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Experiential public relations: the importance of strategic messaging, understanding target audiences, and analysis of successfully curated brand-consumer interactions

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Experiential public relations: the importance of strategic messaging, understanding target audiences, and analysis of successfully curated brand-consumer interactions

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EXPERIENTIAL PUBLIC RELATIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC
MESSAGING, UNDERSTANDING TARGET AUDIENCES, AND ANALYSIS OF
SUCCESSFULLY CURATED BRAND-CONSUMER INTERACTIONS

by

Alexandra Musselman

A Thesis Presented to the
Faculty of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2020

ii
Dedication

I dedicate this thesis to my parents- they always encourage me to be curious, learn and take risks.

iii
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my thesis committee Jennifer Floto, Fred Cook and Jennifer de la Fuente.
Thank you for pushing me to think outside the box.

My experience at USC Annenberg was invaluable. The faculty and curriculum offered me an
unparalleled education that ignited my passion for communications, introduced me to new ideas
and directed me towards a career that I am eager to begin.

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Table of Contents

Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………....ii

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………....iii

List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………….…vi

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………..…vii

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….………………….1
More Than a Brand
Brand Perception
Brand Expectations and Social Media
Anthropomorphism

What is Experiential Public Relations?..........................................................................................7
Experiential Public Relations- A Definition
Who is it for? What does it do?
The Importance of Strategic Messaging

Experiential Public Relations Today…………….……………………………………………....13
Types of Experiential Public Relations
Ticket-Based, Exclusive, Personalized, ‘Stayable’, Built-In
Measuring Success

Experiential Public Relations by Industry………………………………………...……………..27

Creating Experiences with Messaging in Mind……………………...…………………………..32
Soda-Stream

Additional Successful Case Studies……………………………..……………………………….34
Frito Lay: Flamin’ Hot Spot
Smirnoff Non-GMO Launch
Skittles Super Bowl Theatre Experience
W Hotels Coachella Experience
Taco Bell Hotel

Challenges…………………………………………………………………………………..……48
LUXE Hotels-Beverley Hills’ Birthday

Unsuccessful Case Studies………………………………………...……………………………..50
McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce Event
Amazon Subway Car Experience

v
Tips………………………………………………………………………………………………55

Final Takeaways…….…….……………………………………………………………………..59

Work Cited……………………………………………………………………………………….60

vi

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Keller’s Brand Equity Model-CBBE Model……………………………………………3
Figure 2: Social Media Use and Anthropomorphism……..………………………………………5
Figure 3: “The generations defined” ………………………………………………………….…10
Figure 4: Spotify “Who We BE” Event………………………………………………………….17
Figure 5: Pandora “Sounds Like You” Event……………………………………………………18
Figure 6: Pandora “Sounds Like You” Event…………………………………………………....18
Figure 7: Kimpton Hotels “Room 301” Experience………………………………………..……20
Figure 8: Amex Experience at US Open 2019…………………………………………………...22
Figure 9: Glossier Influencer Instagram (@emilyweiss) ………………………………………..23
Figure 10: Target “Gather Round” Event………………………………………………………..25
Figure 11: “Few Companies can Track Event ROI” ………………………………………..…..27
Figure 12: Instagram Post @traveling_newlyweds, …………………………………………….29
Figure 13: Soda Stream New York Event……………………………………………………….33
Figure 14: @ChesterCheetah “Tweet of Flamin’ Hot Spot” ……………………………………34
Figure 15: Flamin’ Hot Spot Burrito…………………………………………………………….35
Figure 16: Smirnoff Non-GMO Event Photo…………………………………………………....37
Figure 17: Skittles Commercial Announcement………………………………………………....39
Figure 18: @Skittles Tweet……………………………………………………………...………40
Figure 19: @whotels, Instagram …………………………………………………………….…..42
Figure 20: @coachella, Twitter ………………………………………………………..………..44
Figure 21: Taco Bell Hotel Room………………………………………………………………..45
Figure 22: @TacoBell, Twitter…………………………………………………………………..47
Figure 23: McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce………………………………………………………...50
Figure 24: McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce ………………………………………………………..51
Figure 25: The Man in the High Castle NY Subway Ads………………………………...……..53

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Abstract
Brand-consumer relationships develop into deeper connections with the steady integration of the
digital world into real life. Consumers from multiple generations engage with their favorite
brands on social media based on shared principles and perceived authenticity. Public relations
representatives personify brands with strategic communications via social media, influencers and
curated brand experience. This personification-- aka anthropomorphism-- allows brands to be
present in consumer lives as symbols of shared values. However, the social media world is
saturated, and brands can potentially lose their audience in the noise online. Consumers highly
value real-life brand experiences because they serve as a unique opportunity to interact with
brands on a deeper level. Companies benefit from brand experiences because the emotional
connections lead to successful brand association or brand resonance. It is imperative that public
relations representatives understand their brand mission and specific target audiences when
developing communications because a perfectly executed brand experience can establish life-
long brand loyalty.

This thesis aims to prove the importance of experiential public relations in today’s climate and
demonstrates how to curate the perfect experience based on audience segmentation and
calculated messaging.

Key Words: Brand Experience, Brand Perception, Brand Loyalty, Brand resonance,
Anthropomorphism, Target Audience, Audience Insight, Strategic Messaging, Authenticity

1
Introduction
More Than a Brand
Jamba Juice serves a plethora of delicious fruit smoothies and a variety of other healthy
snacks. The brand is most known for its classic Jamba Juice flavors such as the “Razzmatazz”,
“Strawberries Wild” and “Orange Dream Machine.” These mixed berry smoothies satisfy sugar
cravings and the need for something cold on a typical hot day. However, Jamba Juice’s
reputation was not built on these chilly dessert flavors alone. Jamba Juice remained a constant
presence in many Millennials’ childhood and adolescence. Jamba Juice served as an active
participant in chosen communities. For example, Jamba Juice smoothies were sold at
neighborhood swim meets and other sporting events in Newport Beach, California. Jamba Juice
sponsored the Spirit Run, a yearly event held for the area’s public schools. Students and their
families signed up to run around the local mall to show support for the education system, have
fun and enjoy the activities and food offered at the event. Many students’ incentive was to earn a
Jamba Juice smoothie at the end of the race. The combination of quality product and a
calculated brand experience developed life-long brand loyalty for the many people who enjoyed
Jamba Juice growing up.
Jamba Juice’s brand message is also well-executed within its chosen experiences. Jamba
Juice’s mission is to help its customers live healthier lives. Jamba Juice rebranded to just
“Jamba” because, “‘juice’ has taken on bad connotations” (Valinsky). With this goal in mind,
the company strategically integrated itself into the lives of its target audience. The juice brand
wants to attract healthy consumers so it integrates itself into experiences, including running
events or swim meets to target the right people and create memories that would earn a
consumer’s brand loyalty. Jamba’s involvement in childhood experiences also created a

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personal connection that led to the purchase of many “Razzmatazz” smoothies due to the
nostalgic feeling that remains today. The use of experiential tactics combined with specific
messaging for Jamba curates a strong brand perception in the eyes of many loyal and select
consumers. Jamba Juice is more than a brand because it develops human-like relationships with
its consumers.

Brand perception is the lens used by consumers to evaluate the feeling they have about a brand
and the purchase decision they will make.
Companies and brands need to understand that a strategic and curated brand perception is
the key to success. Brand perception is created through the senses, touching consumer emotions
and their history with the brand; therefore, brand perception is curated through the brand
experience. Positive brand perception leads to a strong consumer-based brand loyalty. In order
to create a positive brand perception, brand representatives need to build consumer-based brand
equity through key communication tactics. Consumer-based brand equity “occurs when the
consumer has a high level of awareness and familiarity with the brand and holds some strong,
favorable, and unique brand associations in memory” (Keller). Public relation representatives
that successfully create strong brand associations with language and experiences will earn
consumers brand loyalty and influence purchasing decisions.

3
Communicators can best position brands for success if they understand their brand and
how to translate that image to their consumers. Keller’s Brand Equity Model (seen in Fig. 1)
serves a guide or a branding ladder to brand resonance (Keller). First, brands need to
communicate a clear brand identity. Brands with a clear brand identify will be more successful
because communicators will understand who the brand is for. Second, brands need to make sure
that their products and services reflect this brand identity. Quality goods and services will give
brand identity credibility and meaning. Third, brand representatives need to look at audience
response and value their insight. Communicators that understand the feelings and emotions of
their target audiences will be able to build the strongest connections. Lastly and most
importantly, brand resonance connects the audience and brand on a deeper level (CFI). Brand
resonance is best formed through strategic communication and action, or in most cases,
experiential tactics. These tactics yield positive results if the first three fundamental steps are
accurately executed. This is proven by Jamba Juice and dozens of other brands that engage in
experiential tactics.
Fig. 1, Keller’s Brand Equity Model-CBBE Model, December 2019,
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/brand-equity/

4
Brand perception is in the hands of brand communicators and the messages and
experiences that they create for their target audiences. Marketers are expected to be story-tellers
and create innovative and influential messaging for the brands that they represent. In the case of
Jamba, the company president, Geoff Henry, communicates that the brand is “focused on how
we can make it easier, better and faster for guests to live a more active lifestyle” (Valinsky).
This message is clearly expressed in its menu and advertising and its involvement in experiences
connects this message even deeper with those who support an active lifestyle. The deliberate
matching of brand goals with brand experience culminates in a specific brand perception and
develops brand equity and loyalty.

