Why Thomas Created the Rolling Toaster Tour

---

Why Thomas Created the Rolling Toaster Tour

The best way to engage your customers is to interact with them live and in-person because this encourages them to participate with you and your brand in whatever you are offering. This type of marketing is often called experiential marketing, engagement marketing, event marketing, ground marketing, or live marketing. Experiential marketing helps create a closer bond between you and your customers, which is a great way to build brand loyalty and a lifelong following.

How Thomas' Developed a Unique Interactive Breakfast Campaign Unlike Anything Before

Thomas', makers of some of the most popular bagels, English muffins and other fine products, came up with a unique way to get up close and personal with as many people as possible.  And they did this by hitting the streets with a truck and trailer, but not just any truck and trailer, a rolling toaster truck and trailer to be exact.

The Thomas' Rolling Toaster Tour Cross Country Marketing Campaign

Talk about experiential marketing at its best. Thomas' has taken this interactive marketing technique to new heights. They fully customized a trailer that was designed to look like a toaster with a huge bagel and English muffin sticking out of the top. So there was no question about who this was or what they were offering.

Thomas' called this event their "Breakfast Like No Other" tour and it was an instant phenomenon. People all over the country flocked to their trailer when it rolled into town. But then Thomas' took their marketing a few steps further which added a viral element to their efforts.  

What Thomas' Did to Create Excitement, Encourage Engagement and Cause Their Efforts to Go Viral

Obviously, Thomas' Rolling Toaster Tour was a live event that stretched across the country. But how they engaged their customers at each stop was really what skyrocketed their efforts into a marketing sensation.

• Customers were able to order freshly made breakfast sandwiches created by the resident chef.
• While waiting for their order, customers were invited to walk into the giant toaster to take selfies in front of a seven-foot tall English muffin statue. Which was a great tactic for getting their message to go viral.
• Then they were offered a turn at a toaster-themed game that awarded prizes to the winners who then again took selfies of their winnings.
• Once receiving their freshly made breakfast sandwiches, customers were encouraged to eat at one of Thomas' custom designed tables that were built to look like stacks of English muffins and bagels.
• After the meal, Thomas' provided some fun outdoor games such as a Ring Toss, some Cornhole, and KanJam for their customers to enjoy.

The Secret Sauce Thomas' Used to Kickoff Their Tour

To kickoff the tour Thomas' held a special free sampling event at Santa Monica Place to celebrate National Bagel Day. This allowed their customers to be among the first to try their new limited edition Lemon Blueberry flavor that was only offered for six weeks. Then they donated over 2,000 packages of bagels to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

What Thomas' Did That Made This Campaign So Successful

Thomas' made this a memorable interactive experience that no one is likely to forget. And they did this by thinking outside the box, so to speak. They came up with a unique idea for their marketing campaign. Then they continued to drill down their ideas to further ensure its success, as well as turn it into a viral sensation which is ultimately free advertising and unlimited brand exposure. And so much more!

This is the beauty of hosting a live event, one that allows you to get up close and personal with your customers. This is also what helps create loyal, lifetime followers of your brand. It is all about the experience and making your customer feel special and appreciated. If you haven't tried hosting a live event to build your brand and your customer base, you are definitely leaving money on the table. 

How Netflix Created A Gilmore Girls Pop-Up Program with Local Coffee Shops

If you are a planner and looking for a creative idea for a future event, look no further than Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up program. Netflix signed up more than 200 coffee shops for its unique Gilmore Girls event. The purpose of this pop-up program was to spike viewership for the remake of the Gilmore Girls series. The cult classic was revived on Netflix on October 5. Later this month, Netflix will release “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” that takes an in-depth look at each of the series' main characters in segmented fashion. About Netflix's Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program

Netflix worked with Allied Experiential to recruit over 200 cafes throughout the United States for its pop-up program. The entertainment company redesigned each coffee shop into the Gilmore Girls' hangout of Luke's Diner. Netflix personnel hand-picked specific coffee shops based on strategic location, right down to the neighborhoods in which these sites are situated. The aim was to connect with those who are most likely to watch the Gilmore Girls series as well as young professionals. Netflix gurus believe that those between the ages of 20 and 30 are the target demographic for the remake of Gilmore Girls as these individuals were most likely to have enjoyed the series during its seven year run in the early 2000s.

