How Perrier Lunch Break Maintains its Popularity Into 2017

How Perrier Lunch Break Maintains its Popularity Into 2017

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The Perrier Lunch Break returned in 2017 after having a very successful run the year before. In it, dance parties are hosted by Perrier that feature quirky characters and hot air balloons. The unusual decorating scheme gives the events a fantastical, fun atmosphere that is instantly recognizable. Another unusual choice Perrier has made is to hold them during or near the lunch hours instead of the traditional times for dancing and partying.

Perrier has made these and other choices to highlight its product as being unusual compared to the alternatives. It ties in perfectly with its branding as Perrier Extraordinaire and will surely make attendees think of the sparkling water when they host parties of their own.

This event wasn't originally sponsored by Perrier, but instead, started out under the umbrella of vodka company Absolut. The company set up events at several popular nightclubs, which were glad to host it and bring in customers during what had been their off-hours.

The maiin reason for the event's growth is the change in the experience brought on by Perrier's sponsorship. This company took it from being a sparse event that simply mentioned a brand of vodka to a full-on engineered experience. As word of the change spread, more and more people attended in expectation of actually having a fun time. Now, some clubs host over 400 people when they hold Lunch Break events.

Notably, Perrier doesn't directly control all aspects of the events it sponsors. Instead, club owners are given plenty of latitude in terms of design, which musical acts are hired, and more. This allows each club to customize the experience to meet the tastes of their audiences, while Perrier provides just enough guidance to ensure that certain branding objectives are met.

During the events, it is typical for DJs play the latest trendy music while people enjoy a drink or two and have a dance. Then, when the event is over, each attendee is given a take-out bag of lunch to eat. Long lines can be expected at nightclubs that have had these events before, proving their popularity.

Perrier Lunch Break dancing events take place in major cities around the United States. New York city sometimes hosts multiple parties, and cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Chicago also get their share. Other big, trendsetting metropoles are also included.

While Perrier isn't explicitly promoting the idea of social media sharing through the use of incentives, it is typical for people to go ahead and share anyway. This year's kickoff event in New York, for example, was so exciting that it gained 20 million social media views just from natural postings.

There's no need to have a giant marketing budget to sponsor a big, exciting party or other experiential marketing event. All you need to get started is a fun idea and a venue. In Miami, consider Soho Studios for your event location. We have up to 70,000 square feet of indoor space available, and we can provide all the help you need to design, configure, and outfit that area for your extravaganza. Our location also has two outdoor pavilions, so you can also party under the sun or stars.

Why SPAM® Jumped on the Tour Train

Why SPAM® Jumped on the Tour Train

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Tiny houses and marketing tours have both been making waves recently, and the SPAM brand has jumped onto the trend with its Tiny House of Sizzle tour. This tour features a towed tiny house, painted in SPAM's iconic blue and yellow colors, that is traveling across the country serving SPAM recipes to those who enter. These recipes are cooked right inside the house in the Tiny SPAM Kitchen that makes up its heart. This will show those who have managed to miss out on the smells and sounds of sizzling SPAM how great it is just waiting for it to come out of the pan. Of course, the finisher for the experience will be the meal that gets served at the end, so no one will have to leave hungry.

The recipes used in the Tiny House of Sizzle will be chosen to highlight the product's versatility. Many have been developed by local chefs and influencers to tie in on food trends across the nation. Even so, those who want their SPAM in a traditional form won't be out of luck: SPAM sliders and other such favorites are on the menu.

SPAM has chosen this form of marketing not only to be trendy, but to engage all of the patrons' five main senses. There will be smells, sounds, sights, the feel of the food, and of course, the taste of the dishes all waiting to be enjoyed. The company is sure that after all of this, no one will forget the experience or the brand that provided it.

This tour won't just help the SPAM brand. The brand has partnered with Convoy of Hope, a hunger-fighting charity, to help raise funds for food. Each person who texts SIZZLE to 50555 will cause SPAM to donate $5 to Convoy of Hope. The brand will also match people's own donations dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $25,000.

A total of 12 cities, some of which have already been visited, are on the schedule for the Tiny House of Sizzle Tour. Many of the appearances are connected to food and other festivals, so they will be part of a larger fun experience. This will allow the company to catch people while they're already excited and having a good time, which will further cement the association between SPAM and positive feelings.  

While tours are fun to do, they aren't in the plans of every company. Experiential marketing also works when it takes place at a stationary venue in one or more popular cities. This allows more people to attend your event and it lets you avoid the expense of driving all over the country with a specially-designed vehicle.

For a great venue in Miami, try Soho Studios. We can provide up to 70,000 square feet of configurable, customizable space for your extravaganza. If you'd rather have your event outdoors, one or both of our two outdoor pavilion areas will provide just what you need. We also have a variety of service packages to take care of any details you don't want to have to handle on your own. For more information, just give us a call.