Brand perception and consumer expectations evolved dramatically with social media and new
behaviors of consumers.
While Jamba successfully grabbed consumer attention through minimal yet targeted
experiential strategies in the early 2000s, this would not be enough today because consumers
have much higher expectations of the companies with which they interact with. Social media
created deeper relationships between brands and their audiences. The University of South
Carolina, Darla Moore School of Business research titled, The Effects of Social Media on Brand-
Customer Relationships, proved that the relationship between brands and consumers is deeper
than ever before. The study found that consumers in the United States, “who engage in brand-
related social media have greater emotional attachment with the brands, are more likely to
humanize the brands (known as anthropomorphism), have higher quality brand relationships, and
are more satisfied with, willing to recommend, loyal to the brands” (Hudson). Figure 2 shows
the direct correlation between social media use and anthropomorphism. Now that brands exist in

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the digital world, engagement at every level is necessary to meet these higher expectations.
Today, branding must be integrated deeper into the consumer experience both in real life and in
the digital world, or there is the possibility a brand will fade away in the sea of competition.
The new era of social media and its effects on brand expectations is an important insight
to retain considering social media is used by a majority of Americans. For example, this year,
“79 percent of the population in the United States had a social networking profile,” which
“equals approximately 247 million U.S. social media users as of 2019” (Statistica). The
amplification of the brand-consumer relationships through popular social media platforms and
the fact that most people have social media means brands need to satisfy higher consumer
expectations in order to maintain positive relationships.
The rising importance of brand experience and high expectations due to social media also
shows that there needs to be a connection between the two to influence brand perception.
Experiential events in a person’s life will be carried on through memory; however, stories and
feelings live on when they are shared with others. People share how they feel, what they do and
Fig. 2, Social Media Use and Anthropomorphism, August 2012,
https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/hrsm/research/centers/richardson_family_smartstate/pdf
s/studies/effect_of_social_media_white_paper.pdf

6
how things affect them on social media. If an experience can’t be translated easily onto the most
important social platforms then they will be less effective.

The notion that social media led to the “anthropomorphism” of brands means that brands need
to humanize themselves.
One way to humanize a brand and connect with consumers is to be present in their lives.
For example, “60% of American Millennials expect consistent experiences when engaging with
brands online, in-store, or by phone” (Kettle Fire). Therefore, brands need interactive and
consistent communications in order to communicate and relate with its audience effectively.
Also, while consistency is expected by consumers, interactions with a brand must be strategic
and purposeful. Brand communication can’t always be intrusive; it must bring some sort of
value. This is where creativity serves as a huge added value and plays a large part in consumer
expectation of a brand. For instance, “70% of Millennials agree with the statement ‘Creativity
will save us’” (Jenkins). Taking into account the importance of experience, humanizing a brand
and creativity, experiential public relations create a place for consumer engagement to be more
effective and purposeful than traditional media.

Brands need to understand that digital and traditional forms of communications and
advertisement are no longer enough.
Social media brought consumers into closer relationships with brands- creating the need
to connect on a deeper level. When asked about the importance of brand events, Julie Hogan,
Global Face-to-Face Marketing Director of Facebook’s Instagram, stated, “Face-to-face
interactions at these events are incredibly important and powerful, and create very meaningful

7
connections for us” (Harvard Business Review). Communicators for the most prominent social
media platforms agree that events and in-person connections remain valuable (if not more
valuable) in a digital world. Social media brought brands to life, and now brands need to be
more present and human to the consumer to create a long-term relationship.

These five preceding premises are the foundation for successful consumer-brand interactions and
experiential communications.

What exactly is Experiential Public Relations?
A Definition
Experiential public relations is the tangible presence that a brand can create for
consumers. Kiri Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Communications, stated,
“The fundamental difference from a typical media or consumer event is that with an
experiential PR strategy, all components of integrated PR are brought into play…from
key messaging, audience insight and big ideas through to storytelling across traditional,
social and digital platforms, with the key outcome focused on making a closer bond
between consumers and the brand” (Samadi).
This circles back to brand resonance and the connection between experiential public relations,
consumers, and social media. Experiences must be designed to interact directly with a brand’s
audience in every aspect that is expected by that brand’s consumers. Experiential public
relations ties together the connection, creativity, and emotions expected by consumers and can be
transferred to digital platforms. Also, experiential tactics need to play into the brand’s overall

8
key messages in order to execute the overall brand mission or reach the top of the branding
ladder.
Experiential public relations personifies a brand and helps explain who it is. Experiential
answers questions consumers may have about a brand and uses events to portray that to its
audience in a much more obvious way. This brand explanation at an event is influential because,
“Millennials do not care about your brand. They care about your story and how you speak to
them” (Jenkins). Experiential provides a unique way to speak to consumers and, if done
correctly, will have lasting effects. The market research on Millennials reveals why experiential
branding is a great avenue to reach consumers.

Who gravitates to experiential public relations?
Currently, Millennials are the most powerful consumers with which a public relations
representative must communicate because they represent the largest segment of the U.S.
population with over 83.1 million people (US Census). Due to their large size they have
significant spending power: Millennials are “expected to accrue more wealth by the year 2020
where they are trended to spend $1.4 trillion” (Lexington Law). Therefore, Millennials are at the
forefront of the market, and their spending habits will be the most influential to brand success
and consumer trends. Brand communicators need to win over Millennials in order to have
success.
Brands that recognize Millennial expectations of a brand and build it into their
communications will be the most successful. Experiences and events are now requirements for
brands because Millennials want to be spoken to and value experiences. For example, “More
than 3 in 4 millennials (78%) would choose to spend money on a desirable experience or event

9
over buying something desirable, and 55% of millennials say they’re spending more on events
and live experiences than ever before” (Eventbrite). Millennials also account for the largest
demographics across all social media platforms, thus resulting in the desire to have deeper
relationships with brands. For example, “75% of Millennials believe attending an event in
person has more impact than taking action online” (Eventbrite), confirming that social media
communication is important but users want to be engaged in real-life as well. While Millennials
are the leading demographic in consumer spending, they are not the only demographic seeking
deep brand relationships outside of social media.
Experiential strategies translate well to most demographics. Stefan Pollack, President of
Pollack PR Marketing Group, stated that experiential is “more popular, not because of the
‘Millennials’ needing to have an experience with everything but because of the noise and the
channels and the inability for brands to break to effectively break through” (Pollack). He noted
that all types of consumers are affected by convoluted social media channels. For example, Gen
Z, which according to Fig 3, is aged 7-22, makes up over 70% of Instagram’s demographics and
32% of Twitter’s demographics (West). Also, 40% of 30-49-year-olds (Gen X) use Instagram
(West). Social media is present in a lot of consumers’ lives; therefore, the need to build close
consumer relationships is not exclusive to Millennials and experiential tactics can be used on
many different demographics.

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Because most people utilize social media and desire close relationships with brands,
brand representatives need to conduct thorough research on their individual target audiences to
understand them beyond typical demographics. Age, gender, and geography no longer provide
enough insight for accurate experiential campaigns. Brand communicators should investigate
psychographics to understand what is important to a consumer and execute the right messages to
their audiences. Most importantly, experiential tactics can be effective on a variety of audiences
if the brand messages are able to connect to the consumer through commonalities or shared
values.

Fig. 3, “The generations defined,” 17 Jan. 2019,
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/

11
Audience Segmentations
Many industries offer products and services for broad demographics. For example, food
and beverage and hotels can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. In order to gain the
valuable audience insight, public relations representatives need to utilize audience or market
segmentation. Market segmentation “divides the market into distinct groups of homogeneous
consumers who have similar needs and consumer behavior, and who thus require similar
marketing mixes” (Keller). Dividing audiences by preferences will help brand communicators
align brand messaging and design the right experiences for consumers. This connection will
make brand tactics reach that deep connection needed for brand resonance.

What does experiential public relations do?
Experiential is a direct and tangible way for a brand communication to speak directly to
the consumer. Therefore, there must be a focus on the importance of messaging in experiential
public relations. The experience or experiential campaign for a brand needs to align perfectly
with its overall goals and messaging or it will lose value. According to Meiling Wee, Executive
Director at Golin Singapore, "The most important aspect of experiential PR is to bring to life the
campaign’s key message rather than providing a short burst of attention" (Samadi). Throwing an
exciting event can bring temporary attention that does not necessarily bring valuable growth to a
brand. However, if the experience communicates something that is lasting and shareable then it
can be powerful and have a continuing effect.
Messaging is also important because of the integrated aspect of experiential
communications. Integrated marketing communications is “an approach to promoting a message
through multiple strategies that work together and reinforce one another” (Lake). Brand

12
communicators need to understand that while experiential is a key component of effective
communications, it needs to be purposeful and tied to the brand communications and messages
as a whole. Successful brands aim to “integrate events and experiences more closely with wider
corporate marketing campaigns.” (Eventmarketer) Experiential communications that tie
cohesively into the goals and mission set by brand communicators will yield stronger results.
The messaging and reasoning behind important brand moves are also important to
consumer trust and loyalty. Strategic communicator and thought leader, Simon Sinek, speaks
globally on why people have brand loyalty or purchase products. He stated, “People don't buy
what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”
(Goalcast). Therefore, experience with strategic messaging that stays true to the brand will drive
consumer behavior because they are given the “why” behind the event or “why” someone should
be loyal to a brand.
Again, experiential branding provides a more meaningful way to make connections with
consumers than it does on social media and other traditional platforms. The “‘experience
economy’ burst into the mainstream vernacular in parallel with the rise of social media on-the-
go” (Gherini). Experiential branding allows companies to communicate in a more purposeful
and influential way and hopefully create a lasting positive brand perception. Fred Cook,
Chairman at Golin, explained that McDonald’s uses experiential branding to tell stories in a
more meaningful and exciting way. For example, McDonald’s- which clearly defined the notion
of fast food in the second half of the 20th century--strongly believes in becoming the future of
fast food as well. Therefore, the company decided to create a futuristic restaurant experience to
showcase the brand’s mission to various audiences. The restaurant features large touch screens
for meal ordering and a modern, sleek interior. Steve Easterbrook, previous CEO of the

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company, held a shareholder’s meeting an actual McDonald’s restaurant. The experience was
successful in that “it just bolded you over with this excitement of what they were going to be
able to do from a technology and product perspective in the future. And it told the story a
thousand times better than if he was standing in front of them at a stockholders meeting with a
PowerPoint” (Cook). It also was able to connect with its audience on a deeper level because they
could see, feel and taste the messages that McDonald’s was sharing.

