Have you ever heard of a “brand recipe”? Or, how about a “chef engagement?”
No? Let me explain.
Not all food is created equal, especially in our world of brand strategy and activation. We believe so strongly about this that we don’t even use the word hospitality at Breaking Limits.
Do you know the 4 Ps of marketing and how to use them? Do you have a working knowledge of basic design principles? Are you clear on your brand’s strategic advantage and how to leverage it with target customers? If you are charged with experiential marketing for your company and can’t answer these questions with absolute certainty, it’s okay. If the agency you’re paying can’t answer these questions, it’s not okay.
From my vantage point, there is a gap between the hard work that is being done for major brands at the CMO and Director-level to develop foundational marketing plans designed to drive sales and the on-the-ground experiential and activation of the plan. Agencies are being hired, logos are being placed, Pantones are matched. Yet I don’t see a lot of consideration for the 4 Ps. There isn’t much evidence of leveraging the brand’s strategic advantage throughout the activation. I can’t find application of design principles in creating spaces that feel like the brand to the consumer.
Huge spends – and huge opportunities missed.
Experiential marketing is literally the front line between your brand and your customer, which means every detail matters. Think of it as dating – not swipe-right dating, but real live dating. Your brand has one chance to make an in-person impression on the consumer – and if you really want the relationship, you better make it count. Would you let your 6-year-old little brother dress you to meet the man or woman of your dreams? Then why would you simplify your experiential marketing to simply considering logos and Pantones?
Lighting, flooring, plants and greenery, furniture, fabrics, florals, proportions, traffic flow – these things matter. In the last week alone, I’ve seen prominent crooked logo placements, mismatched and oversized furniture creating spaces too tight for people to move around, half-dead plants, visible trash in clear bags around in activation spaces, out-of-proportion spaces, fenced-in activations that are supposed to be welcoming to all, and guests sitting in near darkness due to lack of lighting consideration.
Breaking Limits does not make these mistakes. Every detail matters to us. You have my commitment as a card-carrying perfectionist that when we say every detail matters, we mean it. We know the 4 Ps and how they work together for your brand’s success. We talk about strategic advantages for our clients literally every day. Our work starts with leveraging design principles and ends with an activation that literally takes on the client’s brand ethos.
If you’re not satisfied with what you’re getting for your experiential marketing spend, DM me. I invite you to poke holes in my commitment and test us. See for yourself that we are legit. I promise this – we are built on the shoulders of champions and we will use our fortitude and resilience to make sure your brand gets the date with your target consumer.
