Speaking on the topic of “Look who’s engaged!”, Don will be sharing global trends & best practices from IMI International’s extensive experience in the field.  Specifically, Don will share tips and consumer-based insights on how to engage various consumers across different types of the media mix as well as share case studies and best practices on how to engage consumers at events both large and small.  The core of the presentation will focus on how to effectively engage consumers to drive positive ROI on all types of brand activations.

Don Mayo started with IMI International in 1985 and developed and implemented a ROI optimization system around the world. Don has been involved with the evaluation and optimization of marketing activations in 80 categories in 15 countries and has experience from the largest worldwide marketing campaigns and events to grassroots marketing in towns with fewer than 1,000 people. Don has personally assisted in IMI International compiling a proprietary database of close to 10,000 marketing activations relating to “optimizing the impact and ROI” of marketing programs.

As noted on the Engagement Marketing Conference website:

Build Your Brand Story Through Engagement

Creating an authentic relationship between brands & consumers

These days, simple consumer satisfaction is considered table stakes. Consumers not only want to be satisfied with the products they purchase, they expect more. They want to be heard and have input into the brands they consume. They want to feel good about sharing those products and experiences with their network.

What tools do you need to turn your consumers into advocates and write your brand’s story? Join us for a special day and find out!

Relative to single event visitors, repeat visitors in this actual in-market case study register incremental impact on experiential event activations regarding these key measures.  For brands looking to drive greater ROI, experiential activations should encourage attendees to come back to events.  Give attendees a compelling reason to return, possibly by including special offers, e-reminders, bring-a-friend vouchers, etc to deliver additional value and incentives.

To view the actual case study statistics, broken out by both first-time event attendees and repeat visitors, plus on brand love and purchase intent, please click on the links below for the full article.

For more information on the EMF, visit http://www.experientialforum.com/ where you can join to receive regular updates on the latest experiential news, research and insights.  The EMF / IMI International research articles are also available for viewing on IMI International’s Downloads page.

In general, people are more likely to act on face-to-face product recommendations, versus those sent via social media.  While this holds for youth, they are more likely to act on all types of recommendations, especially from close contacts, regardless of mode used to receive the recommendation. 

Fundamentally, effective experiential marketing should have a compelling consumer focus which can often lead to increased word-of-mouth for participating brands. Social media can be effective at facilitating WOM among youth, as it is integral in their lives and it does not lose impact like it does for adults.

To view the actual case study statistics, broken out by both age (youth versus adults) and by whom (friends, family and acquaintances), please click on the links below for the full article.

For more information on the EMF, visit http://www.experientialforum.com/ where you can join to receive regular updates on the latest experiential news, research and insights.  The EMF / IMI International research articles are also available for viewing on IMI International’s Downloads page.

Recently on the EMF posts, there has been a lot of reference to a change in consumer buying habits as a result of the economic conditions in recent times.  One such article referenced from Comscore suggests consumers are trading down in price and becoming less loyal to National brands.  Just last week, another EMF post referenced an article from the Globe & Mail suggesting consumers consider short-term reward more strongly than the long-term gains. Thus consumers are irrational, and it has been argued that this emotional context needs to be overlaid to more rational economic models.

These two articles provided impetus to share with the EMF membership what we at IMI International have learned about changes to consumer buying habits from a proprietary study we fielded called “Building Your Brand in Turbulent Times”.  We asked some questions that could be benchmarked versus more “normal” times in 2007, fielded during the ‘dark days’ of  January 2009 and followed up again in early 2010 to see which of these changes have a lasting effect.

First, our study agreed with both the articles referenced above:  

i)        Consumers are indeed trading down to the lowest price more often now than in 2007 (for details, please see the June 2010 EMF/IMI research article in the members section on the EMF site or on IMI International’s Downloads page). 

ii)       What is interesting, however, is the consideration of “short-term reward” in this environment.  Consumers have also increased their consideration for the “best quality”—while this seems inconsistent, consider that there has also been a consistent increase in the attitude that it is “worth spending more time to be a smart shopper”.  

iii)     Another finding reflects a return to the importance of Brand Name products versus price considerations, after a dip in 2009.  

