Immerse yourself in a Big Mac

Are you looking for creative ways to connect with your consumers and fans? If so, have you ever thought about creating an immersive experience where they can interact with your brand?

Immersive Experience Marketing allows you to move beyond one-way communication and lets people interact with the things they love about your brand.

For example, McDonald's recently opened an immersive experience at the Outernet in London.

Surrounded by 8K LED screens and immersed in a multi-sensory journey, fans can learn more about the story of the Big Mac. They might see giant melting cheese come to life or searing patties sizzling. There are even burger buns to hop on!

The interactive elements create a fun and memorable experience. And of course, there are plenty of opportunities to create content (hello, UGC!).

So is live experiential marketing just another marketing fad?

The concept of immersive experiences isn't exactly new. They've been around since the beginning of 2000. But as brands see a need to connect more and more with their audiences, interactive displays like this are here to stay.

According to BizBash, who released a report by The Insight Partners, the location-based entertainment market is expected to grow from $1.4 million in 2022 to $2.9 million by 2028. They expect virtual reality experiences to significantly contribute to the growth.

And many brands are deciding to invest in permanent or long-running experiences rather than one-off activations or pop-ups. Look at Hasbro City in Mexico City, which will be the toy brand's first indoor theme park. Not only can brands increase fan engagement through these experiences, but they can also make more money off of popular franchises and products.

What can we learn from this trend toward interactive experiences?

Don't be a one-sided brand. If you want to break through the noise and ignite your customers' emotions, you need to create space for a community to form around you.

And you don't need to do this on a huge scale like McDonald's did. Even as a small brand, you can create a live marketing experience.

For example, if you're a baker, go to your local market and hand out samples of your pies. If you produce a supplement targeted at busy mums, get into your local Facebook community groups. The key is getting into your audience's world and letting them interact with your brand.

Here are a few more ideas to get you thinking...

• Attend business events, festivals, and award ceremonies

• Host an activity or kiosk at a trade show

• Think about ways your brands and your loyal customers can do social good together

-Ness, Community Manager