How Lexus Created Top Models for New York Fashion Week

How Lexus Created Top Models for New York Fashion Week  

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Ever wondered what it'd be like to be a model for New York Fashion Week? This past September, during New York Fashion Week, luxury car maker Lexus hosted a first-of-its-kind event that allowed show attendees to enjoy a sneak peek for themselves. Their unique "Set in Motion" photo shoot invited members of the public to experience first-hand what it's like to be photographed as a model during what is typically an exclusive event.

Lexus "Set in Motion" Photo Shoot Experience at NYFW

Specifically, the "Set in Motion" photo shoot began with guests entering the installation (the set of which was actually inspired and designed around the new Lexus LC 500) and having a quick Polaroid photo snapped, just as New York Fashion Week models do as part of their open casting calls. That Polaroid then served as a guest's "ticket" to get into the Green Room Lounge, a luxurious space where hair and makeup professionals then treated each participant to beauty treatments, light refreshments, and a small take-home gift. Once participants were looking their runway best, they were ushered onto the stunning set and walked through a photo shoot experience with a professional photographer. And of course, alongside participants during their shoot was a stunning, $92,000 Lexus LC 500.

At the end of the mini-shoot, each participant was able to look through their photos in the comfort of the Green Room Lounge and select their favorite. They were then provided with their own printed copy of their favorite photo, along with the option to share it on social media. The entire experience, for most guests, took about an hour and was a wonderful and unique way to experience an insider's look at New York Fashion Week. And for many participants, this was a great way to step outside of one's typical "comfort zone" and try something completely new. Even those who have trouble taking a flattering selfie were impressed with how their photos turned out!

From Exclusive to All-Inclusive

The Set in Motion photo shoot proved to be a huge hit at New York Fashion Week and was heavily attended throughout the entire weekend, and not surprisingly. This was the first exhibit of its kind and served the excellent purpose of not only spreading awareness of the new Lexus LC 500, but gave attendees an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look while empowering each participant to look and feel confident. Overall, Lexus was pleased with the way the exhibit turned out, explaining that they wanted to take an event that is typically seen as exclusive to industry players and open it up to make it inclusive enough for the general public. Lexus also provided their usual fleet of almost 100 courtesy vehicles to be on display for the show itself.

Given the success of the Set in Motion photo shoot, it will be interesting to see if other companies will follow suit with similar inclusive events in the future. Either way, we're loving the way this was pulled off and give Lexus kudos for this innovative approach! Looking for an incredible venue in which to host your next event in the Miami area? Soho Studios has you covered! With both indoor and outdoor event spaces and countless configurations, we'd love to help make your next event a success.

How Cheetos and Chef Anne Burrell Blew our Mind

How Cheetos and Chef Anne Burrell Blew our Mind

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Cheetos recently took both New York City and social media by storm with its pop-up Cheetos restaurant, the Spotted Cheetah. This installation featured recipes that included the brand's signature product that were devised and cooked by chef Anne Burrell. Seats sold out almost instantly, and over 1,000 people had tried to get tickets.

It's rare that a pop-up restaurant will gain such a huge response, but this one went viral almost immediately. It gained a prime spot as a Twitter Moment and was all over other sites as well. Many pictures were shared in all possible ways, and it even gained some TV coverage. By all accounts, it was a huge success for the Cheetos brand and its parent company.

For attendees, the experience started by walking up an orange carpet to get in through orange doors. Inside, they found a large HD screen with a smooth-talking Chester Cheetah, who greeted each guest by name. Once beyond him, they were treated not to a carnival-like outlet, but instead, an upscale dining experience that happened to include plenty of Cheetos and Chester Cheetah-themed accents. Orange cheetah-fur printed tablecloths, orange fabric hung from the ceiling, and even bright orange paw-printed toilet paper ensured that nobody forgot that this restaurant was, above all else, about Cheetos. Of course, it also served dishes that all included the product in some form.

A bar was also present, and many went to it to start their meals off with orange slushies which were described by the bartender as being like margaritas. The drink, however, was "just sweet enough to remind imbibers that the restaurant was … a temple of junk food" according to Forbes.