Why the Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program Succeeded

The Gilmore Girls pop-up program was scheduled for what the company refers to as “Gilmoreversary”. This is the date that the series first aired. The event was a smashing success, attracting hundreds of fans at nearly each participating coffee shop. Some cafes reported that fan interest was so high that pop-up goers spilled out onto the street. Netflix equipped each cafe with signs, coffee mug sleeves with Gilmore Girls branding and a baseball cap/flannel shirt combination for staff. Netflix even went as far as providing money to the coffee shops for free java between the hours of 7 AM and Noon. Each coffee shop was also provided with Gilmore Girls branded aprons and shirts to sell to pop-up attendees.

It is clear that Netflix went all out with this event. The online streaming service even went as far as sending one of the series' actors, Scott Patterson, out to the pop-up at Luke's Diner in Beverly Hills. Part of the reason for the event's success is the fact that Netflix took the extra step of advising each coffee shop with specific guidelines as to how they should promote the pop-up through social media channels. Gilmore Girls ascended to the number three trending Twitter topic on the day of the pop-up. Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up is an example of the type of detailed planning and creativity that every planner can draw inspiration from for future events.

Looking for a venue for your own experiential marketing event?  We have multiple event spaces that are perfect for events of various sizes, so you can be sure that you can fit any size crowd inside. Whether you're planning one event or a multi-venue tour, make sure one of your stops is at Soho Studios!  Contact us today to get started.

Why Beam Suntory Wants to Educate its Consumers

Beam Suntory has a good reputation, and it’s been busy redefining its marketing strategies. Mixing the consumer’s love for its time-tested-and-true spirit with a little creativity, the U.S. bourbon company created new categories of entertainment and education.

All About the Pop-Up Shop

The brand camped out in John F. Kennedy International Airport, offering providers an unforgettable experience via a wonderful taste campaign. Its Bourbon Legends pop-up in Terminal 4 wasn’t simply a tasting stand. It was an entire experience.

Beam Suntory’s Bourbon Legends program isn’t new, either. It debuted at John F. Kennedy Airport last fall, highlighting the brand’s massive bourbon collection. Among these were its much-loved Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam. The sampling campaign was successful—earning a spot in August for a reboot.

A Record-Number Success

Where pop-up stands are concerned, Beam Suntory couldn’t have struck closer to gold. It hit the airport’s arrival and departure sweet spot, engaging the location’s record-high visitation numbers. Both international and domestic travelers were exposed to the pop-up stand, highlighting their 2016 trips with bourbon-fueled fun.

Much of Beam Suntory’s success is due to its positioning. Within an airport space, passerby have time. More importantly, they have time to kill. Airport denizens may be a hustled bunch, but they’re constantly ready to stop, shop and explore new brand opportunities.

The One-On-One Education Counter

Packed with aged barrels, classic designs and age-old attributions to bourbon culture, Beam Suntory’s pop-up space prioritized a rustic vibe encasing fantastic artwork. Here, the brand’s 221 years of success was the focus. Informing customers about its bourbon collection’s best ingredients, Beam Suntory created an education counter built to last. The “mini master classes,” as they were called, gave brand viewers the freedom needed to explore everything Beam Suntory. The event’s own Bourbon Legends pocket handbook was given out, helping bourbon-lovers with product information.

Of course, no product promotion is without purchasing options. Beam Suntory created a small gift program—a leather bottle protector giveaway—to visitors spending over $75 in the terminal’s pop-up shop.

A Classic Approach to a Classic Brand

Beam Suntory is well-received by its audience. It’s repeatedly been aligned with America’s best bourbon options, and its adherence to classic recipes certainly gives it a leg up in today’s marketing world.

An American airport location is fitting, then, to promote the brand’s constant ability to please bourbon connoisseurs. Sometimes, a truly American experience must take place in a truly American destination. One of the more creative pop-up locations chosen by liquor providers, JFK Airport certainly promoted a positive sales atmosphere. Whether it was the wood paneling or 2016’s dizzying travel months, the brand hit success in little to no time at all.

If your company is looking for a venue for its own experiential marketing event, check out our studio spaces.  Our multiple event spaces are perfect for events of various sizes, so you can be sure that you can fit any size crowd inside. Whether you're planning one event or a multi-venue tour, make sure one of your stops is at Soho Studios!

