The Differences: Field Marketing Vs. Experiential Marketing

Field Marketing Vs. Experiential Marketing According to Blazinstar Experiential Marketing Director Shaz Smilansky there is a big confusion about live marketing. For more about experiential marketing log onto www.blazinstar.co.uk Field Marketing is a traditional discipline in FMCG marketing; it involves people distributing, auditing, selling or sampling promotions executed on the ‘field'. Currently there is a huge buzz in the industry about experiential marketing, while field marketing is considered ‘old news'. Some people, however, remain confused and think that the two methods are one and the same.

Field marketing is a one-way communication tool. The brand's message is delivered from promotional personnel to the consumer whether through the medium of a sample, a piece of merchandise or literature. Experiential marketing on the other hand is about creating two-way interactive communication, allowing a consumer to develop a real relationship with a brand; a sampling campaign without any interaction is not experiential marketing. Compared to other methods such as digital and ATL channels, field marketing is a relatively expensive way of generating brand awareness and sales.

Experiential marketing can be leveraged and amplified to generate PR and media coverage where field marketing cannot, making experiential marketing a far more cost-effective solution with broader reach. The execution of field marketing campaigns aims to meet sales promotion objectives such as product trial or sales uplift. Experiential marketing can achieve these objectives with an interactive process that is engaging and effective. Imagine a supermarket with two lacklustre employees handing out cheese on sticks. The promotion they are running is part of a ‘creamier cheddar' launch. This is an example of field marketing that has been done for years. As a result, it is not engaging and does not leave the consumer with a memorable experience.

The same cheese brand could create a sensational experiential marketing campaign instore. If they created a cheese-tasting zone where consumers use blind folds and take the ‘taste test', they would be incentivised to guess the cheese with the creamiest flavour. This would leave the consumer with a fun and exciting experience and lead them to associate delicious, creamy flavours with the brand. Experiential marketing is about allowing the consumer to participate in an activity or event that genuinely represents the brand's personality. It is about bringing the brand to life.

Experiential marketing provides marketers with a solution to meet the objectives they would love to achieve: it engages consumers, builds relationships, creates brand advocacy, generates word-of-mouth and encourages brand loyalty. (as described on www.blazinstar.co.uk) The difference between the two applications is of vital importance to the modern market.

We need to address the evolution from field to experiential marketing because only then can we understand the most effective tool in the mix and one of the fastest growing marketing channels in the industry.

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