Unique Factors Surrounding the Spotted Cheetah Event

There were a few unique factors that made this event such a huge hit. One is that instead of trying to drive new interest, Cheetos waited until several brand-inspired recipes had already gone viral. This showed the brand that there was significant interest in the idea of using Cheetos as an ingredient, and therefore, that it would be easy to turn that interest into attention to recipes devised, made, and presented by a professional chef.

Another unique factor is the already-massive footprint the Cheetos brand enjoys. Even those who hadn't thought of using Cheetos in recipes immediately became curious about the idea, simply because everyone who hasn't been living in a cave knows what a Cheeto is and can imagine its flavor.

Finally, the idea of using Cheetos in the setting of recipes found in this sort of restaurant is inherently worth talking about. This made it very easy for the experience to go viral, complete with pictures taken on the spot by attendees. Of course, the brand distributed many professionally-taken photographs as well so that media outlets could show the event at its best.

Applying This Information to Your Event

While most brands don't enjoy a multi-billion dollar marketing budget, they can use at least some of the lessons offered by the Spotted Cheetah in their own efforts. One is that it's a great idea to piggyback on an existing related trend in order to draw more interest to your marketing idea. Another is to present your brand in a related, but unexpected, way. Also, make sure your presentation is unique enough to get people to share it without begging for likes or retweets. If what you do is cool enough, everyone will be talking about it.

Finally, be sure to choose a great city and venue for your experiential marketing effort. For an event in Miami, consider Soho Studios. We have plenty of both indoor and outdoor space that can be configured to meet your exact needs.

What Boozy and Sweet Culinary Creations are Trending in Experiential Events

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What Booze and Desserts are Trending in Experiential Events

If you love a great adult beverage and a yummy dessert, you will definitely be excited about the new trends and sweet treats marketers of experiential events are dishing up that include both! Lucky attendees are swooning over the new boozy event fare that tempts them to taste this magical fusion of their favorite desserts and cocktails.

While alcohol-infused desserts have been around for a while in classic desserts such as decadent Tiramisu and the ever-popular Bananas Foster, some new creations have been seen in trendy restaurants over the past couple of years in the form of cakes, puddings, ice cream and more. This fun combination is so popular, it is now making its way to experiential marketing events and attendees are eating it up!

If you are looking for an amazing way to get attention for your next 21 and up experiential marketing event, check out these new ideas centered around fun and trending boozy desserts that are stealing the show and creating quite a buzz (Pun intended!) at recent experiential marketing events. What a fun and unique way to get the party started and get the attention of some new customers in the process.

Trending Boozy and Sweet Culinary Creations for Experiential Events

• Liquor Infused Ice Cream - Everybody loves ice cream and this new alcohol infused ice cream has event- goers eating it faster than it can melt. There are a variety of new companies specializing in these spiked ice creams that offer it in many delicious flavors from Vanilla Bourbon and Coconut Rum to Irish Cream and Vodka Key Lime Pie.
• Drunken Cupcakes - Cupcakes have always been a staple for any kind of party or event. Alcohol infused cupcakes kick this favorite treat up a notch and get the immediate attention of attendees. Popular concoctions include Chocolate Hennessy, Margarita, Pina Colada, Lemon Drop, White Russian, and more!
• Wine Infused Fudge - Recent culinary trends show that nothing goes better together than wine and chocolate. Many wineries have started to merge the two amazing flavors into an extraordinary treat. Fudge infused wine is growing in popularity. In fact, Alto Vineyards in Illinois indicates that their port wine infused fudge is one of their top sellers.
• Boozy Milkshakes – The perfect combination of sweet and spiked, adult milkshakes are a huge hit at experiential events. The long-time favorite treat is a great way to create a buzz around a product or as a unique catering detail to wow crowds. 
• Spiked Cakes and Pies – Get the attention at your next event with a vodka infused cake or a whiskey laden pie that is sure to please. From golden rum cake to chocolate bourbon pecan pie to Irish coffee cheesecake, spiked cakes and pies speak to everyone! There is simply nothing like taking your favorite cocktail and making it into a delicious cake or pie to star in your event.
• WineSicles – Sure to be a crowd pleaser, frozen wine popsicle treats, known in the food world as ‘WineSicles’ are very popular, especially with wine connoisseurs who are always looking for something new.  These make a great marketing tool and will definitely get folks taking about your event.

