Tag: experiential marketing

August 29, 2010 • Blog • no comments

Social technologies and networks have driven demand for meet-ups like Social Media Breakfast

One of the greatest misunderstandings about the rise of social media platforms is that it will replace the need for being physically present at places and events. After all, it is far cheaper contacting somebody via Twitter, Internet Messaging, Facebook or Skype than to meet them in the flesh.

Now that social technologies have gone mobile, your iPad, iPhone, android or symbian smartphone allows you to plug in and participate in conversations 24 by 7. Need richer levels of interaction? Simply get a mobile broadband device or tether your 3.5G phone to your laptop and you can share documents, wikis, blog posts, presentation slides, spreadsheets and more.

Singapore’s Pavilion @ Shanghai World Expo

June 5, 2010 • Blog • 1 comment

At the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the country pavilions are especially significant as they are iconic representations of what each country has to offer. After visiting those from Europe and the Americas, as well as those closer to home in China, Australia and Southeast Asia, how does Singapore’s Pavilion compare?

Join me for an in-depth tour of the Singapore Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

Designed by architect Tan Kay Ngee, the Singapore Pavilion’s theme is Urban Symphony. Evoking images of a music box, it “forms an orchestra of elements and a symphony for the senses – from the choreography of the plaza’s water fountain, the rhythm of fenestrations on the façade, the interplay of sounds and visuals, to the mélange of flora on the roof garden.”

Touring Asia & Australia at the Shanghai World Expo

May 30, 2010 • Blog • no comments

After visiting the various country pavillions in the European and American zones of the Shanghai World Expo, we focused our attention on the regions closer to home. Due to the shortage of time, we could only enter the Singapore pavillion as the queues to most of the Asian pavillions were rather formidable. However, I did manage to take some quick external shots of the various Asian pavillions which captured my interest.

Here’s a brief photographic journey of some of the pavillions which we saw.

Indonesia’s pavillion looked pretty impressive in terms of size, albeit a little like a typical conference building with the flags and pillars and all.

A Visual Tour of Shanghai World Expo

May 23, 2010 • Blog • 3 comments

Targeting to be the most visited World Expo event in history with an ambitious 70 to 100 million visitors, the Shanghai World Expo, is also the most expensive ever held in the history of the world’s fairs. Considered to also be the largest (yes, they do love superlatives there!) at 5.28 square km, the World Expo is themed “Better City – Better Life”, signifying Shanghai’s new status in the 21st century at the “next great world city“. More than 190 countries and more than 50 international organisations have participated in the Shanghai World Expo.

Located at downtown Shanghai covering either side of the Huangpu River, the pavilions of the official corporate partners of World Expo (like Coca-Cola) are on the northern bank of the river, along with the Urban Best Practice Area while the south bank of the river are the national pavilions, Chinese pavilion, and the World Expo Park.

Join me for a pictorial journey of the World Expo, beginning with the European pavillions.

Coca-Cola’s Brand-sational World Expo Pavillion

May 15, 2010 • Blog • 2 comments

My visit to the Coca-Cola Pavillion at the Shanghai World Expo was certainly one of the highlights of my trip. As a geek who firmly believes in the virtues of experiential marketing, branded entertainment and transmedia storytelling, I was almost brought to tears (fanboy style) by Coke’s immaculate attention to details here.

Every single consumer touchpoint in its pavillion, fashioned after its world-famous “Happiness Factory” transmedia campaign, was a 360 degree brand encounter. The entire holistic and immersive experience was orchestrated to stimulate the senses, from sight, sound, scent, taste to touch. For Coca-Cola fans, it was also highly emotional and community bonding.

Let me bring you through the journey.

6 Ways to Make it Worth Their Time

September 25, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

Customers should feel as relaxed as spending a day at the beach

While browsing various blogs, websites and news feeds today, I was suddenly hit by a thought. What if we make it more enjoyable for our customers to transact and purchase from us? In other words, improve the quality of their time spent with us.

As many would have heard, time is often more precious than money. You can’t buy a day, an hour or even the second that has slipped by. As the saying goes “Carpe Diem!” or “Seize the Day!” goes, one doesn’t want to waste precious discretionary time doing something utterly boring, meaningless or frustrating. The best way to avoid the ravages of time – at least to your consumer – is to offer an experience that is so compelling and “magical” that they no longer remember that they are spending their precious days of leave spending hard earned cash on you.

Marketing Nuances (or Its The Little Things…)

July 7, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

Have you wondered what differentiates hits from misses? Or why you prefer to purchase a particular brand of toothpaste over another despite their qualitative attributes (taste, fluoride protection, breath freshening, tartar control) being equal?

The answer – like God – is in the details.

7 As of Marketing Experiences

January 12, 2007 • Business and Management, Public Relations • 1 comment

Sprite Shower – a great example of experiential marketing (courtesy of Exact Drive)

How do you market a theme park, museum, or holiday resort? Do the traditional 4 Ps of Product, Price, Place and Promotion still work?

The answer certainly lies less in your marketing mix and more in what I’d call your Experience Mix.

Why Experience Truly Matters

February 28, 2006 • Business and Management • 3 comments

Recently, at the National Library, I learnt a couple of new things about the importance of experiential marketing from eminent professor Bernd Schmitt.

Let me summarize the key learning points for you.