Audiences Crave Experiences, Not Just Data
On a recent NYC trip, I found myself with a few free hours and couldn’t pass the chance to see the “Saturday Night Live” and “Tonight Show” studios and sound stages. I took a behind-the-scenes tour of NBC Studios for a glimpse of how sets are made, talent hits their marks, copy is written, local feeds come in, and lighting is set up.
But the most impactful part of the tour? That was at the end. We had the chance to be the host of our very own late night show. An announcer chosen, as well as a band, camera operators and the control room team.
Not your typical tourist attraction, right?
The segment was shot and within 10 minutes, all participants had an email with a link to their video segment.
The editing was complete, the laugh tracks in place, credits added, the opening and closing graphics inserted. A complete piece with you as the star – all in just ten short minutes.
Soon after, the NBC pages who were our guides asked tour participants to take a two-minute survey. They wanted our feedback on the tour and insight on how the experience may be improved. The process was immediate and easy so nearly everyone agreed to participate.
The tour wrapped in the gift shop where we were handed a small flyer inviting us to connect with NBC Studios on social media. More importantly, we had immediate access to their social channels so we could quickly and easily share with followers our adventures as a late night host.
I left the studio tour with three takeaways product marketers can apply.
- Provide experiences – not just facts. Give your audience an experience so the learning is immersive. As building product marketers, how can we make events more interactive? How can we insert trade show experiences that let audiences be part of the event rather than simply observers? NBC could have handed us a fact sheet full of data. Instead, we were able to experience what it’s really like to produce a show.
- The need for speed is real. Receiving the edited video of our late night hosting experience in 10 short minutes sealed the deal for me. And, within 30 minutes of leaving 30 Rock, I’d shared that link with my social channels and raved about the tour. I amplified the experience to my followers and it didn’t cost NBC a dime.
- Strike while the audience is hot. Asking for immediate feedback rather than days or weeks later, elicited a totally different response than had my excitement or memory of the event faded.
Chances are, creating an experience for your audience doesn’t require a sound stage, lighting or camera operators. So ignore the urge to create one more piece of collateral jam-packed with data.
Instead, invite your audience to participate in an immersive experience that exceeds their expectations, makes them eager to offer immediate feedback and willing to share with friends and followers.
