How can you truly appreciate a product or service without experiencing it firsthand? For many, even in our digital-first society, the answer to that question remains the same as it always has: you can’t. At 7 Communications, we work with some of the world’s most renowned brands to help bring to life their brand ethos in the hearts and minds of Canadian consumers.

As an account manager, I’ve seen the impact that a well-delivered experiential marketing (XM) campaign for our automotive clients can have. Again and again, in real-time. I’ve been really fortunate to have managed multi-million-dollar programs for world-class clients, but my conviction on the importance of in-person experiences started even before I joined the team here.

I had a lucrative start in the automotive business. It started with me selling pizza in the restaurant attached to my family’s auction business. I learned the different makes and models by watching them drive past me while my uncle rhymed off their qualifications, as my grandfather had done before him. (Their auctioneering is still one of my favourite things to listen to).

From there, it didn’t take much to ignite an automotive passion in me. I was surrounded by great people who mirrored my enthusiasm for this fascinating world and were all too eager to share the experiences as well—experiences like my first ride in a Lamborghini, learning to drive standard, or watching my grandfather’s car race at Barrie Speedway.

I could also look to my mom, my aunt, and my older cousin as women in the industry, proof that femininity in the automotive realm wasn’t out of the ordinary. And now, I find myself with a partner who calls himself a professional driver (though the jury is still out on the 'professional' part).

Would I be so into cars if I didn’t have these real-life experiences? Probably not. Because I wouldn’t have known what I was missing. As the world continues to progress digitally, there are many reasons experiential marketing is one of the most important parts of the marketing mix.

Here are five reasons why experiential marketing is more crucial today than ever, and how it can make a significant impact on your brand:

1. Passion and excitement drive purchase intent: In my experience, no marketing metric quite compares in effectiveness to that of 'butts in seats'. (Yes, that is a semi-professional term.) I have witnessed time and time again, the radiant smiles that guests have etched on their faces following an exciting drive event which is one of the most rewarding parts about my job. Some may argue that a vehicle purchase is a conscious and well-informed decision that takes considerable thought and planning, and I would absolutely agree, but I for one would not purchase a car that I wasn’t excited about driving. And that is what we do best. We generate excitement from the comfort of a prospects driveway or take them away from home to experience a brand as it was meant to be experienced or as part of a brand collaboration like this.
   
2. A comfortable learning environment: The automotive world can be an intimidating one. Technology is constantly evolving, vehicles are getting more and more efficient, and there is just so much to know. One of the things I love about our drive programs are the teams of professional drivers who have worked on every brand imaginable and are typically at the forefront of our XM programming. They know cars, and they can provide customers with a sales-free education while they demonstrate the vehicle's key features. No pressure, no incentives, just teaching guests about the vehicles and what they are capable of.
   
3. You still can’t digitally recreate 'the drive': If you do figure out how, I’d like to invest in your company. Nothing replaces the sound of the engine starting, the feeling as your car sticks to a winding road, or my personal favourite, 'that new car smell'. And as much as my partner loves his racing simulator that resides in our basement, there is no chance he would ever choose to stay at home and plug in rather than climb into the seat of his race car. 'The drive' remains a full sensory experience, one that is not easily replaced by a computer screen. Here’s an example that I managed for my favourite Italian brand!
   
4. Think of the Content: A good story can come in any shape or size. If you deliver an event worth talking about, the rest will come naturally. And if you strategically obsess over every detail, it’s likely that your brand will be shared in an authentic way that resonates with others through storytelling. Whether they’re talked about over dinner between friends or shared on social media to thousands of followers, well-executed events (like this one we delivered in collaboration with BMW to help introduce the BMW X7 iPerformance concept and BMW M5 to Canadians) provide a catalyst for powerful brand conversation.
   
5. Think of the data!: There are countless data-capture opportunities for those behind experiential programs. Invitation open rates, RSVPs, and show rates are just a few that event programmers can capture before their guests’ experience even begins. But that’s not even the most valuable data we can collect! When your customers arrive on-site to experience a drive program, you have gained access to something very valuable: their time. In that duration of time (whether it be a brief brand session or a full-day experience) there are endless possibilities on the data you can capture.
   

Thanks for reading! We’d love to share more about us and what we can do for you. I invite you to read a bit more about us here.

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