If you’ve ever attempted to feed a three-year-old, you are likely familiar with the aversion most of them have to anything both edible and green. Well, I’m thrilled to announce I have cracked the code, at least for a few weeks.
Full disclosure: this was not actually planned by a super smart mom, it was pure accident.
This spring, I took my daughter to our neighborhood greenhouse’s annual beginning of the season open house. The highlight of the event was the surprisingly awesome, massive model train display… that is, until we stumbled upon a potting station on our way out.
The deal was you could plant your own herb or salad garden for just $10. All the plants you can fit in the pot and the mess stays here? Count me in. Our fellow potters were all standing around a large work table, but I plopped my container right on the ground so Nora could assist. She was so excited to help it was almost as if I had suggested a mid-morning candy run.
We decided to do an herb garden since I usually plant my own at home anyway. But because Nora enjoyed planting the first one so much, and because I figured I should be eating more leafy greens and this might guilt me into it, we also planted a salad container with four different types of lettuce. Both of us left the greenhouse feeling pretty proud of ourselves—I do love a good deal.
A few days later, I stepped out onto the back porch and harvested the first of our lettuce. I came back into the house and exclaimed with over-the-top enthusiasm, “Nora, do you want to try the lettuce that you planted?!”
She responded by matching my enthusiasm level, as kids do, gladly took a leaf, and started chomping away. After she finished the first leaf, she asked to try the other three types.
It was a miracle from Mother Nature.
What we have here, folks, is a simple example of experiential (aka engagement) marketing, a strategy that directly engages consumers and invites them to participate in the evolution of a brand or brand experience. It’s a one-on-one interaction that allows the consumer (my daughter) to create a connection with the brand (homegrown lettuce).
I would bet anything that if I would have offered Nora the exact same lettuce from the farmer’s market, or even from a garden I planted by myself, she would have adamantly refused. That’s the power of experiential marketing: creating a deeper connection and loyalty to your brand through a unique, engaging experience.
Now just remember this story next time you attempt to get your kid to try a bison burger.
Marketing Like a Mother 