Some other category studies we have done at IMI International (from snack food to autos) lead us to conclude that some of the switching to low priced alternatives may not have turned out so well, and the consumer has learned from this experience.  For bigger purchases, you’ll know this as “buyer’s remorse”. 

One of the key pieces that was missing for me from the previous articles was a big “Now What” – as a marketer or a person working at an agency, what can I do about it?  This thinking is precisely why we added other questions around value, brand benefits and price (essentially, inputs into the value equation) into our Turbulent Times study.  The conclusions we make provide some clear actions steps for EMF members, as price and value are intricately linked.

To summarize action steps for this audience, we would suggest the following: 

i)                    Do your homework to determine your brand’s unique value proposition.  That is – which brand in my portfolio represents high value, which benefits can I highlight to illustrate added value versus my competition (i.e. ‘washes more dishes’ versus ‘soft on hands’…) and,

ii)                   How can I best showcase these benefits to overcome potential purchase barriers? 

While price discounting is a tactic that can be used, and is always a consideration, it tends to erode brand equity (and ROI/margins) over the long term.  Our consistent learning for over 15 years has illustrated the power of Experiential Marketing as an excellent method to convey new benefits or activate new learning areas, whether it is to overcome a shared barrier or perception, showcasing new value benefits or illustrating new ‘reasons to believe’.   

So, it’s time to act. Consumers are still buying. Our shared challenge is to break through the spending concerns that this economic environment has brought to consumers and make them feel good again, as “smart shoppers”.

For more information on the EMF, visit http://www.experientialforum.com/ where you can join to receive regular updates on the latest experiential news, research and insights.  The EMF / IMI International research articles are also available for viewing on IMI International’s Downloads page.

As the headline notes, “if women hold so much buying power, why aren’t marketers doing a better job of communicating to them?  Kristin Laird outlines the key ways companies can meet the needs of female consumers”.

Of course, different consumer segments exist within the female consumer segment, so be sure you’re understanding your specific target fully prior to acting on any macro insights.

Women consumers: a snapshot

• 71% are more concerned with price than fashion or trends
• 60% enjoy sampling different brands of similar products (e.g. soft drinks) for the sake of comparison
• 47% are loyal to environmentally or socially responsible brands
• 58% actively look for products that offer coupon discounts
• 65% will encourage friends or relatives to purchase a product she likes
• 62% think store brand products are just as good as name brand products
• 39% say name brand products are a status symbol
• 58% usually purchase the lowest-priced product

IMI International provided Marketing Magazine a number of current consumer insights pertaining to female consumers, as a result of conducting three different studies earlier this year.  The studies provided these latest insights by looking at the attitudes and behaviours of Canadian women consumers 13 to 64. 

To read the full article, please visit Marketing Magazine or click on the link for IMI International’s Downloads page and find the article under the Media section.

For more information on ConsumerTrack™ Insights pertaining to Female Shoppers, please contact Tim Bishop at 416-440-0310 ext. 341 or by email at tbishop@consultIMI.com.

Highlights from a recent IMI International study among senior Agency & Client personnel shows that Agencies may be more in-tune with the dramatic impact that Experiential Marketing can have.  Further, close to half of both Agencies and Clients think it is a tactic that should be “used more” since it is perceived to be “effective”.

As a result of the study, it is recommended that Agencies should continue to provide Clients with fact-based insights on effectiveness in order to establish confidence and investment in experiential marketing.

For more information on the EMF, visit http://www.experientialforum.com/ where you can join to receive regular updates on the latest experiential news, research and insights.  The EMF / IMI International research articles are also available for viewing on IMI International’s Downloads page.

Insights from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games:
IMI International completed an extensive consumer study that highlights how sponsoring brands performed at the Games.  As is relates to experiential marketing, IMI International learnings showed that highly engaged fans who follow their sports properties closely has a direct impact on brand attitudes and purchase intent.  It’s clear that the bigger the fan, the stronger the increases in these critical ROI measures.

