For years brands have been using registration systems with opt-in options to receive additional information as pre-requisites to participate in both on- and off-line activities. The goal was to use the information acquired during registration to follow-up with consumers post-activity about the brand’s products or services. The information gathered through this process is very helpful and beneficial to brands; however, it also can be flawed. The two major issues facing this type of consumer data collection technology are that consumers tend to fill in false or the bare minimum amount of information. Even if consumers do fill out the registration thoroughly and opt-in for additional information, the actual consumer behavior and trends that a brand is able to interpret out of the brief interaction is very minimal.
The U.S. Army and Air Force were running into these same issues, so they decided to turn to their respective experiential marketing agencies to help them better gain information about consumers for more quality interactions post events. The solution was the use of RFID location tracking cards.
As consumers came to participate at event areas for both military arms at malls and other event locations, they were handed RFID cards or wristbands. The participants were then allowed to partake in a combination of different games and engagements in the event space designed to replicate fun and exciting activities performed as part of each military arm’s active duty. To participate in each activity participants were required to swipe in their RFID item to activate each one. As consumers were enjoying the activities, the event managers were actually using the RFID item to track which activities each consumer went to, how much time they spent at each activity, and how well they did. Then, in real time, recruiters approached the consumers having key information about where the consumer spent the most time and what they were most interested in, which was learned through mapping the consumers activity in the event space. Since the recruiters already had information on what activities peaked the consumer’s interest, they were able to have more engaging and quality conversations.
The ability to understand consumers’ behaviors is key in terms of selling any product including military service. With the ability to use specific consumers’ activity to identify points of interest brands can adapt messaging to play off those interests as well as target consumers that they know for sure are already open to the product. Look for behavior mapping technology to be integrated into more event marketing events in the future. Do you have any plans to integrate it in future events?
