Some Tips on Marketing the Experience
Friday, January 25, 2013 7:55 PM by Betty Brennan in Other
Intangible products can be difficult to market to consumers. What is the best way for your company to present an item that someone isn’t able to pick-up, examine or compare with other similar products? Marketing an experience can be difficult, whether it’s a walk through an exhibition, a rollercoaster ride or a hike on a trail, how do you sell something that is extremely intangible?
When talking about marketing an intangible product or service, there is a spectrum. For example, while a hair cut is a service, customers still walk away with a result they can see. While going to an exhibition at a Museum leaves the customer with only their own memories and feelings about what they just saw. The latter is the most difficult to market to customers. Continuing with the exhibition example, customers need to have an idea of what they will see, learn and experience once they are in the exhibit. This is typically done through descriptions or summaries of the exhibit themes and images of artifacts. However, if the Museum reveals too much about what is included in the exhibit, the customer could be disappointed. They could possibly leave with the feeling that everything was presented upfront and there were nothing to surprise them. It would be like paying to see a movie when you already know the whole plot and the ending. But if the Museum holds back and doesn’t properly market what the exhibit is about, customers might feel mislead or find they are not interested in what the exhibit presents.
To find this happy middle marketing ground, first take a look at the target audience. Are you marketing to families with small children, young professionals, older generations or a very special interest group? Once this is established, it will be easier to determine what the members of these groups look for in your intangible product. For the Museum exhibition, a family might be looking for something the small children can enjoy with touchable objects and interactive components. The special interest group would look for something that went deeper into a topic in which they already had knowledge.
After determining the needs of these groups, marketing should be focused on truthfully portraying the product and how the group can expect to feel after the experience. Are they taking away memories of family fun? Will they learn something new or see something that would have otherwise been unavailable to them? Is this a feel-good experience or are they going to leave with deeper more solemn thoughts? Finding the balance between too little and too much information will then be easier. Descriptions and images can reflect what customers will essentially take away from their experience. Whether it’s the heart pounding sensation of sky diving or a relaxing meditative state from a walk in a garden, customers will be happier if the marketed experience is what they receive.
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