At Grow, we’re relentlessly evangelizing the need for brands to create authentic experiences for their consumers that will ignite and fuel life-long emotional connections and engagement. We’ve seen it time and time again with all of our clients: when brand ideals are brought to life in compelling ways every metric is impacted - sales increase, word of mouth buzz is ignited, armies of advocates grow, consumer loyalty increases and email databases swell.
The power of experience touches not only brands and their consumers, but also how the next generation of marketers is learning their craft. As part of Grow’s work with client Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer of P&G and now President of the Jim Stengel Company, LLC and an Adjunct Professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management, I had the unique opportunity to join Jim, and co-professor Sanjay Sood during one of their final class sessions. AdvertisingAge editor-at-large Jack Neff also joined to see how Jim was bringing his new marketing approach to life in an academic setting.
On my flight to Los Angeles I thought about how long it had been since I sat in a university classroom. As it turned out, I would have to wait a little longer. Professors Stengel and Sood did not teach in a classroom this day, but instead continued with their experience-based curriculum by immersing their MBA students in the world of advertising with a field trip to TBWA\Chiat\Day. There, the students took a tour of the unique workspace (where dogs of every shape and size slept peacefully at their parent’s feet), and listened to account directors and creatives talk about how groundbreaking campaigns are born.
Two campaigns were presented, Pepsi Refresh and Pedigree, followed by a spirited Q&A session that provided the students with a look “behind the curtain” of the work they’ve been studying. This out-of-the-classroom experience gave the students a lesson in the practical application of their discipline and I loved seeing how deeply engaged and inspired the students became as they soaked it all up.
What if more brands provided consumers with the same type of engagement and inspiration every day? They can. It involves digging deep into a brand’s DNA and identifying what makes it stand apart from its competitors and then authentically bringing it to life for consumers. These hands-on, immersive experiences, whether it’s students learning their craft or consumers engaging with brands, ignites a deeper understanding and connection that will have a long-lasting and profound impact.
Danny Kraus, Marketing Communications Director
