Jenni Eley, head of events, ITV
ITV has a mission to turn viewers into fans and consumer experiential activity is an increasingly vital part of this strategy. Face-to-face interaction with our brand and content is a powerful way to connect with audiences. As part of targeted marketing campaigns, consumer activations around our shows drive awareness, brand love, social buzz and, ultimately, viewing figures.
Our first B2C foray in 2014 welcomed more than 30,000 fans to our World Cup Fever Pitch experience, and our Jekyll & Hyde screenings last October sold out for all four events. We're ramping up activity in 2016 with First Look preview screening events planned around upcoming dramas on ITV.
The channel aims to create, shape and drive the conversation of the nation. Our B2C event activity reinforces our positioning and spreads the message; 2016 is about opening the doors to new viewers, existing fans and cutting through in a crowded TV market.
Leigh Debbage, creative director, Premier
It is a very exciting time for media brands embracing experiential, from TV launches to Blu-ray release campaigns. There is real hunger from media, the public and social platforms to see our favourite entertainment products brought to life, and PR stunts and experiential activations are a fantastic way of doing this.
Film and television fans in the UK forge very personal connections to characters, sets, vehicles and props, and any way we can create first-hand experiences bringing these to life can make for very successful launches.
We have had great success with unique and eye-catching builds. Whether we are bursting a Jurassic World mosasaurus from the Thames or adding a fifth lion to Trafalgar Square for the launch of Nat Geo Wild's Big Cat Week, stunts like this really capture the public imagination and give media fantastic picture and broadcast opportunities.
Marina Hadyn, SVP circulation and retail marketing, The Economist
We have been looking for new marketing methodology, outside of the digital space, to complement our current non-digital marketing mix. Experiential emerged from a small, successful trial activation that ran in London about 18 months ago, to now being a strategic content-marketing pillar with global scale.
It allows us to communicate with real people, in the real world. But we must make outstanding use of their time and create an unforgettable experience based on true Economist content.
Creating insect ice creams enabled us to reach potential readers. We also increased shares of the experiences through our social media channels, as people enjoyed posting that they had just eaten their first insect ice cream or insect crepe with us.
The biggest challenge is ensuring activity creates curiosity, self-selecting those who are also likely to be subscribers by the campaign's very nature.
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