The growth of the experiential discipline is well documented. Everyone wants a piece of the action which is becoming a potential problem for brands looking for experiential suppliers. It is no longer just the experiential ‘specialists’ who brands turn to for experiential ideas and implementation strategies. These days experiential is being ‘offered’ by a whole raft of agencies - ad agencies, SP agencies, Pr agencies and Media agencies. But brands must tread carefully when selecting their experiential partner.
The problem is that the experiential space has low barriers to entry. On the face of it a good idea coupled with some account handling can put the show on the road, but it’s really not that simple...The experiential specialists have spent many years developing their implementation expertise in this complex area – venue databases, targeting information, consumer mindset by environment, interaction rates, brand ambassador selection and training, health and safety, logistics networks, supplier selection and ROI analysis. In short they have built from the ground up – great ideas being overlaid onto a sound delivery capability… the exact flipside of what the new entrants can offer.This is all about risk. What the established practitioners are able to offer is a low risk solution that will deliver the brand to the consumer as it was intended – on-brand, legally and professionally. Without the sophisticated delivery capabilities brands run the risk of buying ideas that can’t be delivered.
There will come a time when the established practitioners put some building blocks in place to increase barriers to entry and to ensure a minimum entry standard… a central industry body would be something that could do this. However due to numerous failed attempts at creating such a body in recent years, this may be something that although desirable, remains something for the future.