Experiential marketing events are hosted by brands around the world who want to raise brand awareness, promote their products or services, acquire new customers, or build better relationships with their existing customers. These events are traditionally used to facilitate communication between the brand and the customer. But, some companies host experiential marketing events for their employees instead of their customers. Should more brands jump on this bandwagon? Or is hosting an experiential marketing event for employees a waste of time and resources?

Sharing Information During Experiential Marketing Events For Employees

A study conducted by Jack Morton Worldwide revealed that employees respond well to experiential marketing events hosted by their employers. Most employees believe employers should share important information with the rest of the company at this type of event. In fact, when asked how they preferred to receive important company information from their employers, employees ranked “live experiences” second behind “directly from a manager.”

These employees don’t just prefer hearing crucial information in a live setting, they also think they would be able to absorb the information better when it is presented in this environment. This could be because they have the opportunity to ask questions about what is being presented, which helps them gain a deeper understanding of the topic being discussed. Even if they don’t ask a question, other employees might, and the answers to these questions can clear up questions on everyone’s minds.

Experiential Marketing Events As Rewards For Employees

Employers should consider hosting experiential marketing events when they have important information to share with their employees. But, this is not the only time that an event is appropriate. Some employers host experiential marketing events for their employees when they want to reward them for their hard work. For example, if the company meets all of its annual goals, they may host an event with fun activities to thank their employees for exceeding all expectations.

Saying thank you to employees in this manner is a great way to show employees how valuable they are to the company. Employees are more motivated and engaged with their work when they feel appreciated, so this type of gesture can pay off in a major way.

Training Opportunities During Experiential Marketing Events

Companies that are launching a new product line should also consider hosting experiential marketing events for their employees. Employees should be trained on new products and services before they launch to ensure that they understand the direction the company is heading in and are able to communicate with customers about the new offerings. Instead of sending employees an email or showing them a boring PowerPoint presentation, host an experiential marketing event to train your employees.

For example, let’s say you are launching a new tablet device. Host an event for employees and let them test out the new product and ask questions about its capabilities before it hits the market. It’s much easier for employees to learn when they have this type of hands-on training—especially in a relaxed, event setting. Everyone from the sales team to the accountants will be able to confidently communicate with people outside of the organization about the new product after attending this type of event.

Although it’s not necessary to host an experiential marketing event every time a new product is launched, it is a good idea to consider training employees in this setting when a new product line or complex product is being released. This is also a great way to train new employees, but if you only onboard a few employees at a time, it may not be feasible to implement this strategy.

Tips For Hosting Experiential Marketing Events For Employees

As you can see, there are many reasons to consider hosting an experiential marketing event for your employees. If you decide to host an event for your employees, there are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure it is a success.

Since this for your employees, think of a way to incorporate them into the event. For example, if part of your company’s mission is to give back to the community, recognize a few employees who are fulfilling this mission. Talk about how these employees have contributed to the community and thank them for their efforts. This is a great way to make the employees the center of attention.

Many brands hire third party marketing agencies to help plan the experiential marketing event for their employees. This is recommended because planning an experiential marketing event requires a unique skillset, so it’s best to call upon the experts. But, even though you are working with a third party agency, let your employees participate in the planning process if they’re interested. Ask employees from various parts of the business if they would be interested in sharing ideas for the upcoming event. Even though the event is being hosted for the employees, there’s no reason why they can’t recommend ways to make it more fun or effective. In fact, they will appreciate that you are asking for input because you are so committed to hosting a successful event for them.

Whatever you do, make sure the event that you plan for your employees is inclusive. There’s nothing more demoralizing than finding out that you were not one of the employees invited to attend a company event. If the event is for all employees that were recently hired, make sure every new employee is invited. If it’s for the sales department, every salesperson should be on the list.