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Experiential marketing, utilizing unique marketing tactics giving consumers the opportunity to engage and interact with brands to create an emotional connection based on a branded experience, continues to evolve, finding new approaches to connect with consumers. One of the most interesting is the latest campaign from Pepsi’s Tropicana brand. In January, Tropicana traveled to the northern Canadian town of Inuvik, which experiences weeks of constant darkness during the winter, to brighten their day. Knowing the adverse effects of 31 days without sunshine they decided to bring them the sun. This seemingly impossible task was accomplished by constructing an inflatable electric powered artificial sun that was raised high above the town. While the locals gathered to watch the sunrise they were given bottles of Tropicana. Not a bad way to market your brand when you want to be associated with morning sunshine. The best part of video was the people’s reactions as they gathered to bask in the “sunshine” with an astonished look on their face. Instead of simply distributing product samples, Tropicana made it an event that will not be soon forgotten. This experiential campaign was especially effective because of the strong emotional connection they made with customers with the unique experience, they will always remember how Tropicana came to their town and did the impossible. They managed to give them an unforgettable experience that is impossible to duplicate at the perfect time and were able to center the whole experience on their brand.

As experiential and guerilla marketing techniques are used more frequently to make a stronger connection between the consumer and the brand I predict we will see more campaigns like this. After all providing customers with an experience centered on your brand is the best way to make an emotional connection and foster a strong brand relationship that will last long after the campaign is over.

Pepsi recently announced that they would not be airing their annual Super Bowl commercial for the first time in twenty-three years. Instead, they are investing the money would usually spend on the expensive ad spots in an ambitious social media marketing campaign. Last year, the 2009 Super Bowl attracted an estimated 95.4 million viewers, with many viewers watching new commercials premiering as attentively as they are watching the actual game so this move by Pepsi is quite the gamble. Historically, Pepsi has spent tens of millions of dollars on TV and this decision and upcoming campaign could be one of the biggest events in the shift from broadcast to Internet media. As television viewership has gone down, Internet usage and social media are on the rise. According to ABC News, in the coveted 18-34 demographic, an estimated 85% now use social media so it is no surprise that more companies are diverting their resources to this new medium.

Pepsi’s new social campaign titled “The Pepsi Refresh Project” will launch on January 13^th. This campaign will be driven by social media outlets and blogs and will encourage individuals and organizations to interact and pitch ideas that will “refresh” their community. The best ideas will be presented via social media and users will vote for their favorite projects. The winners will receive grants enabling them to carry out their community projects in categories like Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods, and Education will be considered. This campaign will ultimately fund thousands of community projects while promoting the Pepsi brand. As Pepsi prepares to launch there is no telling how this social media driven campaign will be received. If this gamble pays off for Pepsi I believe this ambitious new campaign delivered through social media could be the push that further redefines the marketing game.

As brands continue to try to find new ways to connect with customers and shape their product to appeal to them, Pepsi decided to have their customers do all the work with their newest Mountain Dew social media campaign “Dewmocracy 2.0”. Brands like HP and Vitamin Water have already called upon their consumers for branding materials. After all, consumers should know themselves better than anyone. Last year Mt. Dew launched a similar campaign where they allowed consumers to vote for the next Mt. Dew flavor and name, but has taken this branding practice to a whole new level this year. They are now letting their consumers invent and name three new flavors, design the package, AND create commercials. They launched a new website 12seconds.tv where Dew enthusiasts can submit their own commercials and vote for their favorites. Brands have resorted to similar tactics putting brand choices in the hands of the customer but never to this extent. This campaign gives the consumer more control and interaction with their favorite brand. Going beyond simply consulting consumers for ideas they are making them an integral part of creating a new product and marketing it utilizing different social web applications like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. They expect that this will help foster a strong relationship between the brand and the customer because they are now able to have the feeling of owning and being part of the product like never before and brand loyalists are now empowered to be a part of the brand. Only time will tell how effective this new campaign will be but with the brands existing loyal fan base and cross platform social marketing strategy it looks very promising. It will be interesting to see how other brands follow suit utilizing social media to empower their customers to become part of the brand.