Taco Bell recently announced the 2019 opening of The Bell Hotel in Palm Springs, CA. The so-called “tacoasis” will feature themed guest rooms, recreational activities, a full-service salon offering nail art, fades and a braiding station inspired by Taco Bell; as well as a gift shop selling exclusive branded apparel. 

Experience marketing is where it’s at. We hear from many clients about how hard it is to engage meaningfully with new customers and remain relevant with their loyal fans. Experience marketing isn’t just a “new” way to connect with individuals, it is creating an imprint on how they view, react, and live in their everyday world. 

For the past several years our team at Hagan has taken the task of experience to the next level by attending the Qualitrics X4 Experience Management Summit. This annual gathering of the world’s leaders in experiences gives us an insight into what other successful brands have done to create outstanding experiences year after year. 2019 was no exception. 

We heard first hand from Collider/Yum! Brands Greg Dzurikat X4 this year about the agency’s plan to continue taking risks with Taco Bell. The hotel is just the next step for a brand’s experiential marketing strategy that has broken through to its target millennial audience in recent years to include some ambitious activations, such as a NY Fashion Week Clothing Line collaboration with Forever 21, and futuristic re-creation of the “Demolition Man” Taco Bell at Comic-Con. 

Marketing and advertising can no longer rely on fear and disillusion to sell their brand. Instead, brands must engage in creating cultural moments. Customers are not only more likely to engage with brands but also be ambassadors for them as well. 

Now, does that mean you need to open a hotel or build a theme park around your brand? Maybe! There are no limits to how you create moments in culture. Brands that take risks are far more likely to have more successes than failures. Not all of them will be winners, (insert FYRE festival) but those that are will make a tremendous impact on the future of your brand. 

Be relevant, take risks, and light lots of fires to see what will attract your audience. Owning the space of niche groups of your target market can give you the edge over other brands that have “one message to rule them all.” Create a feeling, be memorable, and keep re-inventing your brands.