Shopper Marketing Insights:
Shopper marketing grows in importance for brands, agencies and retailers, and measuring its full impact is also growing in importance:  Understand the direct and peripheral impacts that experiential marketing can generate in stores.  In this case study, experientially-activated shopper marketing campaigns show that they can change purchase shopping behavior patterns over time. For marketers, agencies and retailers, it’s important to remember that effective measurement should capture the full ROI impact including featured and peripheral brands.  Be sure to get all the credit you deserve!

For more information on the EMF, visit http://www.experientialforum.com/ where you can join to receive regular updates on the latest experiential news, research and insights.  The EMF / IMI International research articles are also available for viewing on IMI International’s Downloads page.

Tim Bishop, Business Development, North America, will be speaking about social media measurement plus providing the latest insights and experience on how to measure ROI (and as a hint, it’s not about friends, fans or retweets…).

In recent years, social media has grown from a provocative set of online community chat rooms to a legitimate marketing communication vehicle that attracts millions of diverse users from around the world.  

What is a marketer to do:  Avoid social media until it becomes more proven since this all seems too “new” and “risky”?  Or jump into it without a good understanding of how it compares to other marketing tools? 

The safe bet is to understand its measurable impact.  IMI International has been studying social media from its inception using ROI measurement models to evaluate it compared to all other marketing tactics.

Tim will highlight how to measure impact and ROI, plus share consumer insights, best practices and global case studies so that social media can be considered as an effective tool within your sponsorship activation toolkit.

For a summary of Tim’s presentation, please click to visit IMI International’s Downloads page and look under “Conferences”.

For more information on social media ROI and measurement, please contact Tim Bishop at 416-440-0310 ext. 341 or email at tbishop@consultIMI.com.

Don Mayo, Managing Partner of IMI International, is again one of the leading conference speakers for the Canadian Sponsorship Forum.  Held annually, this year’s event is hosted in beautiful Whistler, BC, site of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Be the first to see research focused on actual in-market effectiveness, impact of recent brand activations, consumer-validated insights and recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Games observations. Whether you’re an official sponsor or simply delivering best-in-class activations without any sponsorship affiliation, you will learn best practices both on how to win in the current economic climate and during major events.

Derived from a study completed during February & March 2010 by IMI International and in association with TrojanOne, the key focus of this session will be on the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games as well as other major properties. Don will isolate case studies on ‘who impacted consumers,’ ‘who avoided consumers’ and ‘means to optimize your activation plan going forward.’ Further, this session will detail not only recent sponsorship activations, but will include trending based on consumer research completed throughout prior years.  

The key focus will be on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics plus other major properties, such as the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, Daytona 500, NBA All Star Game, Mardi Gras and others.

Based on the study’s consumer-validated insights plus recent at-the-Games observation, IMI International will isolate some case studies on ‘who impacted consumers’, ‘who avoided consumers’ and means to optimize your activation plan going forward. Further, this session will detail not only recent sponsorship activations, but will include trending based on consumer research completed throughout prior years.

Highlights will include some of the ‘winner’ activations, featuring not only how marketing impacted behaviour, talk value and brand equity, but how winning campaigns engaged consumers. Additionally, the presentation will detail best practices both on how to win in the current economic climate and during major events, whether you are an official sponsor or simply delivering best-in-class activations without any sponsorship affiliation.

The panel topic, “What Will Appeal to Tomorrow’s Shopper: Learn from Representatives Across All Sectors of the Shopper Marketing Industry” is sure to create an active discussion regarding the future of shopper marketing.  

It will be interesting to hear what the panelists have to say, given their varied experience and backgrounds in the experiential, consulting, snack food and research spaces. 

IMI International has extensive experience with shopper marketing and views shopper marketing as the management of the full path-to-purchase cycle.  When done correctly, shopper marketing is a compelling, integrated approach to meeting consumer wants and needs and instilling a sense of confidence from the moment a brand first starts interacting with consumers. 

To learn more about Shopper Marketing and how IMI International can help your brand or agency meet its goals, please contact Dan Hunter at 416-440-0310 ext. 233 or email at dhunter@consultIMI.com.