Experiential Public Relations Today
Experiential public relations in now a requirement for brand success. Consumers enjoy
human-to-human interactions and experiential public relations gives the brand a face, personality
and feeling for a consumer to associate with its name or logo. A 2018 survey conducted by
Mosaic showed that “91% of consumers with more positive feelings about brands after attending
events and experiences” (Eventmarketer). This emotional connection is key for developing the
deep consumer-brand relationship expected today. Interbrand, a global brand consultancy and
thought leader in branding, conducted research on how the world’s top 100 brands are chosen
each year. One of the ways a brand qualifies for Interbrand’s Top 100, is answering yes to, “[Is
your brand] creating emotional bonds and instilling a sense of purpose among your target
audiences?” (Interbrand). With emotional bonds dictating the success of brand communications,
it would be a poor decision to not dedicate money or time into experiences. An emotional bond
is much easier to create in experiential public relations than in any other type because it is a
chance to create a tangible connection between a brand and a consumer. Due to the value placed
in brand experience, companies are transforming how they communicate their brands.

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Companies and leadership executives agree that experiential communications are critical
for success. Bizzabo, an event research company, proved the growing importance of experiential
marketing in today’s digital climate. Bizzaboo interviewed more than 1,000 marketing
executives from top companies, such as Amazon and General Mills, and found that “most
respondents (41%) consider live events to be the most critical marketing channel in achieving
business outcomes (out of 9 possible channels). This reflects a 32% increase since 2017”
(Bizzaboo). Companies and brands agree that experiential branding provides ample
opportunities for consumer-brand connections. Professional recognition of the value of
experiential branding is evident in recent marketing investments.
Companies are spending substantial amounts of money into developing their experiential
sectors. In 2019, research determined that, “brand marketers expect a 24 percent growth in
experiential budgets in the next 18 months” (Stein). The increase in experiential budgets reflects
the move away from traditional advertising. For example, “marketers expect to allocate up to
50% of their marketing budgets to experiential over the next three to five years” (EventMB).
This re-organization of the marketing budget shows people are willing to sacrifice traditional
communications and advertisements for experiential branding because they find it to have better
effects. Importantly, these forecasts are also predicted in years showing that experiential
branding is not seen as a temporary trend but rather a long-term investment for success.
Another way companies invest in experiential branding is through talent acquisition.
Brands and “corporations devote significant resources to event marketing activities, with 51%
employing between one and 10 full- time event planning and management employees, and 27%
employing 11 or more” (Harvard Business Review). Companies are making sure that they are
properly equipped to communicate with their audiences. These employers also recognize the

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benefits experiential specialists bring to the table. For instance, “35% of people working in
experiential received a pay rise of between 5% and 10% in 2017” (Gilliland). This dedication to
talent acquisition in the experiential sector shows that companies believe this will bring financial
benefits.
Brands and public relations representatives understand experiential tactics are pertinent
for positive monetary results. For example, “roughly two-thirds of brand marketers see
increased sales because of their experiential marketing campaigns” (Durris). However,
experiences don’t always lead to immediate product purchase. Experiences are intended to
differentiate brands from one another and “85% of marketers say events and experiences lift net
purchase intent” (Button). While some attendees may not purchase a product right away they
will leave an event with a higher chance of purchasing a product from that brand down the line.
However, determining accurate return on investment (ROI) for experiential branding can be
difficult to prove; companies need to have clear intentions and target the right audience in order
to decide what kind of event will be a smart business move.

Types of Events and Event Expectations
There is an array of events that lend themselves to success in the experiential sector. Following
are some of the most common examples.
Ticket-Based
First, there are ticket-based experiential events where consumers pay money to attend.
The purchase of tickets by attendees “creates more credibility for an event, as well as helps
brands to plan around a definite number of attendees” (Gilliland). A tried-and-true event such as
this a safer move for brand communicators that are unsure of turn-out or want to ensure specific

16
ROI. Also, ticket-based events can create a longer and more dedicated communications plan.
For instance, the brand will need to promote the sale of these tickets and that will generate
content to be shared on its media platforms. Also, the communication for ticket sales will be
much more focused on their selected target audiences. To accurately communicate with a
selected audience, “Brands must understand consumers on an intimate level and establish true
audience insight” (Bateman). Once brand representatives understand their audience it can attract
the right people to an event that will speak to them in a positive way. This target audience
identification places brands in a great position to accurately build an event around.
Ticket-based events are attractive because they are exclusive. Exclusivity is a highly
desired trait by specific audiences that want to feel special to a brand or want something that not
everyone can have. Also, exclusive or limited access to events is a clever way to keep the
attention of an audience. These loyal consumers who are interested in the brand’s content and
events will make sure to stay more involved in the brand’s movements in order to stay up to date
and not miss out on opportunities. Also, newer consumers with short-term interest in an
exclusive event could develop long-term brand interest or brand loyalty when pursuing an
exclusive event.
Spotify, a digital music service, garners a lot of media attention and brand success with
their ticket-based events. Spotify is a platform that shares music and artists with their
subscribers. Spotify utilizes top technology to identify specific audience segmentations and
streaming habits to curate the perfect playlists for its subscribers. Fortunately, this segmentation
is perfect for creating an event based on similar interests. For example, Spotify created their own
concert experience based on their “Who We Be” playlist that was curated specifically for UK
listeners that enjoy Hip-Hop, R&B and Grime (Spotify). This was a smart move for Spotify

17
because they knew that this event would be in demand because of the high volume of listeners on
this playlist. The 10,000 available tickets sold out three weeks before the event (Dummy). The
fact that the event would only take place for only one night and required a ticket made it much
more desirable to consumers. Also, this exclusive event sent the perfect message for a brand like
Spotify.

Spotify’s ticketed event was a savvy way to communicate brand goals. The event
portrayed Spotify’s message that ‘“we’re all about the artists’ rather than ‘please subscribe to our
streaming platform’” (Dummy). Spotify provided all different types of artists the opportunity to
perform for fans both mainstream and underground. Therefore, charging attendees to experience
their favorite artists made sense because the brand needed to pay or “support” those featured.
Also, Spotify went above and beyond to secure a great venue and deliver an extraordinary affair
for all those who attended. The event took place in London, England at Alexandra Palace and
Fig. 4, Spotify “Who We BE” Event, 29 Nov. 2018,
https://www.dummymag.com/features/what-we-learned-at-spotifys-second-who-we-be-event/

18
“The production was super slick with great sound and lights, huge screens and the right balance
of Who We Be and artist branding” (Dummy). When a brand invests in creativity and quality it
makes sense to charge people.
Exclusivity and a specific target audience usually go hand-in-hand with an experience
that is highly personalized. For example, “In 2019, the biggest trend influencing the B2B
industry will be hyper- personalized experiences that go beyond the convention center to connect
with audiences in innovative ways” (Agency EA), meaning that if the event is not curated and
personalized for the attendees that were targeted, the purpose of the event could be lost in
translation and result in losing consumer loyalty. Pandora, another music streaming service,
created the perfect personalized experience for its listeners. At their 5th annual “Sounds Like
You” concert, Pandora offered a “customizable photo concert activation where a series of
questions algorithmically formed an individualized projection mapped backdrop that featured
fans’ names and favorite artist from the evening’s line-up” (NextNow). Attendees were able to
make the perfect backdrop for a photo that they could share on social media. This experience
was special because it was individualized and also stood for Pandora’s overall brand goals.
Fig. 6, Pandora “Sounds Like You” Event,
https://nextnowagency.com/project/brand-
activation/

Fig. 5, Pandora “Sounds Like You”
Event,
https://nextnowagency.com/project/bran
d-activation/

19
Pandora’s unique experience amplified its brand perception to its listeners. Pandora’s
communications describe the brand as “a leading music and podcast discovery platform,
providing a highly-personalized listening experience to approximately 70 million users each
month” (Pandora). This experience personified Pandora because, like the service itself, it
featured personalization within a larger entity. Also, the brand activation was integrative
because the 1200 people who participated were supplied with shareable content (NextNow). This
touches on many aspects of experiential branding with a specific target audience, messaging
reflective on brand goals, and photos worthy of sharing about on personal social platforms.

Stayable Experience
Another approach is a “stayable’” experience which usually coincides with hospitality
brands. Brand communicators will offer experiential events that are intended to give consumers
the feeling of the brand or experience they would get at the actual location. These experiences
are created with “the idea being that it’s far easier to forget a two-hour event than it is an entire
day and night in a new or novel location” (Gilliland). “Stayable” experiences rely on a deep
immersive element to attract consumers and influence them to continue on a journey with the
brand. An example of a “stayable” experience would be The Kimpton Everly’s “Room 301”
experience.

20

“Room 301” was a single premium room offered at Kimpton Hotel’s Hollywood,
California property. The hotel room was a limited-time experience designed “to be interactive,
spark creativity and encourage self-reflection” (Kimpton Hotels Blog). Guests were encouraged
to leave messages for the guests who would follow and share photos of the Instagram-worthy
room on their social platforms. The experience was immersive and brought guests together
through written conversations and images. “Room 301” was only a small part of Kimpton
Hotel’s larger Stay Human Project, a campaign that offered one unique room at 20 different
Kimpton Hotels properties. This campaign was based of Kimpton Hotel’s belief “that
commonalities exist between all people—no matter their background, where they’re from, or
whether they’ve ever even met” (Kimpton Hotels Blog). Therefore, guests communicating with
one another in these rooms and on the Internet magnified Kimpton Hotel’s brand goal. Lastly,
Kimpton’s campaign is strategic overall because it touches on a key audience insight. A survey
on Millennials showed that “69% believe attending live events and experiences make them more
connected to other people, the community, and the world” (Eventbrite). An event that is
“stayable” and connects consumers to a new community will speak volumes for a brand.