How the Pros Do It

Patrón Tequila Goodies

As one would expect, the team at Patrón knows exactly how to throw an alcohol infused attention getting event. Recent marketing efforts include experiential events that add a little sweetness to their premium tequila by using it in a variety of delicious and intoxicating dessert offerings.

The Patrón team recently presented the crowds with incredible Patrón Tequila infused truffles and Mocha Patrón XO Café Macaroons. The folks at Patrón are taking this new tend to heart and have even teamed up with a chocolatier to invent creative new ways to combine their tequila with dessert options. They also offered Silver Patrón infused popsicles and new “Muddle Your Mojito” bars where attendees choose their favorite fruit and muddle (smash) them while a bartender helps them mix the fruit and liquor to create their own personal sweet and fruity concoction. As a take-away, guests were given the muddler, which they could have custom engraved to their liking.

When A Photo Booth and Fujifilm Birthed an Epic Event

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When A Photo Booth and Fujifilm Birthed an Epic Event

Well known for its photographers, mini-workshops and knowledge-sharing expos, Fujifilm is at it again. This time, they’ve hosted a two-day photo booth event to showcase its newest gadget adoptions, photo op opportunities and slew of creative screens, filters and talent.

Fujifilm invited an audience to try out its all-new, instant-digital camera. As if it wasn’t enough, the company created a photo-friendly playland to display the product across various high-energy environments. The immersive event highlighted the new camera’s capabilities, giving event-goers the chance to snap their own art.

Bathouse Studios and a Hybrid Event

On May 17, Fujifilm hung out at Bathouse Studios, inviting influencers and guests alike. The event featured the Instax Square SQ10, a hybrid camera made famous for its instant-digital design. The camera was set up in several screen-centric booths, and attendees were invited to try out its many filter options. As a bonus, operators could edit their photos, share them and print them;

The engaging environment was inspired by the recent popularity of instant-square photography. It was also established to prod customer imaginations. Performing at the event, pop band AJR created an emotionally heavy environment to supplement the event. Influential foodies were later granted entrance to an exclusive brunch hosted by Fujifilm partner, Tasting Table. Bathouse Studios opened the floor for a three-course-meal, an expansive menu and a hands-on food photography class. The workshop, of course, featured the Instax Square SQ10.

A Public Activation for Exclusive Options

The Fujifilm way of handling a product release was unique. Known for its top-tier B-to-B marketing events, the brand has produced a number of popular events in the past year. Its recent Instax line’s success can be attributed to the product’s capabilities alone, but the brand’s willingness to connect to its audience can’t be ignored.

The activation was open to the public. Over 500 visitors and guests arrived, exploring the brand’s products and services across two days. Fujifilm reached its target audience and more, connecting with its audience at the individual level. Fans explored the event’s double-floor design, enjoying a mirror maze, lounging at the event’s secret bar and sipping on signature cocktails.

Social Media Outreach

Meanwhile, Fujifilm hooked up with Jackie Gebel to use the @noleftovers name in a social media marketing movement. Alongside chef Branden McHale, Gebel gave event-goers the opportunity to reach friends and family by sharing event photos on social media.

The New York event was huge, and it was Fujifilm’s final destination in its multi-city launch party series. It hit Berlin, Tokyo and a slew of others. Expected to travel across the United States in upcoming months, Fujifilm’s event hasn’t slowed down at all. New locations have always inspired new photographic urges, and Fujifilm’s recent focus on the public is certainly a step in the right direction.

Fujifilm’s fan dedication was also evident in February, when it hosted FijuLove LIVE. Guests were invited from around the nation to explore the art of photograpy. Featuring artists like Elia Locardi, Valerie Jardin and Karen Hutton, FujiFilm LIVE was a fantastic kick-start to the brand’s eventual fanbase exploration. Fujifilm has a reputation for educating, presenting to and sharing work with its audience. Likely, we’ll see much more from Fujifilm in this department. For now, however, let’s appreciate their recent campaign for what it was: a pretty swell time.

