Have you ever been super engrossed in a movie? The first time I saw I, Robot, we left the theatre and the world looked strange to me. I half expected to see robots on every corner. I kept looking for droids directing traffic. The scenes looked like they might have come out of M-291, with many shuttered businesses and wisps of trash along the roadway. It was an overcast day and the gray skies mirrored the scenes of a future time bereft of current graces. My sense of reality was altered and I had to mentally shake off these images. It sounds silly, but I was totally immersed in the story line of the movie.  Has a movie or book or experience affected you in the same way? Now think about that in terms of growing your business.

               What is immersive marketing? Wikipedia suggests it is the creation of a blanket absorbing customers through “traditional advertising, public relations, word-of-mouth advertising, digital marketing, samples, coupons, retail partnerships…surrounding the consumer with a consistent message about a brand.” Please don’t! Let’s not make our peeps sick of hearing about us!

               Think instead of your own five senses. Appeal to your consumers with stories incorporating vivid imagery. Surround them with sights and smells and product to touch. Let their introduction to your store be with happy music, or suggest a musical score in your advertisement. Immersing your consumers should be a joy, not an overbearing ad nauseum advertising campaign! It's the difference between shopping at IKEA for a box versus taking home the world's best desk ready for use.

               This is not a new concept. Immersive marketing became the rage as early as 2015, but it is a concept that needs reinventing in 2021. Small businesses have been hit hard, and to rebuild, we need to go the extra step in reminding our customers why an in-house experience with us is sooo much better than an online order with Amazon. hhglobal described a Nike online campaign with 3-d enhancement to acquaint shoppers with a new shoe, but we don’t have to do that, do we? We only need to lure them to our own small businesses and then surround them with the real deal in order to snag a sale. Use your strengths!

mC-2 describes the three biggest challenges to immersive marketing, but they too focus on the digital experience. They cite cost as the principle barrier once a company commits to the concept. Yes, trying to achieve a virtual sensory experience is daunting, but again, let’s focus on what we have—community presence. Invite past customers to a tea. Hold a showing of spring during these cold winter months. Plan a May Day event. Use some creativity to lure your peeps, and then shower them with an unforgettable experience. Perhaps the key word is event. It suggest so much more than selling, doesn’t it?

               If an immersive digital advertisement produces a 300% increase in customer engagement, think what it will do for our friends and neighbors. Create a memorable experience and see it revitalize your business.