Fig. 7, Kimpton Hotels “Room 301” Experience, 24 Sept. 2018,
https://www.we-heart.com/2018/09/24/colette-miller-angel-wings-everly-hollywood/

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Built-In Events
There is also a difference in brand experiences based on the origination of the event.
Some brands will conceive and develop an experience based solely on their specific needs and
target audience; others will build their brand experience into another experience that is
communicating a similar message. Sometime brands will “attach themselves to already built in
events that already have built in audiences because they are afraid to needing to attract the
audiences from scratch” (Pollack). In many cases (not always), this type of experience is a
product of a brand sponsorship. The event a brand builds into does not need to be bigger or
better than the event into which it is built; rather it needs to just make sense.
Credit card giant American Express (aka Amex) forms strategic sponsorships to align the
brand with other influential brands. Through these sponsorships Amex puts on exceptional
experiential events all over the world. A great example of an Amex event would be their highly
anticipated annual fan experience at the U.S. Open in New York. In 2019, the Amex “New
York” themed brand experience served as “the epicenter of American Express’s U.S. Open
activations, with a number of activities and stations for fans to explore” (Pearl). The experience
included top technology, art, food and more. When discussing the “why” behind the Amex fan
experience, Bess Spaeth, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Experiences at Amex,
stated, “We know that when our customers engage in them, they’re more loyal to the brand,
they’re more engaged with American Express.” (Pearl) Amex is able to engage fans and card
members in an interactive way that bring customer loyalty and brand resonance. Lastly, Amex’s
experience at the U.S. Open was strategic because it aligned the brand with success and prestige.
The U.S. Open features the world’s top tennis talent, and in turn, brands that are associated

22
appear the same. Also, a built-in experience with this target audience is smart because Amex
wants people who go to the U.S. Open to also use Amex services.

However, the above experiences and elements are not mutually exclusive to specific brands.
While some experiences may make sense for some brands or industries over others the important
takeaway here is to understand the audience, their expectations of the brand and intended
message brand communicators wants to convey.
Despite the different ways to create an experience, all of these events must also feature a
digital component. Often, being digital means being “Instagrammable” or translatable to social
media. When the event is “Instagrammable” it means that it is photogenic, aesthetically
pleasing, and can be easily shared on social media platforms or retained by a more visual mind.
For example, “When people hear information, they're likely to remember only 10% of that
information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information,
people retained 65% of the information three days later” (Mawhinney). This means that people
Fig. 8, “Amex Experience at US Open 2019, 28 Aug. 2019,
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/american-express-playground-tennis-fans-us-open-
activation/

23
will remember the event better when they can take photos of the event; or that the brand
communicators can share event photos with information that will be retained by the audience.
Regardless of target audience demographics, people like to use their smart phones to record their
activities so that they can show someone or reflect back on the photos.
Glossier is known for having the
most “Instagrammable” stores. Its retail
shop on Melrose in Los Angeles gives
shoppers the ultimate brand experience.
The store’s aesthetic alone is picture-
perfect and shoppers “can enter a room
that looks like the Antelope Canyon in
Arizona and hear nature sounds—and of
course take a photo, as the room comes
fully equipped with a mirror” (Alcántara).
The store experience brings Glossier to
life and gives customers imagery for
brand association. Again, as seen in
previous examples, communicating in a
digital world is necessary for brand success. It is smart for a brand such as Glossier that is
selling beauty to focus on a visual and Instagram-driven experience.

Fig. 9, Glossier Influencer Instagram
(@emilyweiss), May 14, 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiyBlDlgOrK/

24
Guerilla Marketing
Lastly, brands can use guerilla marketing and engage their consumers through innovation
and the element of surprise. Guerilla marketing is the use of “unexpected, experiential methods
of advertising to build brand awareness” (Eventbrite). An example of a guerilla marketing event
would be a walk-by experience or a pop-up event. These events are highly successful because
they are intended to attract a much larger, non-specific target audience and are considered “low-
cost and low-risk” (Eventbrite). These types of events are strategically placed by location rather
than audience. Experiential branding teams will place these events in places with a lot of foot
traffic or popular locations based on specific cities. Research shows that “82% of potential
attendees say their decision to attend an event is influenced by its location” (AgencyEA).
Therefore, if an event is announced beforehand and is in an ideal location, potential consumers
are more inclined to travel to a limited-time experience.
Guerilla marketing experiences also allow brands the chance to differentiate themselves
and be creative. For example, Target employed guerrilla marketing tactics to launch its “Gather
Round” campaign. The campaign goal was to align Target with the holidays and hopefully
become a part of the consumer holiday experience. Therefore, Target organized a walk-by
experience that involved a flash-mob type stunt. The event was strategically located at New
York City’s Pier 17 during the Christmas season and people strolling by were encouraged to
participate and work together with fellow strangers to plug in a large and heavy cable cord
attached to an enormous boom box. Once the cord was plugged in popular Christmas music
played, lights ignited and many other surprises commenced. For example, there was karaoke and

25
a choreographed flash-mob dance performance (EventMarketer). This walk-by was a cutting-
edge experience and yielded many positive results for Target.
Target’s “Gather Round” event in New York City was successful for many reasons.
First, Target effectively communicated its brand message through this experience. For example,
during this particular holiday season, Target communicated on its own platforms, “Find
everything you need to make memorable holidays moments in Target stores or online at
Target.com!” (Target). This experience proved Target does indeed want to help create
memorable holiday experiences and will go above and beyond to reach this goal. Also, Target’s
utilization of a walk-by experience that had no specific target audience sent a strong message.
The shared video content of the stunt showed men, women and children of all backgrounds
participating in the event. This communicates that Target is for everyone and makes Target
relatable to more people. Target created a tangible and memorable brand experience that will
hopefully translate into brand loyalty or shopping at Target.
Fig. 10, Target “Gather Round” Event, 20 Dec. 2018,
https://corporate.target.com/article/2018/12/improv-everywhere

26
Lastly, the use of a guerrilla marketing event creates opportunity for analyzable results.
Successful and exciting events in a digital world equate to media impressions. For example,
Target’s event “resulted in 1.1 million views of the live stunt footage, 720 photos shared, a 181
percent share ratio—and a whole lot of cheer” (The 2019 Ex Awards). The media impressions
give tangible results a brand can use to quantify success. Cleary, this event made an impact
during a highly visible time of year.

Measuring Success in Experiential
Success is measured in a variety of ways by marketers who invest in experiential
branding tactics. Today, determining “ROI is a little better than it used to be, because you can
broadcast your event on social media. There’s ways to take what’s happening on a local basis
and reach a lot more people than you ever have before. Which helps defray the cost of one-on-
one marketing costs which is relatively high” (Cook). Brand communicators can validate their
experiences by the reach it has online. The most tangible performance metrics “event and
experiential teams provide to senior management are sales impact reports and social media
activity and digital engagement assessments” (Eventmarketer). However, ROI can be specific to
the brand and depends on the scale of the project. Figure 11 shows that out of 739 survey
respondents in the events industry, only 23% were able to track ROI on events and experiences
(Harvard Business Review). This lack of certainty provides companies the challenge to decide
individually what factors will deem an event is worth it or not.

27
Brands set specific key performance indicators (aka KPIs) that they want during the
planning process of an event. KPI measurements would include: social engagement, happy
clients, turnout, budget, and location (EventMB Studios). Lasting effects can be evaluated by the
purchase of goods, brand loyalty, retention or recall of the event and the products during the
purchasing process. However, deciding if an experiential activation improved overall ROI is
difficult to prove. Therefore, having a list of set and specific goals helps brands decide if an
experience was worth it or not.

Experiential Public Relations is Relevant in Many Industries
Experiential tactics yield positive results for many brands regardless of industry. As
previously discussed, the future is experiential and brands that embrace consumer connections
will be successful. Going forward “the best businesses will launch experience-led activations.
Giving customers a taste of what is on offer will boost loyalty, satisfaction, and ultimately
conversion and retention” (Lambert). Experiential public relations is broad and versatile and is
Fig. 11, “Few Companies can Track Event ROI”, 2018,
http://medias.development-
institute.com/Site_dii/Dii_agency/Harvard_Business_Review_Event_Management.pdf

28
able to be applied at the different steps in the branding ladder. Specifically, experiential
branding can help with fundamentals and build brand reputation or brand identity.
For example, the hospitality industry relies heavily on experiential public relations to
connect with consumers and develop brand reputation. The hospitality industry is wide-ranging
and many brands fall into this category. These brands focus “on ideas of luxury, pleasure,
enjoyment and experiences, as opposed to catering for necessities and essentials” (Razzak).
Fortunately, as previously discussed consumers today value experiences and will spend money to
satisfy these desires. Brands do not need to persuade consumers to enjoy themselves; rather,
they want to convince people to choose their brand over their competitors.
Many hospitality brands use worthy representatives to communicate the experience they
sell in an authentic and compelling way. Consumers highly respect reviews and feedback from
fellow consumers or people that they believe are credible and honest. In the hotel industry this
can be seen in guest reviews or star ratings on hotel booking websites. Prior to social media,
hospitality brands used an experiential tactic known as a familiarization (fam) trip to help create
legitimate travel agents or communication liaisons for their brands. A fam trip is when a
hospitality brand offers free travel and experience to travel agents or vendors so that they can
verily convey that experience to potential guests. One company, Cruise Lines, offers travel
agents fam trips so that they “get the information the cruise lines need them to have, plus the
agent gets to familiarize themselves with the cruise as a client would” (Burgess). After the fam
trip an agent or select communications representative is able to genuinely communicate who the
brand is and what a guest can expect from the brand’s services. Experiential tactics are perfect
for hospitality brands that sell experiences themselves and how to efficiently communicate the
feeling and emotion these services offer.