How to use Photo Printing Backpacks for your Next Experiential Event

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How to use Photo Printing Backpacks for your Next Experiential Event

Marketing tech firm, M-ND, connected with the B Positive Foundation, expanding nonprofit support into the baseball stadium. Their photo-printing backpacks were a huge hit, heightening much-needed awareness of kids with cancer. The technology which regularly promotes social media pictures is wide-ranging and varied, but a hashtag, a little organization and trending technology goes a long way.

The #BePosNYC Movement

On August 8, Texas Rangers attendees were invited to engage the B Positive Foundation campaign via social media, promoting the #BePosNYC hashtag via backpack screens. The screens, designed to display real-time picture updates, were directly connected to the campaign’s photo print awareness plan. Attendees posting game photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram could use the #BePosNYC hashtag, both raising awareness for the event while connecting with other baseball fans.

The Andrew McDonough B Positive Foundation has conducted similar events in the past. Their slogan, “Kids Helping Kids Fight Cancer,” has historically been a useful tag for humanistic ventures. Recently being used at City Field, the slogan headlined their movement for young cancer patients as well as their supporters. Attendees who weren’t part of the event, meanwhile, were invited to print event photos at home.

M-ND and B Positive

M-ND has plans to work alongside B Positive in the future. A donation-by-text campaign is, reportedly, in the works. Focusing on raising funds for charity, M-ND will likely take advantage of new opportunities with B Positive. Creating a unique experience for event attendees is difficult. Often, promoting interactive designs capable of garnering attention is met with technological barriers and audience-reaching difficulties. The partnership worked, however. It worked splendidly.

The B Positive Foundation has assisted thousands of United States families treated in over 200 hospitals. Intending to alleviate the financial burdens of ongoing healthcare, the foundation continues to grow. Many B Positive initiatives have offered research grand cycle options, too. On every level, the Foundation promotes the study of cutting-edge childhood cancer research. In the past, the Foundation has supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical Center.

Where Experiential Marketing and Proactive Care Meet

Both groups are assisted by some national childhood cancer collaborations, too. While childhood cancer charities may not be directly connected with events conducive to funds, they’re well-connected to communities. This presents an interesting angle for groups breaking into the experiential marketing world. Nonprofits have had historically tough breaks, fund-wise, in the experiential marketing world. Numbers change, however, when mass audiences are met.

Advocacy via social media, here, is a great takeaway. The B Positive Foundation and M-ND proved individual-level digital promotion works. Photos taken at the game served as memorabilia for those who were part of the foundation, raising awareness for both the foundation and its few causes. Mets colors were used, making the event highly personal. Curated social media photos are influential when aligned with an event’s overall theme. If you’ve ever wondered what a successful nonprofit social media marketing campaign looks like, look no further than the B Positive Foundation’s addition to the baseball diamond.

Why Sharing Post Event Photos Can Boost Engagement

To have a stand-out event, you need to keep attendees engaged before, during and after. Taking photos during your event can boost post-event engagement. Sometimes, however, organizing a marketable and photogenic event is half the battle. If you can share event photos, however, you can ensure top-quality engagement strategies and long-term success. Below, we’re covering the ins and outs of post event photos—straight from the inside of events, themselves.

Photos and Social Media Engagement

A March 2014 research project published through eMarketer recorded a 75-percent roundup of all content posted across worldwide Facebook pages. From the social media user’s perspective, photos are one of the most engaging content types in social media. Boasting an 87-percent interaction rate for fans, photos receive a majority of attention.

Social media and experiential events go hand in hand. Consumers want to be recognized—and so does your brand. To share photos which’ll interest your target audience, you’ll need events worth capturing. Because today’s Newsfeed is laden with random pictures, advertisements and profile updates, a little excitement can go a long way.

High-Quality Photos Stick Out

The key, here, is to offer exciting photo opportunities. By posting photos reflective of your event’s greater aspects, you can highlight your brand’s attention to detail. Plus, you’ll show Facebook-lovers why your business was born to be remembered.

Event photos needn’t be entirely under your control, either. Fan engagement is worth a thousand words, alone, and “caption this” photos can directly increase engagement while holding true to your brand’s image. Post funny post-event pictures, and ask fans to create cool, or funny, captions. Avoid selfies when possible, and hire a visual content creator or designer to engage your social media team.

