Ryan Robinson: “Experiential Is Perfect for Word-of-Mouth Marketing”
While digital experiences were the only way for brands and marketers to reach consumers for the better stretch of two years (don’t mention the ‘c’ word!), they set the stage for experiential marketing. For years, brands have been dipping their toes into the murky waters of experiential while trying to find ways to reach consumers in new and innovative ways. At its heart, experiential marketing tries to engage consumers through participatory events.
Why go experiential? The answer is both simple and complex. Simply, it is a way to offer consumers something different and make a brand distinct from other brands. Every company and brand now has a website, social media presence, and possibly engages in traditional TV advertising too; taking the experiential route expands presence in a fresh way. The more complex answer is that experiential creates a sense of emotional connection for consumers towards their favourite brands and IPs, and we know that emotion is the most powerful tool in a marketer’s toolbox.
Blacklist Creative’s broadcast roots mean that the company has been at the forefront of the shift from traditional advertising to immersive experiences. The independent creative agency and production studio has had a hand in leading and shaping some of the biggest experiential events in recent memory for Warner Brothers (for titles like Rick and Morty, The Powerpuff Girls, and Adventure Time), Prime Video’s The Grand Tour, Comedy Central’s Last One Laughing, Halo, Top Gun: Maverick, Minion’s, Jurassic World and many, many more. As experts in the space, Blacklist understands acutely how to bring grand creative visions to life while ensuring that it aligns with clients’ objectives and maintains brand integrity.
Today, LBB spoke to Ryan Robinson, art director, about Blacklist’s predictions about the growth of experiential, the benefits that brands can reap from expanding into this marketing sector, and why experiential can only be successful when done right.
LBB> Tell us a little bit about how Blacklist first got into experiential – what are some of your early successes in the space?
Ryan> Over the years, broadcasting clients have shifted their attention from traditional marketing to more captivating immersive experiences. Along with our clients’ new ways of working, Blacklist knows the importance of experiential and have educated, adapted and pushed themselves to be experts in this field. More and more, our audiences want to share their lives and experiences on social media, and social buzz is the main driver for this shift in thinking.
Blacklist not only knows how important this field is, but as fans ourselves we know that after binge watching a TV show or experiencing an exciting movie we - the audience - want to continue to immerse ourselves into these worlds outside of the screen – then share these moments with friends or family. After looking at some of the data from some of our first experiential builds, which reached millions of impressions, we learned very early on that this space, whether it’s a cool out-of-home installation, an immersive experience, or a full blown theme park, is just going to grow – and as storytellers it’s an area of the business that we not only love to create, but love to enjoy too!
LBB> What’s your background when it comes to experiential?
Ryan> As a new Blacklister, I’m already getting stuck into a handful of projects that I am so excited to share (when I’m allowed)! But personally, some of my own early successes in this space come from my time at Warner Brothers (more specifically, Cartoon Network). Any experiential event which made the audience want to take photos and share their experiences were an instant success – whether that was a giant alien bursting out of the ground or a live experience where you save the world!
I think there’s nothing more captivating for a brand than a theme park, and one of the most exciting projects we are currently working on at Blacklist Creative is to create the ultimate immersive experience with arguably the world's biggest (and coolest) luxury brand. This will be my third park I am helping to create, and it’s bigger and more ambitious than anything I’ve ever done – watch this space...
LBB> More brands are trying to move into experiential – why do you think this shift is happening now? Did the pandemic affect brands’ thinking around this at all?
Ryan> The audience’s desire for real-life interactions has certainly increased post-pandemic. After two years of being locked down and keeping social distance, and with social media completely intertwined in everyone’s lives, more than ever we all want real-life interactions, and to share these interactions with the world (something even I’m guilty of!). Brands have had to adapt to this new way of thinking in a physical space, because if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that people need one another, and experiential marketing is perfect for that. Technology will keep getting better and is more accessible than ever, which means these experiential experiences will happen more and more and all brands will have to keep up. As we are potentially entering a recessionary year, more than ever brands will be moving into more experience-based marketing to grab the attention of both the audience and the media, and bring light and fun to a world that might get hit badly this year.
LBB> How can experiential be used to expand on existing IP and what are the benefits?
Ryan> The most obvious benefit for experiential marketing on IPs is that it creates very strong brand awareness. This brand awareness helps the audience understand an IPs story and ensures the brand leaves a lasting impression. In-person experiences are also visually enticing. The audience is curious and wants to learn more, engage in the experience and share on their social network. Existing IPs fans of the brand can continue their love for their favourite TV show or immerse themselves physically in a video game they have only played virtually. This creates a positive brand image and drives word-of-mouth. We all know when the audience enjoys an experience they often tell the world about it, and experiential is perfect for word-of-mouth marketing.
LBB> What are the main considerations brands should have in mind when translating IP into the experiential format?
Ryan> You’ve got to stay true to the brand. Fans of the IP will soon let you know if this isn’t the case! In order to get a fully immersive experience - to get that share on Instagram or like on Facebook, and to get the audience to fully interact and share that experience, the creative must be consistent and the brand story must be respected. In terms of the experiential, taking location into consideration is also important, as well as knowing our audience in the region. We run campaigns all across Europe and always take into account where these experiences take place to really truly maximise results.
LBB> What makes Blacklist’s approach to experiential unique, in your view?
Ryan> We have some of the most incredible in-house talent in the business. I’m seriously impressed at all the knowledge we have here and have some of the greatest minds I have ever worked with. We have recently won a huge pitch for an incredible IP and this was purely down to the fact that we are not only story-tellers and creative minds, but experts in strategy and solutions. What makes us stand out from the competition is that we have a European infostructure which allows us to both culturally and geographically design and create the right experiential experience, in the right context, to speak to the right audience. We work on-site and get completely stuck-in and hands on with every project we work on to get the best solution possible. We also have a great relationship with the media owners, who we work with very closely.
LBB> What do you think is on the horizon for experiential marketing – how is it likely to present and evolve over the coming year?
Ryan> As discussed, the pandemic really limited our opportunity to share live experiences and socialise with our friends and family. Post-pandemic has made us realise the importance of collective experiences. Yet the future of experiential will involve new and engaging live branded experiences. Digital amplification and motion technology will mean that more people will get to experience experiential events that utilise the ever-changing AR technology. Brands will also make use of all five senses to create campaigns that go beyond a selfie for Instagram, to provide a memorable, personalised, experience that will stay with the audience. I also believe that brands will see experiential marketing as a hugely considered part of an overall campaign and marketing strategy, instead of being a ‘nice to have’ element in a much larger campaign.