29
Hospitality brands and fam trips are still important tools today in the digital world.
However, fam trips evolved to utilizing social media influencers rather than just travel agents. It
is very common for hotels to pay influencers to come to their hotel and share their experiences
on social media. The Instagram page, @traveling_newlyweds, is great example of travel
influencers engaging their followers about
hotel experiences. In 2019, the couple stayed
at a 21c Museum Hotel and shared their
experience on social media. The positive
review stated, “You know those hotel beds
that are SO COMFY, you consider staying
there all day?! @21chotels beds are exactly
that.” (@traveling_newlyweds). This review
can be persuasive and influential to potential
guests of the 21c Museum Hotel. One,
because there’s the idea that people who
follow these influencers value their opinion.
Two, that engagement with this post can lift
purchase intent, lead to purchase or create a
desire. Third, influencers and social media
give consumers brand association. The @traveling_newlyweds appear fun and exciting on their
social media page; therefore, the hotel and people who go there will be the same. Also, this ties
back to the importance of understanding target audiences because influencers should represent
Fig. 12, @traveling_newlyweds,
https://www.instagram.com/p/B29h3sHB
48t/

30
the ideal consumer. Also, experiential tactics can be used to differentiate one brand from
another.
Experiential branding helps develop brand differentiation. This is important in industries
like the food and beverage industry where the market is busy with many versions of the
relatively same product. For example, Coca-Cola’s dedication to integrative experiential tactics
earned them the reputation as a leading beverage brand. Prathik Thakur, Coca-Cola Company’s
Head of Marketing for South East Asia, stated, “We know that the world has changed.
Everything is digital, so integrated marketing communications also needs to change to lead and
operate in the experience age” (Warc). Coca-Cola brings an unprecedented consumer experience
to the food & beverage industry.
Coca-Cola interacts with the consumer at home, online and in-person through
experiential events. The Coca-Cola bottles and cans sport labels that feature special giveaways
to events and information about Coca-Cola experiences that they can participate in. In 2019,
Coca-Cola created a specialized bottle for the US Women’s Soccer Team where the labels turned
into wrist bands that said, “I Believe” and select winners who posted photos with the wristbands
won “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the USWNT” (Moye).
Offering the opportunity to attend a unique experience like a high-demand soccer game
associates Coca-Cola with enjoying life and experiencing new and cool things, which also aligns
with Coca-Cola’s brand mission “to inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our
brands and actions” (Coca-Cola). Coca-Cola connects with consumers through tactics that evoke
happiness and excitement. Coca-Cola’s effort to bring consumers an unparalleled brand
experience has paid off. According to Interbrand’s Top 100-Best Global Brand, Coca-Cola is
currently ranked number 5 while their biggest competitor, Pepsi, ranks 22. This ranking is based

31
on their level of commitment, authenticity and presence (Interbrand). Coca-Cola is ever present
in the consumer journey from the store, in the home and its association with popular events and
rewards and consumer reviews provide successful KPIs. Experiential tactics are also useful at
the most importance stage of the consumer journey: the purchase.
Through intentional experiences that align with specialized brand messaging for a
specific audience, brands are able to separate themselves from the masses. Experiential public
relations helps brands reach the last step of the branding ladder and achieve brand resonance,
brand loyalty and purchase. Once people are interested in or aware of a brand they will want to
research or preview the product or service to make sure they want it. For example, automotive
companies offer showroom events and test drives for their customers. If consumers have a great
time testing a car their desire for it could evolve into purchase. Going one step further, Hyundai
offers test-drives where brand representatives bring the experience to the customer’s home
(Hyundai). The experience is designed to be convenient and make consumers associate the
feeling that comes with being well cared for with Hyundai. Also, this experience is marketed as
a “better test drive” which connects with Hyundai’s 2019 brand campaign “Drive Better.”
Consumers who leave that experience or any experience with Hyundai should feel that Hyundai
want to better people’s lives with convenience or top-quality services. Brand communicators
that have the ability to line up experiences with overall brand campaign messaging make the
intended key words stand out in the consumer mind.

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Following are a series of case studies that illustrate the ideas portrayed earlier in this thesis.

Create Experiences With Messaging In Mind: Soda Stream
Brands need to identify their communication goals before devising an experiential strategy.
Experiential public relations is the personification of a brand, so public relations
professionals need to understand the brand story in order to bring a brand to life. That is why
experiences need to be designed around the message or messages a brand wants to portray to its
audiences. These messages are devised from the brand mission, goals and research into the
target audience. Brand communicators that know what they want to say and who they want to
say it to will have an easier time creating the how, or in this case, the event.
Pollack PR Marketing Group used strategic messaging to devise an impactful walk-by
experience for their client SodaStream. SodaStream wanted to communicate, “SodaStream cares
about the environment, that a family of four wastes about 10,000 plastic bottles a year and that
you can enact change if you sign our pledge and do something” (Pollack). With these goals in
mind, SodaStream create their “Drowning Liberty” event. On Sept. 3, 2018, on a street in the
Flat Iron District, New York City, SodaStream showcased “a 20-foot replica of the Statue of
Liberty, showing it trapped inside a steel structure packed with single-use plastic bottles”
(Pollack). SodaStream utilized a visual experience to communicate its brand goals and
messaging.

33
SodaStream successfully communicated their message that they care about the
environment. This installation expressed that “If we don’t change our ways the Statue of Liberty
will soon be drowning in plastic” (Pollack). The use of an optical experience was a great way to
touch viewer emotion, communicate the effects of plastic waste, and showcase SodaStream as a
proactive and positive brand. Also, SodaStream emphasized their care for the environment by
using the experience to get signatures for a pledge rather than sell products. The experience
went hand-in-hand with the messaging which created a positive brand perception and hopefully a
future transaction because of the brand resonance created here.
There are many other brands that have successfully used strategic messaging and
experiential tactics to tell powerful stories to their audiences. The cases that follow are
segmented by their main thrust – be it ROI, intention, messaging or all three – and by industry.

Fig. 13, Soda Stream New York Event,
http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Adrian+Grenier/SodaStream+Oceanic+Society+Unveil+A
nti+Plastic/UZNpQH7Ey5p

34
Successful brand experiences with a focus on the messaging, intention and ROI.
Food & Beverage Industry
Flamin’ Hot Spot
What: The Frito-Lay brand Cheetos
sponsored a three-day exclusive event for
its loyal consumers and foodie target
audience. The temporary pop-up
restaurant experience offered a Flamin’
Hot Cheeto-inspired menu curated by
famous chef Roy Choi in Los Angeles,
California. The event was created to bring
consumers a unique experience that was
exciting, exclusive and media worthy.
Lastly, Frito-Lay created a landing page
for the event where people could get
updates on the event and find out how to
get more involved.
Fig. 14, @ChesterCheetah “Tweet of Flamin’
Hot Spot”, Sept. 13, 2018,
https://twitter.com/ChesterCheetah/status/1040
359539923738625

35
Messaging: The Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Spot was intended to communicate the brand’s
personality as both relevant and fun. The plan was to create an event that would fit into current
food trends and influence the brand’s consumer experience. Frito-Lay’s Chief Marketing
Officer, Jennifer Saenz, said the brand identified a trend that, “Cheetos was finding its way into
menu items in different restaurants. In people’s celebrations they were having, they were using
Cheetos in incredibly creative ways—bagels, sushi, burritos” (The Visionary Group). For
example, Krispy Kreme created a Cheeto-inspired donut (Rouse). Frito-Lay identified fans of
Cheetos creating recipes and thought an exclusive Cheeto restaurant would play perfectly into
this trend. Also, an exciting and unique restaurant experience plays well with the brand’s
personality. The brand’s packaging reads, “CHEETOS® snacks are the much-loved cheesy
treats that are fun for everyone!” (Food4Less). Therefore, this fun event was created with a clear
message as to why this made sense as an experiential marketing tactic for Cheetos.
Fig. 15, “Hot Cheetos Burrito”, 19 Sept. 2018,
https://www.lamag.com/digestblog/flamin-hot-cheetos-roy-choi/

36

The collaboration between a famous chef and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos also accurately
communicated the taste and quality of Cheetos products. The “Hot Spot” reference played into
the restaurant experience, the flavor of Cheetos themselves and how they wanted the event to be
perceived. Frito-Lay wanted to communicate that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are a hot product that
brings a fun experience. Also, as seen in Chester Cheetah’s tweet in Fig. 2, “Bringing the heat to
the Flamin’ Hot Spot kitchen,” is just one of the many ways Frito-Lay can use messaging to
communicate the brand’s personality and intention of the hotspot. This pop-up was the epitome
of a strategic play on words.

ROI/KPI: The Flamin’ Hot Spot is a brilliant example of a successful pop-up. First of all, the
restaurant, “served approximately 1,000 people, three times as many as the year prior, and
waitlisted 9,755. The venue’s 500 reservations sold out in less than an hour and earned the brand
more than 420 million impressions from social conversations across the three days. Hot.” (The
2019 Ex Awards). From an attendance and social media standpoint, the brand grabbed consumer
attention and created an experience of which everyone wanted to be a part of. The social media
aspect showed that the event was conversation worthy and had lasting effects. It is fair to say
that it would be an event that would succeed again in the future. Also, Frito-Lay wanted to
involve people who were unable to attend the event through creating recipes they could recreated
at home. Frito-Lay shared recipes along with directions on its pop-up landing page, and
partnerships with online grocery stores made it easy to order the ingredients to be delivered
straight to a customer’s door. This strategy ensured the purchase of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos outside

37
of the pop-up and brought this snack to the top of customer’s minds for those who saw this event
take place on their social media pages.

Why does this event work? This ticket-based or reservation-based event worked because Frito-
Lay targeted its loyal consumers and a specific foodie audience to ensure a successful turnout to
the event. The communications of the event were clear that this was a unique and fun experience
and that translated perfectly into what the event ended up being. Also, the limited access brought
a lot of attention and conversation to Frito-Lay and its Cheetos brand. Consumers who attended
the event are likely to remember this forever and people are going to stay engaged to see if
something like this happens again.

