• by Brad Nierenberg , Columnist, August 4, 2015

Narcissism has always been a cornerstone of marketing. Brands jockey for position with consumers, battling to become part of their identities and a constant in their lives. “Selling a vision” is no longer enough. They must sell a feeling to consumers—better yet, an experience. Experiential marketing emerged from the realm of events. A realm defined by momentary engagement—transactional, fleeting and immeasurable. Experiential marketing is the more ambitious and inventive younger brother of events, seeking to outshine and expand its imprint beyond that of its elder. In order to do that and step out from the shadows, experiences must be memorable, share-worthy and ego-friendly. It’s that trifecta that represents the holy grail of experiential marketing.

Like any successful younger brother, you learn from the shortcomings of your elder and make changes. As experientialists, we thrive on one-to-one interactions that immerse consumers, empowering them to evangelize on the brand’s behalf. Nothing is more empowering and measurable in our narcissistic society than social media, which has made digital extensions an imperative to interactive marketing. After all, we’re not just targeting the consumer, but their hundreds, often thousands, of social media-connected friends. The most poignant example is Coke’s “Share a Coke” campaign in which a simple share of a personalized bottle became a viral sensation and urged consumers to not only join in the physical sharing, but also extend the conversation online. In my experience, the best online conversations stem from offline experiences, so creating an experience worth talking about is priority number one.

Not everyone is going to advocate for your brand. Interactive experiences, though sometimes limited by physical reach, can hit their core audience at ideal touch points and cater to their needs. Those needs can be physical, like Lexus’ “LaceUp Running” campaign, which provided 5K racers massages and nourishment post-race, as well as digital, like Millennials’ narcissism and impulsive need to share every single experience.

I’ve found that Millennials are the Chief Narcissism Officers (CNOs) of the moment. When designing experiences, we always consider how wecan build the consumer’s brand. Essentially, how can we co-brand with the consumer and have them co-author our brand story? By creating a unique and memorable experience, we earn placement in the consumer’s personal feed, tethering thousands to the real brand story — turning brand efficacy into consumer advocacy.

When designing any experience, my first consideration is “Why is this unique and shareable?” I believe in a formula to filter through those ideas and create optimal experiences: Ease x Vanity x Comment Quota Value. Ease is the convenience of sharing via your favorite social media platforms. Vanity determines how good we’re making the consumer look. Comment Quota Value? How likely the content is to elicit a response, whether a photograph, comment or larger share. Hit all three factors and you’re golden. Skimp on one of them and your reach takes a hit. Not all brands or experiences are created equal, but a unique and easily shareable experience is the ultimate equalizer.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one heard it, did it really happen? If your experience isn’t shared, you leave a lot on the table. We desire the advocacy of individuals, but we equally desire the earned impressions that result since metrics tell the real tale. Speak the language of your narcissistic audience and you’ll reap the rewards of an amplified brand story.