Experiences form the basis of all kinds of human relationships. They can be overt life-changing incidents or subliminal everyday moments that can be positive, negative or indifferent. Experience marketing is a combination of elements specifically designed to drive brand satisfaction, loyalty and emotional connection through every consumer brand interaction.
To do this well, brands need to be fully aware of moments of interaction with their consumers, especially where brands can have a direct impact on their consumers to a one-to-one level. One such place where brands can establish a direct connection with the consumers is in Retail Stores. By creating a more engaging retail experience, visitors experience the ethos of the brand, not only through the products they purchase but also through an immersive and inclusive experience.
Hence, with increased demand in more urbane, upgraded products and personalized feel, most brands are now going ahead with launching of ‘Experience Centres’.The brands, now aim at offering its patrons a more convenient way to physically experience and see their products. In the times of know-how and buy, customers want to feel the real product before investing their hard-earned money in it. So, brands are gearing up to offer increased convenience through opening experience centres.
Hitting the jackpot, FabIndia has come up with a new large-format of stores called ‘Experience Centres.’ These stores have been designed keeping in mind the multi-dimensional offerings by the brand that extends across a number of categories and services catering to every age group and their distinct needs.
In a bid to raise engagement with consumers, experience centre format offers something for the entire family under one roof. Apart from this, the Experience Centre also provides services such as Fab Cafe, Interior design studios and Kids zone. With Fab Cafe, an all-day dining concept, they believe in bringing organic and contemporary menu through regionally inspired traditional Indian cuisine. At present, FabIndia has successfully launched a total of 24 experience centres in India and has received an overwhelming response from customers.
Apart from traditional stores, brands are also focussing on launching their experience centres with better technology and techniques. Leading global premium interior brand, Kohler has also launched its first experience centre in Delhi providing innovation and diversity of style in a dynamic, studio-like environment where designers and architects can use the space as an extension of their own offices. The 10,000sq ft experience centre is designed with luxurious materials to envision the brand’s unique attempt to create an immersive experience of their entire product range and the technology behind it. As the first touchpoint, the Café provides customers a conducive space for interactions and inspirations and then, the Design gallery displays the brand’s most premium collections. The immersive Lab brings alive Kohler’s product innovations through live displays while the Warehouse presents over 350 products through colour coded sub-zones of collections and trends. The interactive screens in the experience centre explain further on the behind-the-product tales of Kohler products. This takes customers on an exhilarating journey with the products creating a memorable experience for them.
Today’s customers want experiences and, not just products. They are catching on the notion that experiences make you happier and are more valuable than buying fancy things. Hence, this is a great way to develop dialogues with these new-age modern customers.
Meenal Soni || PGPMR
meenal.soni@northpointindia.com