Smirnoff Non-GMO Launch
What: Smirnoff, a leading vodka brand, created an interactive launch party in New York City
for its new non-GMO vodka with redesigned packaging (Shea). The experience was designed to
Fig. 16, Smirnoff Non-GMO Event Photo, 21 Nov. 2018,
https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/pop-up-corn-maze-lgbtq-smirnoff-launch-non-gmo/

38
be “Instagrammable” in every way. A cool corn maze led to a surprise event and provided many
photo opportunities from the products served to the places for people to take photos for their own
social media. Also, Smirnoff engaged strategic brand partners attend the event. For example,
“Queer Eye” television star Jonathan Van Ness brought media attention to the event (Sweeney).

Messaging: This non-GMO event coincided with Smirnoff’s “Welcome to the Fun” campaign
which is built around “messaging of inclusivity and affordability” (Sweeney). The new product
was positioned as a healthier alternative vodka that was both classy and affordable. Therefore,
the event shared the message that people who cared about health and the price of their alcohol
didn’t have to sacrifice quality. Also, the event had brand ambassadors that represented the
LGBT community which supported Smirnoff’s brand message as inclusive. Lastly, the message
sent by constructing a corn maze at the event referred to the brand’s new corn ingredients. Jay
Sethi, Vice President of Smirnoff, stated, “Using non-GMO corn for Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka,
we're ensuring that anyone who avoids gluten and GMO ingredients in their everyday life still
has the option to enjoy a delicious Smirnoff cocktail" (Smirnoff Vodka). Therefore, this crazy
maze was fascinating and made sense to attendees who understand Smirnoff’s brand goals.

ROI/KPI: This event was very successful from a media standpoint. For example, “the event
served up 409 million impressions alongside its new and improved product. Nothing corny about
that” (The 2019 Ex Awards). Also, the brand placed itself in a better position than other alcohol
brands with its support of the LGBT community. Currently, “Fifty-three percent of marketers
allocate between 0% and 4% of their marketing campaigns on LGBTQ consumers each year,
while 29% allocate 5% to 10%” (Sweeney), meaning that Smirnoff is reaching a target audience

39
in need of attention. Members of the LGBT community may be more inclined to purchase
Smirnoff non-GMO vodka or other products due to their public support of the community.

Why does this event work? This walk-by experience was perfect for a company that wanted to
communicate inclusivity over exclusivity. The brand communicators successfully marketed an
affordable alcohol that should be enjoyed by everyone, therefore, the event being free and
enjoyable by everyone portrayed that message loud and clear.

Skittles Super Bowl Theatre Experience
What: Instead of running a typical TV
spot advertisement during the Super
Bowl, the brand Skittles created a one
day only theatre experience that would
never be seen on television. The play
itself was written by comedic playwright
Will Eno and starred Michael C. Hall.
The plot followed Hall and the idea that
participating in a Skittles commercial
was a poor career move. The experience
took place on Super Bowl Sunday and
was intended to communicate how
advertising is ruining everything while
simultaneously behaving as an
Fig. 17, Skittles Commercial Announcement, 3
Feb. 2019, https://www.adweek.com/brand-
marketing/how-skittles-merged-theater-and-
advertising-to-create-a-weirdly-wonderful-super-
bowl-musical/

40
advertisement campaign. The event served as shocking and won Super Bowl viewer attention
without being a part of the Super Bowl. Skittles put on the exclusive theatre experience on Super
Bowl Sunday for the 1,495 people who bought tickets (Richards).
Messaging: The event itself was communicated as an exclusive advertisement that would not be
a part of the Super Bowl. For example, Skittles tweeted, “The only way Michael C. Hall could
see the sold-out Skittles Broadway Musical was by starring in it. For a chance to win tickets…”
(@Skittles, 2019). The message that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity attracted a lot of
different people and also encouraged them to participate in brand sweepstakes and social media
in order to find out more. The experience was also intended to communicate irony because
television advertisements can be viewed in a negative light. Today, “91% of people say ads are
more intrusive today than 2-3 years ago” (Willner). The irony in this experience, is that the
Fig. 18, @Skittles, 30 Jan. 2019.
https://twitter.com/skittles/status/1090625687000698882?lang=en

41
Skittles musical is making fun of advertising while simultaneously being one of the biggest
advertisements of the day. Most importantly, this event sent the perfect message about Skittles
and what it stands for as a brand. Skittles Brand Director, Debbie Litow, noted, “We’re all about
disrupting things that are predictable so I think when I first heard the idea it just felt like we had
struck gold” (Richards). The comedic musical was the perfect calculated disruption and created
a lot of positive traction. It sent a message about what Skittles represents loud and clear.

ROI/KPI: This event gave Skittles the opportunity for media buzz on a day a lot of people
follow on Twitter, the news and more. This was also a successful experience because it
showcased a lot of famous talent and supported Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. These
strategies broadened the messaging to more specific target audiences. For example, fans of
Michael C. Hall were intrigued by the commercial even if they weren’t originally fans of Skittles
or the NFL. Also, people who care about social causes or specifically helping end the AIDS
epidemic were receptive to this experience. The fact that this was never done before, played well
with the brand, and supporting a charity made it well-received by the audience.

Why does this event work? This exclusive event was a perfect way to get a lot of attention
because everyone wanted to know what Skittles was up to. Also, doing an exclusive event
during the Super Bowl is disruptive and distracting, just what the brand wanted to communicate.

Hospitality Industry
W Hotels Coachella Experience

42
What: W Hotels is a luxury brand that is a part of Marriott International. In 2018, W Hotels
created a luxury experience for its loyalty members and wealthy people attending Coachella.
Coachella is a popular and expensive music festival, where a lot of attendees camped in order to
be close to the venue. The W Hotels experience offered the purchase of fancier tents or yurts,
that were “designed to resemble the brand’s properties in Barcelona, Bali and Hollywood, and
offered guests luxuries such as a maid turndown service, personal concierge, and shuttle service”
(Gilliland). This gave consumers the chance to experience what W Hotels’ have to offer and
inspire them to purchase rooms at one of the resorts.
Messaging: W Hotel wanted guests
to feel their best when on vacation at
the world’s most desired locations.
Therefore, creating an experience at
one of the most popular music
festivals communicated this goal.
Also, in 2018, W Hotels was the first
to add a music label to its portfolio.
According to Anthony Ingham,
Global Brand Leader of W Hotels
Worldwide, “A record label doesn’t
make sense for most brands, but W is
different. We aren’t afraid to step
outside of what is expected of the
hospitality industry” (Wang). The W
Fig. 19, @whotels, Instagram 30 Jan. 2019,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhHP85eA6Ey/?utm_s
ource=ig_embedHotels

43
Hotels communicates its ability be creative and bring something new to the table. The beautiful
and unparalleled yurts demonstrate this message. Also, the yurts “have sound suites, reinforcing
W’s commitment and dedication to music” (Wang). The emphasis on music and being
strategically located at one of the world’s most popular music festivals is a smart move by W
hotels. W Hotels wants to create a place for itself in the music industry, and hopefully this
combination of music and experience will be replicated at W Hotels in the future.
Lastly, W Hotels wants to communicate its properties’ guest experience and passions. Jennifer
Utz Ilecki, a Vice President for Marriott International, stated “Whether it’s music or spots or
some other form of entertainment, there’s an awesome opportunity for us to infuse our brand into
the overall experience to just enhance what guests are experiencing when they show up at a
music festival or an event” (Richards). Whether that passion is travel or music, the W wants to
make guests make that connection. Enhancing consumer experience at a music festival creates
the perception that W Hotels wants to enhance the guest experience and elevate their passion for
music.

44
ROI/KPI: This is a great example of an
experience that was successful because the
event clearly communicated the brand’s
personality and goals. Ed Horne, Executive
at Endeavor Global Marketing, said the event
creators spent, “so much time making sure
there is alignment between the brand and
with the audience and also creating an
environment within an environment that
makes it feel seamless” (Richards). This
worked because W Hotels built itself into the
perfect experience. Also, logistically, W
Hotels will make money off this yurt
experience. W Hotel also joined in on a
popular trend, yurts are perfect for the glamorous camping, also known as “glamping”. This is a
great space for brands to be in because “the glamping market in US is projected to reach a
revenue of around $1 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of over 15% during 2018−2024”
(Arizton). At an expensive event like Coachella people will pay to stay at these yurts. Also, the
media attention and social conversations surrounding these yurts made the experience worth it.
However, due to the exclusivity and price of the W’s yurt experience, there isn’t going to be a
dramatic increase in guests rather an increase in brand loyalty, especially since the experience
targeted loyal W guests and wealthy people. This type of experiential branding is more about
retaining loyal hotel guests.
Fig. 20, @coachella, Twitter 20 March
2019,
https://twitter.com/coachella/status/1108486
733459410944

45
Why does this event work? A built-in experience at Coachella is brilliant for W Hotels when
they want to be perceived as a hospitality brand that cares about experience and passions.
Specifically, the new music angle that W Hotels is creating is displayed at an event like this.
Also, Coachella is an event where tickets sell out and a lot of people camp; therefore, the built-in
audience was likely to bring guests to the yurts.

Additional Case Studies
Combination of Hospitality and Food & Beverage Industries
Taco Bell Hotel

What: Taco Bell opened an exclusive and limited time Taco Bell Hotel, aka The Bell Hotel, on
August 9, 2019. The hotel was designed to personify Taco Bell by, “taking over a boutique
setting and remaking it in the brand’s own quirky, sauce- and sass-filled image” (Stanley). The
Fig. 21, Taco Bell Hotel Room, 9 Aug. 2019,
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/we-spent-a-night-at-the-taco-bell-hotel-where-
everything-is-supremely-on-brand/

46
hotel gave consumers the opportunity to stay at a hotel and eat exclusive Taco Bell food and
purchase exclusive merchandise.