Crossing into the Twitter World

Social media users engage differently with every tweet. That said, adding a photo to a tweet URL can boost retweet power by as much as 35 percent. Like Facebook, Twitter engagement is powered by visual media. You’ll need to tag event-goers, sure, but Twitter’s tagging mechanics allow for a 10-person tag. You can additionally share up to four photos per tweet. It’s a new Twitter feature, but it’s a powerful one nonetheless.

Shares and Engagement

Social media, for some, is the Wild West of marketing. Comments and shares have surpassed likes on Facebook, in terms of importance. Brand engagement is at an all-time high, and Facebook comments are steadily increasing in number every year. On the flip-side, likes are decreasing in importance.

Fan comments and shares result in engagement. So, you’ll need comments and shares to influence ongoing visibility. Fortunately, Facebook event and business pages are conducive to shares and comments. Engagement begins in the social media world, but it ends with cross-channel brand marketing. Just make sure you’re replying to all fan comments.

As a takeaway: Post your event photos on a Friday. Friday is the social media world’s highest engagement day, and it’ll spike fan attention if it’s used to your advantage. The visual promotion trend is much more than a trend. It’s a cornerstone of modern marketing.

Why Thomas Created the Rolling Toaster Tour

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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 Lyft Celebrated its Birthday with Style

How Lyft Celebrated its Birthday with Style  

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A birthday celebration should always be special, and this is even truer for corporations than it is for individuals. Celebrations give companies the chance to pump up their branding in fun and memorable ways, and such opportunities should never be missed. This is why Lyft chose to create an unforgettable experience for its drivers in its home town of Los Angeles as a way to mark its fifth anniversary of operations. It also made sure that everyone else who came near the event site would see a very memorable ad for the company.

To make this happen, Lyft started by painting a historic car wash – La Cienega Car Wash & Oil Change – in a bright, light shade of pink. As expected, this brought immediate attention, but it was just the start. Inside, Lyft drivers can get car washes for just $1 and get discounts on services like oil changes. This display and deal will run for a total of 30 days. It opened on July 14.

The location was chosen based on several criteria. One was its iconic status in the immediate area. Changing it, especially in such a radical way, made it easy to get plenty of local press coverage. Another was the condition of the structure itself. It had to be solid enough to not only paint it, but return it to its original form once the event ended. Finally, it had to be able to handle the increase in traffic the event would bring.

It wasn't just the paint that was changed. The car wash's original sign was modified into a retro one that temporarily renames the venue as the Lyft Car Wash. All of the changes combined took seven days to do.

Since opening under the promotional name, about 100 Lyft drivers a day have taken advantage of the $1 car washes. Meanwhile, regular customers continue to use the facility at its standard rates. To speed things up and keep everyone properly sorted, Lyft drivers are directed into a special lane when they enter the lot.

The point of the Lyft makeover is to increase the company's branding and thank its drivers for their service rather than to make money from selling car washes. Therefore, all proceeds from this event are being donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. This both helps the community and increases goodwill from this socially-forward area.

Good planning like this is the key to holding a successful single-venue event. As Lyft's experience shows, choosing the venue is, in itself, a big part of making something like this work.

For an excellent venue in Miami, Florida, try Soho Studios. We have up to 70,000 square feet of indoor space and two outdoor areas that can be configured to meet your company's specific needs. We also have concierge services to help you find the perfect event firms to provide all of the equipment, planning, and execution services you need. This frees you to concentrate on essentials like your branding and marketing efforts and helps to ensure that your event will create wonderful memories for both your guests and your business.

How the Irvine Marriott Lauched its Grand Opening with Multisensory Events

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How the Irvine Marriott Launched its Grand Opening with Multisensory Events

When you put $35 million into the redesign of a business like Irvine Marriott did in California, you want to put on an event to showcase the updated and improved spot. Instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting or stuffy event, this Marriott created an impressive experience to interact with participants with its multisensory event series from February to April. This is a fantastic example of experiential marketing that other brands could follow.