When Music and Rum Collide

When Music and Rum Collide

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Bacardi has never been one to sit on its laurels when it comes to marketing, and this year is no exception. Now, it has partnered with EDM trio Major Lazer to put on a series of dance parties with an island theme. The events will feature Major Lazer's DJ, Jillionaire, who has been designated the "Minister of Rum." Since both Bacardi and Major Lazer have Caribbean roots, this theme is an excellent tie-in for them.

While the parties, which go under the title "Sound of Rum," will all have the same general theme, the specific presentations will vary between events. This ensures that everyone will experience something unique and the concept will remain fresh throughout the campaign.

Attendees at all of the shows can count on one thing being present, and that's new music from Major Lazer. The group has written at least one song, written just for the series of dances. It is named after the party series: "The Sound of Rum." Other new releases will also be played.

Major Lazer isn't the only partner releasing something new to commemorate the events. Bacardi is putting out a limited edition rum bottle with branding for both the event and the band. This is sure to be a hit with collectors.

Unlike many such corporate marketing events, the Sound of Rum parties aren't taking place as parts of larger festivals. Instead, they are stand-alone dance parties that occupy large swaths of their own space. For example, its debut party – named Spirit Up – took place on a private Miami beach. Bacardi created an entire temporary village surrounding the actual party, and within, people from various Caribbean islands served up food from their homelands as mixologists whipped up drinks. Meanwhile, Major Lazer set up giant speakers that ensured that everyone heard the music throughout the area.

This series of parties doesn't just cover the United States. It kicked off in Berlin, at the annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail competition. From there, it is traveling around the world to bring rum, music, and a Caribbean atmosphere to several other countries.

Of course, a modern experiential marketing event isn't complete without the inclusion of social media. The two partners produced videos to share, started a program to donate studio time to aspiring Caribbean artists every time Major Lazer's "Front of the Line" track, and are counting on attendees sharing pictures and stories of their experience at the party. The follow-on effects of social sharing are typically the main source of marketing power behind such events. Through them, the experience – and the marketing message – travel far beyond the group of physical attendees.

There's no need to have Bacardi's $50 million marketing budget to put on an unforgettable event of your own. All you need is a fun event idea that ties into your branding, an atmosphere that encourages social sharing, and the right venue to hold your extravaganza. If you'll be holding your event in Miami, Florida, try having it at Soho Studios. We have up to 70,000 square feet of interior space and two outdoor pavilions that are great for parties or any other type of experiential marketing show you can imagine.

How Rick and Morty are Taking on the Road

How Rick and Morty are Taking on the Road

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While the "marketing" aspect of experiential marketing almost necessarily involves trying to sell a product, service, or idea to new people, it isn't always the only goal. Sometimes, events are held to reward current loyal fans – or as it may be put, "spread the love" to these people. This is the case with Adult Swim's Rickmobile, which is a traveling pop-up retail shop making stops in several cities and towns this summer. Adult Swim is making a point of hitting cities that are often overlooked by marketers, such as Cleveland, Santa Fe, and San Antonio as well as some of the more predictable places.

The Rickmobile is patterned after the character Rick in the series Rick and Morty, complete with a painted Styrofoam-and-fiberglass Rick on one end. From the side, the vehicle opens to display plenty of Rick and Morty merchandise. This gives fans a chance to stock up, and the eye-catching nature of the vehicle ensures that even people who have never seen the show will be curious enough to come and find out what the display is about.

In keeping with the fun and youthful nature of the show, the Rickmobile's stops have been chosen for their similarly fun nature. Comic shops and conventions and arcades are on the list. For older fans, the Rickmobile will stop at taverns, bars, and other such "social spaces." By combining the event types while sticking to ones that are associated with fun, the show will be able to reach people of all ages without diluting its messaging.

According to Adult Swim's Jim Babcock, its vice president of consumer marketing, the intent was to create moments akin to seeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile for the first time. He characterized it as "unforgettable," and the Rickmobile is going for the same effect. Adult Swim also wants the scene to be hilarious, and it posed its giant Rick so it would surely get a laugh. Rick is on his hands and knees as seen from the side, and stares slightly downward from the back of the truck. Those following it on the freeway therefore get to look right at the mad professor's giant eyes as he stares down through their windshields. It's sure to give anyone who ends up behind the vehicle plenty to talk about with everyone they know.

Since this tour is already in progress, preliminary results are coming in. By the time it made 12 stops, it registered 5,000 transactions and got 15,000 people to engage with the Rickmobile. It also caused people to tweet about it 15,000 times and post about it on Instagram 7,500 times. This caused messages about it to be seen over 10 million times. Such a resounding success is sure to bring more viewers to the Rick and Morty show!

You don't need to custom-make an expensive truck or tour across the country to reach people with your experiential marketing event. For a less-extravagant option, try renting a venue in a big city. Here in Miami, try Soho Studios. We can configure up to 70,000 feet of indoor space to suit your needs or provide one or both of our outdoor pavilions for events out in the open.