Messaging: The Taco Bell Hotel was designed with the intention of differentiating the brand
from its competition. Taco Bell does not need to focus on increasing sales. For example, it is
highly profitable with “the average per unit sales for Taco Bell restaurants in 2017 was $1.5
million” (Wilson). Therefore, the reasoning behind doing a hotel was to increase brand
reputation. A marketing professor at Wharton, Americus Reed II, evaluated the Taco Bell Hotel
as a “brand elevation exercise meant to prepare people to think of Taco Bell as a cool brand that
is ready to step out of its comfort zone and do new things to try to connect with and engage
consumers" (Stampler). The hotel did just that with its out-of-the-norm experience. However,
Taco Bell creating a hotel could potentially come off as super random. This gray area is where
messaging is able to tie together an experience with a brand. Taco Bell’s Global Chief Brand
Officer, Marisa Thalberg, said, "The Bell stands to be the biggest expression of the Taco Bell
lifestyle to date" (Adams). Taco Bell is known for its innovation and creative menu items and
the hotel messaging itself as an expression of innovation and creativity helped explain the event.

47
ROI/KPI: Taco Bell successfully created an
event that people wanted to take part in. For
example, the hotel itself was easy to sell and
sold out in a couple of minutes. The event
attracted a lot of attention for Taco Bell and
people were following its moves closely. Fig.
22 shows Taco Bell tweeting updates for the
hotel and many people were liking and sharing
it. The active participation of Taco Bell
followers and fans was a measurable aspect of
the event’s success because people continued to
follow the brand to learn what else it would come
up with in the future. Also, the event was
attached to other Taco Bell products, and people
who wanted to join in the event may have wanted to invest in other Taco Bell products. Taco
Bell gave customers that option stating, “we’ll have more to share on exclusive merchandise,
food and more in the coming weeks so those unable to score a room can still experience the fun
from home” (Barkas). The hotel is just a part of the consumer journey and is intended to have a
lot of moving parts that come with it.

Why does this type of event work? A hotel experience works for Taco Bell because it
coincides with their messaging as a lifestyle brand. Lifestyle is a broad category and allows
Taco Bell to venture into new territories to communicate who they are.
Fig. 22, @TacoBell, Twitter, 20 June
2019,
https://twitter.com/tacobell/status/114176
7671962206208

48
Challenges in Experiential Communications
There are challenges that come with creating a successful experiential campaign. The
first is that companies and businesses do not like risk. Experiential branding is hard to do
“because clients and brands, if they aren’t used to doing that, get nervous spending money or
building a party. What if people don’t show up?” (Pollack). Experiential is expensive, and
many brands struggle to allocate a budget for events that may have an uncertain outcome.
Brands need to be creative with brand messaging rather than simply pursuing ideas that
they think are cool or fun. For example, Pollack PR Marketing group worked with Brita and this
client was adamant about sticking to brand messaging. Stefan Pollack stated, “Everything was
about cost, taste and convenience. If I didn’t do something that showed Brita tastes better or that
it was more convenient to bring home than lugging water bottles home or that it was more cost
effective to own a Brita then I wasn’t delivering” (Pollack). Experiential activities are the time
to communicate directly to a consumer, so brand communicators must deliver the key messages
accurately.
Brand communicators struggle with matching the right experience or event to their
campaign goals. The experience is supposed to personify a feeling or deliver a message.
Therefore, brand representatives need to make sure that their campaign is the right PR directive
or event that will be profitable or beneficial. An example of a brand campaign that overcame
this challenge was LUXE Hotel’s birthday celebration for Beverly Hills. The Pollack PR
Marketing Group used strategic messaging to conceive a rewarding experiential event for their
client LUXE Hotels. LUXE Hotels had the opportunity to throw an event for Beverly Hills’
centennial celebration. Many competing hotels in Beverly Hills were celebrating this birthday
by gutting a single hotel suite and redecorating it to resemble a decade in history. However,

49
LUXE found this strategy to be expensive and did not believe it would provide them with a
worthwhile ROI. They believed that no one would even see the room and then they would have
to transform it back to its original state afterwards. Instead, LUXE Hotels wanted to take part in
the city’s festivities while presenting themselves in a more efficient and potentially profitable
way.
LUXE Hotels wanted to communicate that they were the only hotel property on Rodeo
Drive. LUXE Hotels described, “Rodeo Drive as the most fashionable street in Los Angeles”
(Luxe Hotels). In order to differentiate LUXE Hotels from its competitors during the celebration
and communicate this message, they partnered with Guittard Chocolate Co. to create a 4,000-
pound chocolate cake to display on Rodeo Drive on the day of the birthday celebration.
Fortunately, other people who worked on Rodeo Drive thought it was a wonderful idea and shut
down the entire street for a block party. This placed the cake as the centerpiece of a massive
event and a chance for LUXE Hotels to not only be a part of the celebration but make its
presence known on Rodeo Drive.
The birthday cake was not just more affordable, it also delivered LUXE Hotels message
and left an impression. LUXE Hotels “was able to definitively celebrate Beverly Hills in the
style that they wanted to and brought the focus in front of their hotel as the only hotel on Rodeo
Drive” (Pollack). The block party brought through 53,000 people and the cake served 15,000
slices. This is a lot more people sharing an experience with LUXE Hotels than just guests that
would have stayed in the $500+ dollar a night suite. The experience computed over 700 million
impressions in under 24 hours (Pollack). This was innovative and differentiated LUXE Hotels
from its competitors in Beverly Hills.

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There are a variety of reasons an experience can fail.
Examples of Unsuccessful Brand Campaigns
McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce
What: McDonald’s is known for its specialty
dipping sauces and employs temporary product
experiences to grab consumer attention and tap
into trends. On Oct. 7, 2017, McDonalds decided
to bring back its popular Szechuan dipping sauce
for one day only. Szechuan sauce, “became
something of a cult item among fans of ‘Rick and
Morty’ after the character of Rick — a mad
scientist — admitted to having an obsession with
the discontinued sauce” (Fox News). Therefore,
McDonald’s wanted to capitalize on the
opportunity and bring consumers a special edition
product.
Messaging: This is a prime example of a brand
using an experiential tactic to satisfy consumer
expectations or desires. McDonald’s wanted to show its customers that they pay attention to
what consumers like. For example, a self-proclaimed “Rick and Morty” fan, Dominick Tao, said
that the Szechuan sauce reminded him of his childhood. Tao noted, “It increased my
McDonald’s consumption probably twofold. I would beg my mom to take me back to
McDonald’s” (Caron). McDonald’s identified an audience that would view the sauce as nostalgic
Fig. 23, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, 22
Feb. 2017,
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/
22/heres-when-your-mcdonalds-will-
have-szechuan-sauce/

51
and the experience would evoke positive emotions. Therefore, the experience was intended to
communicate McDonald’s listens to customers and they want them to feel good about
McDonald’s.

Response: Unfortunately, an event that could have been very successful for McDonalds flopped
due to the lack of product. The experience was so traumatic for customers that the backlash
inspired negative media coverage. The New York Times told the stories of multiple McDonald’s
customers who waited for hours only to have the restaurant run out of Szechuan sauce before
Fig. 24, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, 8 Oct. 2017,
https://twitter.com/mcdonalds/status/917169818725384192?lang=en

52
they ordered (Caron). Fred Cook, recounted, “There were riots. I think if you are giving
something away at the event and you don’t have enough, people these days, will skewer you
online” (Cook). Clearly, McDonalds successfully identified a unique target audience for one of
their products, but they just failed to execute the brand experience. McDonald’s reacted with,
“Our super-limited batch, though well-intentioned, clearly wasn’t near enough to meet that
demand. ‘not cool’” (@McDonald’s). Throughout the experience and the aftermath,
McDonald’s stuck with its message that customers are friends and their expectations should be
met.

It is important to note that an experience like this could have detrimental effects on a brand.
Luckily for McDonald’s, they are a global name in the fast food industry and this incident will
not hinder business to any great extent. However, brands that are newer or not as popular may
suffer if they fail to meet consumer expectations at an event. For example, if this was a new
restaurant and first-time consumers waited in a huge line and did not get the product they
wanted; the customers will associate the brand with negative emotions, failed expectations, and
may not give it another chance.

53
The Man in the High Castle
What: In 2015, Amazon’s experiential team re-decorated subway cars in New York City to
serve as advertisements for its new show The Man in the High Castle. The show is based on a
book that “depicts an alternate reality in which Nazi Germany and Japan have divided control
over the United States after winning World War Two” (Ax). Amazon’s intention was to
transport potential viewers into the show, provoke conversation and ultimately lead to views.

Messaging: Amazon wanted to communicate that the content on the platform is riveting and
entertaining. The displayed Nazi imagery was supposed to move human emotion and get
conversations going about the show and the streaming service. The experience was designed to
Fig. 25, The Man in the High Castle NY Subway Ads, 25 Nov. 2015,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/25/nazi-inspired-ads-for-the-man-in-the-high-
castle-pulled-from-new-york-subway#img-1

54
align with Amazon’s mission to bring "high-quality, provocative programming that spurs
conversation” (Wagner).

Response: However, while controversial or provocative brand campaigns can be successful in
some cases; brand communicators need to understand the environment in which they are
communicating in. The response to these advertisements and subway experiences was
overwhelmingly negative. The New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, stated, "While these ads
technically may be within MTA guidelines, they're irresponsible and offensive to World War II
and Holocaust survivors, their families, and countless other New Yorkers” (Wagner). The show
content is highly sensitive; therefore, the experience came off more distasteful than anything
else.