How to Host an Event that Exceeds Expectations

Event marketing is one of the best ways to grow your customer base while creating engagement opportunities that build rapport as well as your brand's reputation in the industry. However, your event must be memorable if you want it to make an impact. Here are four great ways to host a memorable event that exceeds everyone's expectations.

1. Develop a Creative Theme

You will need to develop a creative, cohesive theme that builds a seamless brand experience. Your theme needs to be different than what everyone else is doing. You could use a current event to liven things up. Think about how Saturday Night Live uses satire to build their show and make it memorable to the point the media talks about it for a week after it has aired.

2. Create an Interactive Experience

It's not enough to just have a booth and hand out giveaways as people stop by. You need to create an experience that gets your visitors actively involved in the parts of your business you are trying to promote. Visitors need to be able to feel, touch, taste and enjoy the experience if you want them to remember it favorably. You could use games or a booth within a booth where you could serve refreshments and have your visitors sit down and use your products for a more hands-on experience. But whatever you do, it will have to be fun and memorable if you want to make a great impression.

3. Host a Workshop

Set aside some time at your event to host a workshop where you can either entertain or educate your visitors. Perhaps a popular band or comedian or you could have a DIY session and provide your visitors with a valuable giveaway. Something so valuable they can't believe you gave it away for free. This is a great way to make your event memorable. Then as your visitors use and love your giveaway, to the point they can't live without it, they will contact you to find out what else you might have that would be valuable to them as well. They already love your giveaway so you've built trust which makes it easier to sell them something else of a higher value.

4. Use Multiple Touch Points

People are busy so unless you use multiple touch points your event probably won't be successful or memorable. You should be using a mix of direct mail, email, social media and other types of paid promotions if you want to get people talking and excited about attending your event. Just make sure you are matching your promotions with the right segments of your audience. That might mean you need to have different types of promotions for each group such as one promo based on job titles, one for each industry and another for specific locations if you want them to be more relevant and impactful.

Propel Co:Labs Joining the Healthy Pop Up Movement

Propel has launched a pop-up studio program that is quickly becoming one of the hottest exercise trends today. Being in celebration of their flavored water (with more electrolytes), Propel is touring their Propel Co:Labs in New York so more workout enthusiasts can understand what the brand is all about. So with a Propel Co:Lab setting up another brand experience, we're going to give you a sneak peek in regards to what the event is about and what could be expected at a Propel event. With this being said, here's a look at what Propel Co:Labs has to offer. About Propel Co:Labs

The previous Propel Co:Labs opening was such a wild success in Los Angeles that Propel has decided to launch an event in New York. The initial Los Angeles Propel launch went as follows:

• Taking place in a private home located in Venice Beach, the Propel's four day event transformed the home into every fitness fanatics' dream. The Propel Co:Lab was open 12 hours a day and allowed customers to sign up for free fitness classes (the classes themselves were one hour long) that were held by fitness personalities and Propel partners. Classes included Modelfit, Yoga for Bad People, Speedplay, Cobra Fitness Club, The Class, and Y7 Studio. One of the many fitness personalities on board included Gunnar Peterson, who is well known as a trainer for the stars.
• When the customers arrived, Bandier (a fitness apparel brand) offered outfits that included accessories and other products for their first level purchase. In addition to this, a 3D photo booth was provided so that the customers could place themselves into their desired Propel advertisement and share them with friends/family.For their "Science of Propel" space, Propel set up messaging that explained the scientific explanation of the ingredients and how the electrolytes effect your body.On the rooftop, a DJ was spinning records and a bar served smoothies that were made with Propel.The fitness classes themselves were held in the modern studio spaces of the LA home.
• On the opening day, the event held an influencer night that featured fitness media, local fitness bloggers, and a surprise performance by none other than Nick Jonas. Driving the buzz for the event was a Q&A with Gunner Peterson and an organized lunch. In addition to this, Electric Flight Crew dropped by (a savvy fitness club on social media) and shared their experience at the event.

In consideration of the information above, it's safe to say that the sky is the limit if Propel happens to come to your town.

Want to create a fun pop-up fitness event in Miami?  Contact us today for a tour of our studios.