A Green [Experiential Marketing] Pitch
We were asked by a fashion & beauty client to propose the interior design for a branded immersion vehicle to serve as a VIP area and transport around the Coachella Festival this year. Wrapping a RV, driver, the physical install is no problem. However, with a two week window and minimal budget we were a bit thrown on how to transform the interior of a rented RV that had to be returned in original condition and represent the brand’s fashion conscious image.
So we decided that rather than wrapping the interior with vinyl and loading it with plastics, why not use the request as an opportunity to do a little environmentally responsible marketing.
We knew the brand had a SXSW activation that had a few branded elements and we also knew the brand was into the DIY fashion community.
So we asked for all the branding created for the SXSW exhibit to be sent to us and we teamed up with a Brooklyn based DIY fashion up-cycler, FIT Teacher, and artist to create a custom interior that would both represent the brand and be at minimum 75% recycled or up-cycled material.
The SXSW elements would not be enough to completely customize the interior so we also linked up with Film Biz Recycling, a New York based startup that resells set elements and materials used by the movie industry. Lastly we created a custom vanity for guest’s beauty needs from reclaimed beetle killed pine trees in Colorado and lit by old holiday lights.
Rather than the traditional 3D renderings we submitted water color sketches from the artist to give the brand a sense of the interior.
Green Experiential Marketing, 1 Minute at a Time
As global carbon emissions increase, would you be willing to do a little more for a greener experiential campaign?
A few years ago I was working on a experiential marketing b2b campaign creating a virtual store in a 53’ double expandable trailer. It was a very tedious setup as everything was branded and delicate. The first setup took about 7 hours. I began honing the process, I counted around 250 items that had to be unwrapped and placed at every event. Items ranged from a 100 pound set of shelves to a travel size bottle of skin care product. My goal was to shave 1 minute of each item. It was a small and achievable goal.
I shaved 1 minute off about 180 of the tasks, saving 3 hours and bringing the set up down to 4 hours. We averaged 3 setups a week, saving me 9 hours a week, or a work day for the 9-5er’s out there.
So I decided to apply this same strategy to help make our experiential campaigns a little leaner and greener.
Experiential Marketing tours are an important and effective tool for a businesses to communicate with consumers in person. While not all of the practices are big carbon producers, if your product requires a mobile 800 square foot area things get complicated carbon-wise.
There is still no carbon-free way to move the event around, but by looking at each small piece of the process there are opportunities to ease the carbon footprint. Some require effort from the brand, some require effort from the agency, and some will even save money. Each attempt saves a little bit and together they may add up to a substantial amount.
First off, around a thousand miles a month could be knocked off by equipping teams with bikes and sweetening the hotel budget al little so staff are bikeable to the events and restaurants versus driving those fuel hungry tour vehicles.
Speaking of those vehicles, the new Ford F series boast noticeably improved fuel economy over previous years. Yes, the big f 250’s and 350’s as well are getting impressive highway milage. Don’t forget there are also THREE Prius, Priuses, Prii? So now it is a great time to use them on a city assault, if you can get them. Volts, Ford Transits, there are a lot of options to help reduce the carbon footprint and since these vehicles are all relatively new on the street they are potential head turners.
It doesn’t stop with greener vehicles. There are also eco products for signage that use biodegradable products that decay in as little as 9 months vs 100’s of years. Pair this signage with fittings using reusable and renewable bamboo versus the traditional pvc type product and you have the beginnings of a much greener event.
Technology and the evolution of mobile phones has been a huge game changer as well as social media. There was a time when a summer tour consisted of 300,000 printed coupons, those days are now over saving paper, printing, shipping, and our backs. With things like mobile apps, Facebook, and Foursquare, the printed collateral days are behind us.
We are constantly on the look out for greener technologies to employ on all of our programs. The most interesting thing we have found is that many ways to create a greener campaign pay for themselves. The added cost of leasing a shiny new Ford over another late model is easily paid for by the mpg savings which could also be used towards a couple of bikes for tour staff.
Every campaign is different, taking time to analyzing the client needs, schedule requirements, and production logistics can yield numerous small opportunities to create a green experiential marketing campaign. But numerous small opportunities can add up to a substantial environmental savings.
Source: mogulsolutions.com