How Brighten Up Your Summer Events With These Theme Ideas and Tips

How Brighten Up Your Summer Events With These Theme Ideas and Tips

Renting a venue is just the first step to making your summer corporate event a success. You need to bring in the bright, exciting feel of summer so that your guests are glad to have chosen your presentation over other possible activities. Here are some ideas that should give you inspiration for planning your expo:

First, a Caveat: Make Sure the Theme Resonates with Your Brand

If your theme is summery, but doesn't tie into your brand's image, you'll miss a powerful marketing opportunity. Be sure to keep your event on-point as well as fun. This way, your guests will firmly connect your brand with the experience rather than thinking of it as a generic sponsor.

Roses and Wine

The aforementioned roses and wine theme was done to great success by Kim Crawford Wines, which wanted announce its new rose wine in grand style. It filled its area with roses and even had a bar made of live rose bushes. The roses were very summery, and they tied in perfectly with the launch of the new rose wine. On top of that, there were enough roses that just looking at the event area made an indelible impression – and connection with the advertised product.

A Rocking Summer Night

This type of theme is great for many companies that cater to younger audiences, but it's perfect for companies associated with making rock music. What better way to show off instruments, amps, stage lighting rigs, and other musical equipment than to have people come and experience the sounds and sights of professionals using the products? Hold the party outdoors under strung-up lights for that summer feel.

Have a Barbecue Party

Everyone loves to eat, and barbecuing is a quintessentially summer activity. This makes a barbecue a perfect event for any company that wants to be seen as fun and exciting while avoiding faddish trendiness. For maximum impact, make the event large enough for a huge number of guests and cook the food over one or more showy firepits.

Always Make Sure Everyone is Comfortable

The level of comfort expected will depend on your audience and the type of event you're holding, but it's always important to avoid the chance of outright misery. For outdoor events, one great way to do this is to offer branded umbrellas. If the event is on the upper-class end, provide them as part of the package. Otherwise, set up kiosks and sell them at reasonable prices. Be sure to keep the cost within the "impulse buy" range – the more people buy them, the more your brand and event name will be seen later on!

Other ways to ensure comfort include providing cushioned seating, decent plates and utensils, and easy-to-navigate pathways between tables or exhibits. If your event uses disposable serveware, be sure to have plenty of trash cans and recycle bins set up so people can conveniently offload them once they're done with their food and drinks.

For a spacious event space in sunny Miami, consider Soho Studios. We have both indoor and outdoor areas that can be customized to match any theme you choose.

How Wahaca Grew its Brand Using Experiential Marketing

How Wahaca Grew its Brand Using Experiential Marketing

You might be uncertain about whether experiential marketing could benefit your brand and how it could actually help you grow. So let’s look at the case study of Wahaca as an example of a company using this type of marketing to move from one restaurant to 24.

In case you don’t know, Wahaca is a restaurant chain throughout the United Kingdom. Its head of marketing, Oli Ingham, has found innovative ways to market it using experiential marketing. Let’s take a look at Wahaca’s marketing and how your brand might be able to use similar techniques.

How Ingham Grew Wahaca’s Brand

Oli Ingham used experiential marketing well by taking the theme of the brand, which is Mexican food based on the markets of Mexico or what he calls “amazing Mexican food”, and turning that into events that could help local British people connect to the restaurant brand. But he also goes beyond the food to create experiences based on Mexican culture. 

The brand puts on numerous types of events that provide cultural and food-based experiences, including a Mexican-inspired film screening and a Day of the Dead festival. Its Taco Tour offers a mobile tasting experience through its taco van traveling the streets and introducing the food to new customers. Ingham created a supper club that allows local people to experience the food of different Mexican regions.

Sometimes, the events are more specific to the restaurant itself than to Mexican culture or cuisine. For instance, the restaurant is putting on a 10th anniversary event series and has promoted a “spoon amnesty” program that encourages customers to bring back the restaurant's "borrowed" colorful spoons in return for tacos. 

Applying Ingham’s Examples

How are Ingham’s experiential marketing techniques effective? Some of the experiences Wahaca uses work because they bring in new audiences. For example, people might stumble upon the taco van when it’s touring the area or they might attend a festival or Latin DJ event and then discover the food. In other cases, the events create an interest in Mexico’s culture and food. People from another area of the world – in this case, the UK – enjoy experiencing foods they didn’t know were part of Mexico and learning about Mexican festivals, societal issues and culture. Instead of just going to a restaurant, they have an experience. 

Whether your brand is a restaurant or a different type of business, you can use similar methods to create a marketing experience. The main formula for following Ingham’s lead is to take a major theme and create experiences that fit it. He found ways to spread and celebrate the food itself and to broaden the theme to include the Mexican culture that encompasses the food. Find unique and fun ways for your company to do the same. Your healthy food restaurant could create events promoting health and wellness. Your home decor company could create do-it-yourself tutorial events and events that center around color, pattern, texture and material. The idea is to broaden beyond the product or service. Think about the theme that encompasses it and work to create events that fit the theme.