Could Be The Ride Of Your Life

Considered by many to be the grand daddy of experiential marketing,
Bernd Schmitt argued that brands are the rides and the products are the souvenirs.
I like this analogy a lot, but I'd like to build on it as I can't help feeling that it's lacking a little something.
The way I see it (with my squinty vision of course) is that brand is the fairground itself.
It's the blare of the music, the scream of the crowd and the flash of the lights.
The smell of the popcorn and the sweet taste of the candy-floss.
These elements are all experiences that we have with the brand.
As for the product, well, that's the price of admission.
Whether it's a day pass or a hand-full of ride tokens.
There's a value exchange taking place here, where you pay to gain entry, and the experiences are the world you gained entry to in your relationship with the brand.
The important thing is that it so much more about the value of the experience than the cost to get in.
But you'll never forget the thrill of the ride.
Now where are those giant tea cups?