Tapping Into FOMO with Experiential Marketing

How many times have you thought "Man, I wish I was there" after seeing a friend post a picture of an event online? The fear of missing out (FOMO) is all too real nowadays. That's why marketing agencies have stepped up their efforts with experiential marketing tactics to provide meaningful experiences for people. If done well, they can provide much more sustained ROI in the long term than any promoted Tweet or Facebook ad combined (though these are both useful assets). Here are a few examples of experiential marketing done well.

This blog post is part of “Your Definitive Guide to Lead Generation” blog series.

Carlsberg: "Probably the Best Poster in the World"

The Danish brewer boasts some of the most clever and eye-catching marketing campaigns from their viral video content to their endlessly entertaining Twitter feed. On top of that they've mastered the art of experiential marketing. For one such event they set up a billboard in a busy London street that read "Probably the best poster in the world." Here's the kicker... attached to the center was an actual working tap where people could fill their own pints. The result was an outpour (no pun intended) of social media shares urging everyone to score their free beer. Not only did it spark major FOMO across social media networks but it further cemented their stronghold on their target market using mischevious humor.

Delta Airlines: "Stillness in Motion"

Delta Stillness in Motion at TED 2015 from MKG on Vimeo.

Delta Airlines knows how to read a room. For the 2015 Ted conference, they took a page out of The Art of Stillness and designed an installation called Stillness in Motion. During their downtime, attendees entered a sterile yet tranquil room, took a comfortable seat in the center and let biometric sensors use their heartbeats to control the lights, music, and general ambiance of the room. The point was to get people relaxed and calm. At the end they received a small glowing orb containing a recording of their lowest recorded heartbeat. The FOMO kicked in with half of the attendees and of the 800 people who tried it, 95% tweeted about it. The takeaway is that to create FOMO you need to appeal to the environment you're catering to. If no one finds the experience "cool" enough to share, then it was a wasted effort.

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TNT: "Push to Add Drama"

TNT took things to the extreme. The drama-centric cable network along with a Belgian marketing agency set up a mysterious red button in the middle of a inconspicuous Belgian town. The button was labeled "push to add drama" and when pressed, unleashed a chaotic whirlwind that mimicked an action movie scene. Looky-loos didn't know what to make of the fist fights, gunshots, and ambulances. The adrenaline-packed scene culminated with the dropping of a banner that promoted the channel's "Daily Dose of Drama." The cable network didn't want to take any chances and went all out to ensure people would be talking about it. Although this seems like a heavy investment, celebrity guest appearances, crazy stunts, and other wild antics in the similar vein are surefire ways to draw attention.

Nike: "Chalkbot"

For the 2009 Tour de France, the Nike Team along with Livestrong developed a roving vehicle that used chalk to write hopeful and inspiring messages along the bike course from fans who tweeted them. All in all, it chalked about 100,000 messages and sent an image to each tweeter. The effort increased Livestrong apparel sales by 46%. It also soothed people's FOMO by giving them the chance to be at the event in spirit. Ultimately, the goal was to inspire and bring people together but the secondary intention was to push for social shares.

We are light years away from a time where phones were inconsequential to marketing efforts. Nowadays, smart phones enhance a participant's experience. People feel the need to share their offline experiences online and brands know this. 

To be "in touch" with mobile users, a comprehensive social media strategy is a must. If you're just looking to get started with social, here are 5 tips to get you on your way.

Have you ever been a part of an experiental marketing campaign? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments below.