A whole world of experiences: the power of brand spaces

An important aspect is that they are not just shopping centres or museums, but also spaces for social interaction and community. People visit them not only to shop, but also to spend time with friends and family. They even serve as extracurricular learning spaces for school classes, transforming the brand into a place where educational and socially relevant issues are taught. Rather than focusing on short-term sales goals, experiential spaces create a lasting connection based on trust, engagement and a deeper understanding of the brand. The brand becomes part of the life story and social environment. Enthusiasm and loyalty to a brand are the critical factors that turn customers into fans of a brand. Fans are willing to invest their heart, time and money in a brand and make brands successful in the long term. A brand space makes it possible to immerse oneself in the world of a brand, to actively experience it and to move within it. Through positive experiences, a bond with the brand is created, creating long-term loyalty and, ideally, turning the customer into an enthusiastic fan.

How companies can turn their brand into an experience

In contrast to temporary trade fair appearances, which are often short-lived, brand and corporate worlds such as the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Innsbruck, achieve a long-term presence and create a more sustainable bond with consumers. In such a brand space, a brand creates the perfect environment to launch its own event formats for both B2B and B2C. In experiential marketing, the focus is no longer solely on the benefits of the product, but on the experience offered to the customer. At M&M World in Las Vegas, customers can not only choose from over 100 varieties of M&M’s, but also design their own M&M’s using a printer. A brand experience world should incorporate a comprehensive multi-sensory approach to the experience. The focus must be not only on the products, but also on the history, production and innovation behind the brand. Shopping and dining options, as well as information and education, enhance the brand experience. Products as pure products are out. What customers want today are products that offer dreams, stories, experiences and adventures. Well-designed brand worlds achieve something that no other communication tool can: they make the customer spend time with the brand. This is not only successful with classic B2C products, but can also be convincing in the B2B sector in the form of an immersive showroom at one’s own premises. It is therefore surprising that more companies have not yet integrated their own experiential world as an integral part of their marketing strategy.