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Tips for Experiential Public Relations
After all is said and done, there continues to be a market for thoughtful, strategic experiential
marketing. For brand practitioners who hope to delve into this realm, here are some tips:
1. Brands must create an ideal brand perception -- Brands must understand what they
want their audience to perceive about the brand. Once perception and brand identity is
understood it is easier to find tangible items that connect to the feelings and emotions that
will create that specific brand perception. As previously discussed, Jamba Juice wants to
be perceived as a health brand that helps consumers maintain and enjoy healthy lifestyles.
Therefore, experiential tactics like sporting event sponsorships serve as the perfect
tangible that the target audience can associate with the brand.
2. Humanize the brand -- Brands need to go one step further with brand identity and be
more human. Whether brands use events, influencers or imagery; brands need to be
personified in order to get as close to a human relationship as they can. Influencers and
spokespeople have the ability to bring brands to life. The SodaStream case study shows
the brand’s focus on helping the planet become more eco-conscious. SodaStream utilized
popular celebrity, Adrian Grenier, to serve as a human representation of what the brand
stands for. An article titled, Adrian Grenier is Making Environmental Activism Cool –
and Easy, stated “despite those claims to celebrity status, he’s also a genuine activist and
environmentalist, a guy who lives by his conscience day in and day out” (Berg). Grenier
is qualified to represent brand goals because his values are the same as the brand. Brands
that align themselves with authentic and powerful people will be able to reach target
audiences in a more influential way because they will be seen as trustworthy.

56
3. Brands need to value the consumer-brand relationship -- Today, consumer
expectations are higher than ever before. Brands need to take the time and utilize
resources that better position themselves to have a positive relationship with consumers.
A successful brand-consumer relationship will be the result of a true understanding of
target audiences. Brands can achieve this through the use of strategic research and
audience insights. Consumers want to understand the “why” behind a brand and
consumer research gives brands the questions consumers want answered. Data can
provide the framework for effective communications that will be relatable and form
meaningful connections. Today’s consumer-brand relationship also reveals importance
of personalization. Brands need to nurture the relationship they have with consumers and
show them that they are being seen and acknowledged.
4. Brands need to have clear messaging -- Brands must use clear and direct messaging
and language to articulate brand perception to an audience. For even more effective
messaging, they should use consistent brand language throughout all aspects of the brand
experience. The Cheetos’ restaurant experience, Flamin’ Hot Spot, used key brand
messages throughout the event to portray the brand’s personality and product flavor. For
example, Cheetos is known for its fun and adventurous persona and the event’s name,
messaging, description and menu reflected that. Also, the restaurant event’s messaging
mirrored the messaging shared on Cheetos’ social media platforms and packaging.
Cohesive brand messaging on all brand platforms reinforces brand mission and creates
stronger brand associations. However, it is also important to remember that actions speak
louder than words! Brands need to make sure the actions they take in experiential clearly
reflect the brand messaging. As seen in the LUXE Hotel example, sometimes the more

57
extravagant or expensive experience is not the right experience. The experience should
make sense for the brand and its overall and temporary goals.
5. Use experiential to play on consumer emotion -- Since brand perception relies on the
senses, brands can use live events to attach emotion to the experience and brand in order
to create a connection. Brands that employ tactics to touch consumer emotion can inspire
and influence. The SodaStream example used a disturbing visual tactic (a statue made of
waste) to hopefully inspire its audience to move away from harmful consumption habits.
6. Be creative with experiences and push boundaries -- Experiential tactics should
encourage the audience to think in a new way about the product or the reason why the
campaign was done. Brands that present new ideas will be conversation starters and
make a deeper impact on their audiences. Also, brands should be attentive to what events
have been successful and make sure to use that history to recreate success but with an
individual spin to it. Importantly, experiences should serve a purpose and brands need to
communicate a clear call to action, whether it is a way to be more like the brand or to
make a purchase.
7. Ensure that the experience is integrated into the digital world – Brands must
understand the desire consumers have to share their experiences with others on social
media. The above research revealed, that most generations are active on social media
platforms. However, different platforms are favorited by different generations. Brands
that communicate to the right audience with the right social channels will accelerate
brand messaging. For example, Millennials mostly use Instagram and Twitter while
Baby Boomers love Facebook.

58
8. Be aware of surroundings – Lastly, brands need to make sure that an event fits with
what is going on in the world. Being socially aware or conscious will protect the brand
from potential mishaps that could be detrimental to brand perception. This will result in a
huge waste of money on an experience if consumers get distracted from the key
messaging. The case study on Amazon’s show, The Man in the High Castle, is a prime
example of brand messaging being overshadowed by negative audience reactions.
Amazon’s intention to communicate its provocative programming was ignored because
people found the Nazi subway car experience offensive and only that.

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Final Takeaways
Public relations representatives need to understand that they are in the era of experiential
branding. Consumer-brand relationships are more meaningful than ever before. Social media
and the digital world raised consumer expectations astronomically. Consumers hold brands to
high standards because they chose these brands and products based off personal values.
Therefore, consumers just want to be understood and acknowledged by the brands they interact
with. Brands that accurately identify their target audiences and curate messaging that resonates
with them will curate experiences that lead to brand loyalty.
Successful brand experiences have the potential to drive both immediate and long-term
consumer behavior. Experiential tactics bring brands to life and emotionally connect with
consumers through the senses. The power of positive brand resonance is unparalleled in the
branding world; because consumers don’t always remember the product or event rather how the
brand made them feel. Experiences allow the most tangible personification of the brand and give
consumers an almost human feeling.
Fortunately, experiential branding is broad and brand representatives have the ability to
get creative. Brands just need to keep in mind the Keller Model or the basics of branding. If
brand identity is clear and there is a strategic message communicated to the right audience, then
it is hard to fail. Communications is about being attentive and intuitive; brands that aim to touch
consumer emotion will succeed.

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Works Cited

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Cook, Fred. Importance of Experiential Public Relations. Interview by Alex Musselman.
October 2019.

Pollack, Stefan. Conversation on Messaging in Experiential and Case Studies. Interview by
Alex Musselman. Sept. 2019.

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67
Figures:
1. Fig. 1, Keller’s Brand Equity Model-CBBE Model, December 2019,
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/brand-equity/
2. Fig. 2, Social Media Use and Anthropomorphism, August 2012,
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rtstate/pdfs/studies/effect_of_social_media_white_paper.pdf
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event/
5. Fig. 5, Pandora “Sounds Like You” Event, https://nextnowagency.com/project/brand-
activation/
6. Fig. 6, Pandora “Sounds Like You” Event, https://nextnowagency.com/project/brand-
activation/
7. Fig. 7, Kimpton Hotels “Room 301” Experience, 24 Sept. 2018, https://www.we-
heart.com/2018/09/24/colette-miller-angel-wings-everly-hollywood/
8. Fig. 8, “Amex Experience at US Open 2019, 28 Aug. 2019,
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/american-express-playground-tennis-fans-us-
open-activation/
9. Fig. 9, Glossier Influencer Instagram (@emilyweiss), May 14, 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiyBlDlgOrK/
10. Fig. 10, Target “Gather Round” Event, 20 Dec. 2018,
https://corporate.target.com/article/2018/12/improv-everywhere
11. Fig. 11, “Few Companies can Track Event ROI”, 2018,
http://medias.development-
institute.com/Site_dii/Dii_agency/Harvard_Business_Review_Event_Management.pdf
12. Fig. 12, @traveling_newlyweds,
https://www.instagram.com/p/B29h3sHB48t/
13. Fig. 13, Soda Stream New York Event,
http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Adrian+Grenier/SodaStream+Oceanic+Society+Unveil+
Anti+Plastic/UZNpQH7Ey5p
14. Fig. 14, @ChesterCheetah “Tweet of Flamin’ Hot Spot”,
https://twitter.com/ChesterCheetah/status/1040359539923738625
15. Fig. 15, “Flamin’ Hot Spot Burrito”, 19 Sept. 2018,
https://www.lamag.com/digestblog/flamin-hot-cheetos-roy-choi/
16. Fig. 16, Smirnoff Non-GMO Event Photo, 21 Nov. 2018,
https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/pop-up-corn-maze-lgbtq-smirnoff-launch-non-
gmo/
17. Fig. 17, Skittles Commercial Announcement, 3 Feb. 2019,
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-skittles-merged-theater-and-advertising-
to-create-a-weirdly-wonderful-super-bowl-musical/
18. Fig. 18, @Skittles, 30 Jan. 2019,
https://twitter.com/skittles/status/1090625687000698882?lang=en

68
19. Fig. 19, @whotels, Instagram 30 Jan. 2019,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhHP85eA6Ey/?utm_source=ig_embedHotels
20. Fig. 20, @coachella, Twitter 20 March 2019,
https://twitter.com/coachella/status/1108486733459410944
21. Fig. 21, Taco Bell Hotel Room, 9 Aug. 2019,
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/we-spent-a-night-at-the-taco-bell-hotel-
where-everything-is-supremely-on-brand/
22. Fig. 22, @TacoBell, Twitter, 20 June 2019,
https://twitter.com/tacobell/status/1141767671962206208
23. Fig. 23, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, 22 Feb. 2017,
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/22/heres-when-your-mcdonalds-will-have-
szechuan-sauce/
24. Fig. 24, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, 8 Oct. 2017,
https://twitter.com/mcdonalds/status/917169818725384192?lang=en
25. Fig. 25, The Man in the High Castle NY Subway Ads, 25 Nov. 2015,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/25/nazi-inspired-ads-for-the-man-in-
the-high-castle-pulled-from-new-york-subway#img-1

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Asset Metadata

Creator Musselman, Alexandra Anne (author)

Core Title Experiential public relations: the importance of strategic messaging, understanding target audiences, and analysis of successfully curated brand-consumer interactions

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 02/27/2020

Defense Date 02/27/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag anthropomorphism,audience insight,authenticity,brand experience,brand loyalty,brand perception,brand resonance,OAI-PMH Harvest,strategic messaging,target audience

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Floto, Jennifer (committee chair), Cook, Fred (committee member), de la Fuente, Jennifer (committee member)

Creator Email alexandramusselman@me.com,amusselm@usc.edu

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