Bernd H. Schmitt idea published in his book, Experiential Marketing: How to Get Customers to Sense, Feel, Think, Act, and Relate to Your Company and Brands (1999), this formula might sue naked 4P (product, price, place and promotion). With EM, Schmitt took the marketers out of the box is too traditional approach relies on the product (features) and benefits by adding emotional element in the marketing mix (mark eting mix) to persuade consumers. Columbia Business School professor psychologist uses psychological models in analyzing consumer behavior.
According to him, the traditional approach of treating consumers stuck with a purely rational figure, and assume people shop purely transactional and objectively based on cost and benefit. In fact, apart from the left brain, right brain was very influential in buying decisions. In fact, not just emotion plays a very important role in decision-making, but it is also a strong adhesive to create loyalty.
Transactional approach often paralyzed face relational approach and the strength of subjective value. Thus, to overcome the shortcomings of traditional approaches, EM uses a holistic approach of the whole experience: the senses (sense), feelings / affection (feel), cognitive (think), physical and lifestyle (act), and the relationship with a particular culture or reference (relate ) were finally able to give dimension / imagination to one product.
These factors are called Strategic Experiential Modules (SEMS), which is the foundation of EM. Actually, Schmitt’s idea is not completely original. Although not as plainly Schmitt, Pine II and Gilmore through his article “Welcome to the Experience Economy” (Harvard Business Review, July-August 1998) has raised this idea.
Rolf Jensen in his book The Dream Society (1998) also indicated that the progress of IT and the tendency of marketers to package commercially emotion has driven the transition to the dream society, a form of society that shape emotional market.
That market where consumers do not just buy a product, but also the various elements of emotion and affection, such as lifestyle, identity, adventure, love and friendship, peace and confidence. Schmitt services are glue together the scattered stimuli into an integrated and comprehensive approach to woo potential customers, as well as tying into loyal customers who are expected to continually repeat purchases.
And more importantly, this idea is also not difficult to be implemented, because Schmitt formulate methods and steps vividly through the experiences he describes aspects of providers (ExPros), tactical tool to implement EM. Speaking of EM can not be separated from emotional branding approach (EB), which is an effort to develop the brand by emphasizing the emotional benefits rather than functional benefits (features) and rational (price). Both are two sides of the coin 66 Similarly, the EB is an instrument of dialogue / communication between producers and consumers.
By digging the emotional side of the product, marketers develop uniqueness bias intangible brand in front of competitor brands, making it difficult to imitate or surpass, and have a longer life cycle. In fact, by applying EB marketers can also hoist products to premium level, so they can jack up the price and achieve higher margins.
Needless to say, the application of EM and EB will create a powerful force. Because the sale is no longer just a product or service, but an unforgettable experience. This is the product differentiation that will make a commodity out of the zone, which is able to make consumers willing to spend more and to pay higher, happily and without feeling forced.
EM approach also can be applied to not only premium products alone. Most importantly, the product / service has a distinctive capability and can offer a memorable experience. Want proof? Look at how a number of tents on the roadside stalls crammed with consumers, while others-empty and empty, even though the same product offered.