Boxman Studios Return on Investment Q&A
March 3, 2014
Call 2014 “The Year of ROI.” Now more than ever, agencies have to justify their spending for their clients. They have to be able to prove that the expenditures are worth it, that they resulted in a solid return. Clients want, and need, a tangible number. Why did it work? How do we know? Developing a terrific experiential marketing campaign isn’t enough; you have to prove it was effective.
Q: How was ROI traditionally measured on experiential marketing campaigns?
A: In the past, ROI was often based on the number of people coming through an experience. Sometimes, agencies added another layer, such as a survey: brand ambassadors asked a certain number of questions to capture data on people’s shopping habits or brand preferences.
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The quantity of people passing through does not indicate the quality of the experience. You could have a high volume of traffic but what if they came, and then went right back out? What if they didn’t interact with the space or the brand in a meaningful way? In this case, the measurement criteria do not give an accurate sense of the return on investment.
Another issue is that, today, people do not want to be targeted when they go into an experience. They don’t want to feel as though they’re being assaulted or that this whole space is designed solely to extract data from them. As consumers become more cautious, they don’t want to give out information, whether it is an email address or their shopping habits. Asking them survey questions manages to hit consumers exactly where it does not count!
Q: How is ROI measured today?
A: Agencies have to find ways to capture data so that it doesn’t feel like data capture to the end-user. Boxman Studios, for instance, works with another company to create a specialized experience for Electrolux.
In the Electrolux Kitchen experience, we offered a touch screen display showing a model kitchen and all of the appliances on the bottom of the screen. People could drag-and-drop the appliances on the monitor to build the kitchen of their dreams. To have the virtual rendering sent to their inbox, they provide an email address. In that email, there are links to learn more about Electrolux and the specific appliances they choose, dimensions so people could make sure they fit in their space, and the general MSRP.
The impact is two-fold. Data is captured at the event: we can see what appliances people gravitated towards, color preferences, most sought-after features, sizes, and other information. Post-event, we have meaningful brand interaction via the website.
Data capture like this works because people aren’t asked to give anything; instead, they get something – whether a fun game experience or a rendering of their dream kitchen. At the same time, the brand can access necessary information or post-experience interactions that they need to justify spending. It’s a win-win.
Q: Where does Boxman Studios Come In?
A: In the Electrolux data capture situation Boxman Studios was the middleman. We worked closely with the third-party company, leased the software and interactive screens, and put the ideas into action for the clients. By working with us, clients can reduce the number of vendors they have to deal with – which streamlines the entire process – and they can rest assured they’re getting the best of the best. We apply our high standards to everyone with whom we work.
At Boxman Studios, we focus on the experience. Offering an eye-popping, innovative, creative experiential marketing campaign is a waste of money if it does not help you achieve your goals and objectives. Did it do that? Did the experience earn its keep, and then some? Should we continue? If so, what changes do we need to make? By measuring ROI, you can have the definitive answers you need.
