related: Transforming Ideas into Impactful Brands

What strategies do you suggest for integrating digital elements into traditional experiential marketing efforts?

"Consumers live their lives bouncing between physical and digital spaces so digital integration should provide a seamless consumer experience. Nowadays any activation will have a digital component, even if it's as simple as the way people sign into an experience, capture it using their own device or share it post. What's more compelling now - is how innovation in technology opens up more ways to expand spaces, narratives and exploration. We have a global creative tech division, EDGE, whose purpose is to enhance consumer experience through innovation."

How can brands ensure that their experiential marketing efforts resonate emotionally with their target audience?

"Understanding passions, communities, sub-cultures, provide brands with ways to forge deeper connections - when leveraged authentically. Consumers are looking to brands to be more than commodities. There is now so much choice, so the brand they choose is more important than ever. They want to buy, consume, interact and connect with brands that mean

something to them. Creating experiences allows brands to truly show up. It provides the opportunity for two-way conversation. Ultimately providing an environment to connect more deeply than any other channel."

What common pitfalls should brands avoid when planning and executing an experiential campaign?

Looking inward: "Brand experiences built without the consumer in mind generally fail to resonate. This happens when an experience is created solely with the brands' ambition as a priority. It's like meeting someone who only talks about themself - the listener begins to disengage. It's important to understand what resonates with consumers, what's motivating them, what's relevant to them in that moment, how they can be part of the narrative, for example through co-creation. Inauthenticity - Consumers are savvy and can see when brands aren't authentic. For example, working with partners which aren't aligned to the brand's values, or attaching the brand to a property which interests the consumer but not fully investing in the partnership."

Too complicated: "Brand experiences can take consumers on immersive journeys through the brand's world, they can have multi-layered touchpoints and messages. However, simplicity is still important - ensuring consumers have a clear takeout."

How can smaller brands with limited budgets create impactful experiential marketing experiences?

"Brand experience is one of the channels that can provide real cut through on lower budgets. The key is not trying to do too much. It's possible to create a small, yet impactful experience which will engage a few, however through innovative tech and amplification can reach the many. Thus, providing a strong return on investment."

Related: Seven Steps to Build a Successful Brand with Holistic Principles