Question 2: Why are experiential events suddenly popular now? Are we going back to the bubble era?

Alright, everyone remember? That's right, our new series "#TeachMeIguchi-san!" We'll be answering your simple questions one after another! This time, we have a question from Y-san in Shibuya Ward: "Lately, experiential events and such seem to be popping up everywhere. It feels like we're going back to the big-scale events from the bubble era, right? What's up with that?" You've hit the nail on the head! It's true that events are increasing lately, though maybe not quite reaching the scale of the bubble era. Well then, let me explain that point!

Understand that "Consumer Events" and "PR Events" are completely different

As I often say, "consumer events" and "PR events" are completely different. If you don't properly understand and design for each event's specific purpose, you'll end up with something very half-baked! It's true that a while back, events drawing thousands or tens of thousands of people were held, or sampling campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands were conducted – large-scale consumer events were happening everywhere. There was a tendency to equate "people gathering" with "people having desires," using the event to quantitatively promote the value of the featured product or service, or even the company or individuals behind it.

On the other hand, the primary goal of a "PR event" is to get that information published in mass media. It's crucial for newspaper reporters or TV news staff to cut out the event as a "visual" news item and take it back for their papers or programs. In other words, the key is creating visuals for the media. Of course, the "look at all these people!" aspect of consumer-focused events can be newsworthy. However, a line is just a line; consumers might react with "So what?" or "What's the big deal?" Therefore, PR events anticipate and prepare visually compelling "scenes" that make for good news. This ensures that when covered by the media, the information we want to convey is instantly understood. Sometimes, events are designed so heavily for the media that it doesn't even matter if no consumers participate.

Occasionally, we receive requests to mobilize media for "consumer events." However, if the primary focus leans too heavily on participant satisfaction, it often results in insufficient "image creation" for the media. This leads to the worst-case scenario for media outlets, who value their manpower: "We came, but it wasn't worth reporting." The crucial step is to clearly define from the outset: "What is the purpose of this event?" and "Who is the target audience?"

This clarity should also make it obvious who should be responsible for the event's foundational structure – whether it's an event production company or a PR agency. However, circumstances sometimes necessitate combining media and consumer-focused events into a single format. In such cases, it's crucial to overcome this by separating the parts and holding them at different times, ensuring staff suited to each specific purpose manages their respective segments.

The Rise of "Experiential Events"

So, what exactly is this "experiential event" everyone's talking about these days? For us PR professionals, an event can be said to be "both a media platform and content itself." Let me explain a bit.

① Media
At the stage where information is handed directly to consumers through events, "event = media."

② Content
At the stage where event coverage is featured in mass media to spread information, the event becomes "content." This represents the hybrid use of events. However, a third element has recently been added to this mix.

③ Information Dissemination
Following the event, there is a phase of information dissemination on social media platforms like SNS. In other words, consumers who participated in ① share this experience on their own media (SNS), leading to its spread, creating a vicarious experience for recipients, and fostering empathy for the topic.

After the event, there is a phase of information dissemination on social media platforms like SNS. In other words, consumers who participated in ① share their experiences on their own media (SNS). This sharing spreads, creating a vicarious experience for recipients and fostering empathy towards the topic.

Real experiences are just as important as information conveyed through media.

This is a quote from the results of our Corporate Attractiveness Survey conducted by our Corporate PR Strategy Research Institute. In response to the question, "Through which information channels do you perceive a company's attractiveness?", 54.4% indicated they perceive attractiveness "through media channels" such as "programs or articles" and "information directly released by the company." This result suggests that the information dissemination we PR professionals routinely utilize through various media channels contributes to this perception.

However, on the other hand, 45.6% of consumers also feel appeal "through real experiences," such as "directly experiencing products/services" or "through employees/store staff." This indicates that not only information warfare but also the "experience" itself is becoming increasingly important for consumers. I believe this will lead to a renewed focus on creating opportunities for direct interaction. This will likely lead to the effective utilization of a wide range of touchpoints, such as "employees' daily actions," "customer service at stores," and "customer service responses."

Furthermore, "experiential events" may be undergoing a reevaluation as important touchpoints for appealing to consumers' perception of a company's appeal, serving as venues for "real-life experiences," and are beginning to be effectively utilized. Looking a bit deeper into the survey results, items categorized as "media" like "word-of-mouth via the web" and those grouped under "real" like "from people close to me" actually scored quite high. In other words, "word-of-mouth information from people close to me via the web" is precisely the kind of information generated through these "experiential events." Considering this, it makes perfect sense that this approach is starting to be highly valued.

Now then, having covered event objectives and methods, let me conclude with one final example. At the McDonald's session during the "EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING SUMMIT 2015" in San Francisco, it was stated that "people only remember about 20% of what they see, but they remember about 80% of what they experience." This perfectly captures the idea that "creating a solid experience that leaves a lasting impression is essential for mid-to-long-term engagement."

Events utilizing VR (Virtual Reality) devices are drawing long lines everywhere, and it seems such mechanisms will increasingly be integrated into PR. We really must keep our eyes on the latest technologies. Excuse me! President, I'll be heading overseas again next week for a conference and some site visits!! (Everyone, I'll be away for a while, so please bear with me.)