How To Bring An Experience To Life

We talked about the rise of the experience economy, what an experience is, and why is it important. Today, we’re here to share insight on how to bring an experience to life and what it exactly entails.

At Rachel Strudwick, one of our key focuses is our work with brands and our ability to connect them with individuals through authentic and immersive experiences.

Diageo’s 2018 Special Releases Collection

One experience we recently designed was the launch of Diageo’s 2018 Special Releases Collection.

The Collection consists of 10 remarkable Scotch whiskies meticulously hand-selected by a masterful blending team for the whisky geek or connoisseur to collect and enjoy.

While the brand had a global campaign in place for the launch, we were tasked to bring the collection to life for consumers in the region.

Bringing it to life

We worked on a simple yet distinct three-fold approach to deliver a meaningful and tailored experience for Special Releases: First, we formed a narrative that ignited new perspectives, then we brought the story to life through a multi-sensory launch event, and lastly, we created a (CRM) programme that enabled our client to forge lifelong relationships with their audience.

When we start a project, the first thing we always do is to sit down with our clients to map out their tangible and intangible goals, be it driving sales, generating buzz and awareness, or reaching new markets.

Then, we do our research on the brand’s target audience. We dive into what speaks to them, what they cherish, and what they connect to. That way, we are able to form narratives and develop strategies that are built on empathy and a genuine connection.

While this audience-first approach is unique, we do it because a great experience is not an amalgamation of the most extravagant, elaborate or new, put together for novelty’s sake. Instead, what sets a memorable experience apart is that every facet of it serves a purpose and is imbued with meaning.

We held on to these principles as we launched Diageo’s Special Releases 2018 collection.

THE LAUNCH PAD

Keeping in mind that the audience we were speaking to are whisky geeks and connoisseurs, we crafted a self-exploratory journey that empowered them to discover the unique single malts for themselves rather than simply relaying information.

Upon entering the space, guests were first directed to an Open Distillery Board that introduced the various distilleries featured in the 2018 collection. Then, they were led to an interactive tasting table, where they could sample the sight, scents and tastes of the 10 whiskies, displayed in identical, unlabelled glass bottles.

The Discovery Board

With their own discerning palates and knowledge of the whiskies as a guide, guests penned their thoughts in individual tasting cards and compared them to an artfully crafted Discovery Board behind the interactive table, before the identity of the bottlings were revealed.

The experience not only forged deeper connections between guests, the brand and its products, it also propelled attendance and an exponential increase in same-day sales compared to last year’s launch, which was also created by us.

BEHIND THE EXPERIENCE

What does it take to design a successful experience? It all revolves around the audience. What we do at Rachel Strudwick, is to quite literally put ourselves in the audience’s shoes. Besides having a deep understanding of their personalities, needs and wants, we also imagine ourselves exploring the experience space we have in mind. We do this so that we understand how each element we put forward comes to life, adds value, generates intrigue and ignites emotion to effect tangible and measurable sales or commercially-driven results.

Discovery Board

Designing the experience is key. Our concept for the Special Release 2018 launch was understated, but it was consciously and meticulously designed for true-blue whiskey fans and what would best speak to them — the opportunity to explore the collection themselves and form their own unique opinions with their personal know-how.

Creativity and imagination are also key, but it is not enough to be original simply for the sake of being original. What we believe in is using innovative methods to tell a story that will bring about fresh points-of-view, in a way that aligns with the overall brand objective and values.

The success of an experience also boils down to an unshakeable attention to detail. The best experiences aren’t simply the grandest or most opulent — they are impeccably crafted down to the minutest details, from the glassware used to the representatives selected to guide guests. Every single element needs to positively reflect the brand and help provide the audience with a perfect experience.

These are just some of the many qualities that make a brand experience successful. Want to know more? Contact us at hello@rachelstrudwick.com to begin your experience with us.