Multisensory Events

For its reopening, the hotel created an event series that would evoke the senses and imagination of event goers to help them experience different aspects of the hotel and the brand. It focused on the Marriott brand’s guiding principles of taste, culture and innovation with three events in the series. While normal grand opening parties can bring people to the premises and create excitement, they tend to fail on conveying the experience of staying at the hotel. This aspect is where Irvine Marriott shined with its multisensory event series. When people see a hotel room or meeting space, for example, they can't always imagine what it's like to use that space. Irvine Marriott's series helped event goers experience the hotel. 

The taste event provided a sensory dinner for high-level customers and bloggers, who had the chance to try food stations prepared by different Marriott properties. These stations incorporated different senses to create an experience. For instance, one station combined auditory and taste sensations by having participants eat seafood along with audio of the ocean. The culture event hosted a larger number of guests, providing networking and performing arts. Finally, the innovation event incorporated virtual reality, robot experiences and other interactive displays and workshops that focused on the past to the future.

All of the events highlighted areas of the hotel and showed guests how these areas could be used. Guests also got to experience Marriott catering, which they could incorporate into their own events.

Learning From Irvine Marriott

Multisensory marketing like Irvine Marriott’s guest series can create an effective and memorable event for many brands. Marriott used different senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste and smell through food aromas, textures, audio and other methods. Any brand could find ways to incorporate multiple senses into one experience. For instance, create a food serving station that focuses on the aroma or texture of the food in addition to the taste.

Irvine Marriott’s event series provides a great example for similar types of businesses in particular. That’s because it helped guests experience what it’s like to stay at the hotel and use its services. You could create a similar event if your business is based on on-site experiences. This could work for hotels, restaurants, recreational activities and other experiences.

The idea is to showcase the site and how it could be used. It’s similar to a real estate agent staging a home to give an idea of living in the home. The Irvine Marriott showcased its cuisine, while captivating multiple senses. It had artists perform around the pool to highlight the hotel’s pool while giving guests the feeling of traveling and experiencing a new place and culture. 

How High Brew Samples its Coffee with Style

How High Brew Gets Consumers to Sample its Coffee in Style

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Not every brew is a type of beer. For High Brew, it's all about coffee – and adventure. The company recently sent a refurbished 1952 GMC bus on a nationwide tour to reach millennials with its cold-brew coffee, old-fashioned great taste, and to reinforce its branding. Since this branding is all about travel and adventure, the company figured that sending a big Coach bus, once a favorite of tour operators, would create an image that was a perfect fit.

The High Brew Tour is expected to cover a total of over 16,000 miles, with plenty of stops in key places. At each stop, it sets up a sampling bar inside the bus complete with stools so that those who come over can enjoy tasting their coffees in comfort. When the bus is on the road, the bar folds into what was once the luggage compartment. This makes it easy to set it up and take it down, and the innovative system adds to the attention-getting qualities of the stops.

Unlike many branded experiential marketing efforts, High Brew has chosen to keep things simple and fairly low key. The bus itself isn't completely plastered with its imagery, and inside, the only experience besides the coffee is a station for sending out postcards so attendees can share the news. These postcards include coupons to buy one and get one free.

One of the reasons for the choice of communication medium is that the company is hoping those who partake will tell older people about the brand. Assuming it works, it will get the message across the generations without losing the "cool factor" that helps to sell High Brew to younger people.

The bus will be stopping at some obvious places, such as key retail accounts, but it will also hit areas where it can associate the brand with those on the go. These areas include college towns and city areas that have plenty of professionals. Once the bus leaves, field marketing personnel will continue promotional efforts.

This is just the latest news from the experiential marketing world. Companies all over the world are using new and innovative ways to draw regular people into their brand experiences. A successful campaign doesn't just entertain people; it cements the brand image and gets those who partake to interact with, taste, or otherwise get personal with the products being promoted. This icebreaker can be enough to earn repeat customers for years, and sometimes, for life.

You don't need a bus to set up an experiential marketing event for your company. All you need is a great venue in a thriving city, an innovative idea, a target market, and a solid goal for your brand's image. Here at Soho Studios in Miami, we can provide the venue and the city. Our 70,000 square feet of indoor space can be configured to your needs, and we also have two outdoor pavilions. We can also help with the rest of your needs. Our full-service package includes design, sound, and other support services for your event. Just give us a call to learn more and to get started on producing a memorable experience for your current and potential customers.