“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
– Walt Disney
I open with a Disney quote to segway how my own experiences this past month have led me to reflect on the concept and need for experiential marketing.
I came back to work on a Monday after having experienced a week in Orlando, Florida. The purpose of my trip to visit the big two theme parks; Disney World, and Universal Studios Orlando. It was a family trip, we stayed at a Disney resort and spent most of our time at Disney Parks.
Upon my return I reflected on the trip and on the rides and experiences I was not able to take part in. Maybe this is a sense of “FOMO” kicking in or “fear of missing out.” These experiences were the newest, most novel rides and dinner experiences such as the Be Our Guest Restaurant and Pandora: Flight of Passage. They were new, they were amazing. And I missed them.
What makes these experiences so great? A quick conclusion is that people are attracted to what they have not yet experienced. We can see this clearly in our day to day lives via the line-up for new restaurants and the new novelty frappuccinos that sell out before everyone can try it.
I believe it is also a sense of exclusivity, a feeling of selectness to get and experience what others may not be able to, be it due to time, money or connections. And it happens everywhere, but it is much more obvious at places like Disney World.
The example I mentioned above Pandora: Flight of Passage is referred to in the following excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel, “Fast forward to December 16 … the wait time hit 6 ½ hours.” Even over a year after opening, wait times hovered around the three hour mark. Not only that, there were rumours that people were being paid to wait in line for them. The point being is that this was a large time and financial sacrifice for a novel experience. And many of these people were willing to pay it.
And what does that have to do with you? At UviaUs, we desire to capture the attention of people in an extraordinary way. People crave new experiences now more than ever.
Like the Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant and the Pandora ride, it is not a singular aspect of the experience (a ride, a meal) but a combination of all the senses that engages the mind. If we look for ways to engage more than a single sense, we can create a memorable experience.
According to an article in Lifehacker there is actually a biological reason for the desire for novelty, “the brain reacts to novelty by releasing dopamine which makes us want to go exploring in search of a reward.” Furthermore, “novelty has been shown to improve the memory of test subjects.” This is key for marketing as the purpose of a message is to be remembered.
At UviaUs we explore the ways that we can bring experience and novelty to people and provide these memorable moments. If thousands of people are willing to wait hours for a four-and-a-half minute experience this clearly indicates a need for engagement beyond the ordinary. And we can help with that.
