The Magic behind the Brand Experience

Marketing and PR Advice

The Magic behind the Brand Experience

Connecting with customers can reap big rewards for businesses. Pacharee Pantoomano- Pfirsch, a Marketing Consultant at Brand Now, explains how the top brands do it

MY family and I just spent the day at Disneyland Paris. I've been to several Disney parks in the past, but this was one of the most exciting trips for me because it introduced our little girls to the enchanted kingdom. I have to say Mickey and Minnie lived up to their promise and made it magical. Visiting Disneyland Paris is more than just a day's entertainment for me. Disney and all the characters bring back the innocent years where an elephant can fly and a princess lives happily after with her prince.

When we got back to our hotel, I reflected upon the brand experience I have had with Disney through the years. When I was a kid, there were the traditional Disney cartoons on TV. These were reinforced by other touch points such as a Disney character in a Happy Meal and a Disney puzzle in a cereal box. I had countless t-shirts and shorts with Disney characters. As I got older and outgrew the cartoons, I watched Disney movies. These ranged from Roger Rabbit to Pirates of the Caribbean.

A brand experience is produced when the consumer engages the brand and both are active participants. Marketers have long recognized the importance of creating deeper consumer and shopper engagement. In recent years, Effie Worldwide created a new category for its award; the brand experience category is the most-entered in its entire competition since its inception in 2009.

The 2011 winners of the brand experience category were Starbucks and Old Spice. Starbucks took a social approach by emphasizing its role in the community and igniting community action. The campaigns ranged from voting and getting a free cup of coffee to donating part of its sales to the Red Charity which fights AIDS in Africa. The P&G Old Spice brand was much more playful and lighthearted. Leveraging on "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" advertising campaign which went viral on social media, the P&G team and its agency filmed 186 responses to fans and celebrities via youtube.com in real time. It made the response campaign one of the most talked about brand experiences.

Pacharee Pantoomano-Pfirsch is a Marketing Consultant at Brand Now, a marketing and PR agency. If you'd like to send her four tickets to other Disneyland Parks around the world, drop her an email at pacharee@brandnow.asia. Please don't forget the plane tickets and accommodations too!