One of the things we talk about a lot at GPJ is getting our clients’ audiences not just hands-on with the product or service, but to ultimately get them “minds-on”, meaning that whoever the individual is – a customer, partner, employee, media etc. – there is a moment in which they must internalize the brand and recognize its value.

The experience itself is simply the gateway to this more important goal.

After all, how many times have you had an experiential moment with a brand in which you didn’t really get the proverbial point?If you’re like us, probably pretty often. It’s obvious when marketers focus on getting “out there” in the marketplace (a lot of sampling programs come to mind) without thinking through all the dimensions that make experiential such a unique and powerful communications medium.

Folks often neglect to imbue execution of the campaign with the necessary “trigger moments” that shift customers from a mindset of entertainment, education or even just pleasurable diversion to that of engagement, where the mind is actively examining and evaluating how the brand is suited to their needs and wants.

The point: getting “minds on” might be a useful lens for any brand to consider using when creating everything from a bricks-and-mortar retail strategy to re-launching a brand website to designing a new global trade show program. The principle applies in all scenarios.

Check out how we put it to work last year for Chobani Yogurt’s first-ever Olympics sponsorship activation.

Read More