Experimental Marketing Marketing is a concept whereby a company will help a manufacture of a product or service sell their products. They do this by convincing the buyer that they need that particular product. Over the years, for example, you may have seen different commercials that are both clever and unique in promoting a product. These endless varieties of commercials help to keep the public enthusiastic about purchasing such products.
Very successful companies such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and others hire marketing firms or have their own in house marketing experts to provide them with these very clever campaigns to grab a share of your buying habits. These professional marketers spend countless hours trying to put themselves in the customer so called buying shoes. They study graphs, surveys and opinion polls on the customer’s purchasing behaviors. Once they are able to determine this, they then are able to provide a product that is both appealing and price effective. Thus, the customer is now ready to make that purchase.
Today there is a new concept on the horizon called experimental marketing. The goal of experimental marketing is the same in that the marketer wants the customer to buy the brand product. Experimental marketing differs than regular marketing because rather than just telling or explaining the features of a particular product or service, experimental marketers want the customer to experience all the benefits for themselves. Obviously this type of marketing when done in a correct manner has the possibility of being a most powerful marketing tool.
For example, have you ever had a new puppy in your home? There is a concept similar to this experimental marketing called the “puppy dog close”. The puppy dog close is a process whereby a puppy is left with a family for a week. After the week is over, the seller of the puppy returns to claim his puppy. Well obviously, during that week the family falls in love with the puppy and want to keep it. Therefore, it becomes an easy sale for the owner of the puppy dog as the family has not just been told about it, they have first hand experienced it.
The “puppy dog close” concept can be done with almost anything. For example, imagine if a new car salesman came to your home with a brand new car. He knocked at your door and said here is your new car. We did not order a new car. The salesman states that there must be a mix up and leaves you with the new car for a few days while he tries to figure out what has happened.
Meanwhile, during those two days, you drive the car everywhere; then your neighbors come over to see it. Wow, what a beautiful car that you have, and you end up falling in love the car. When the salesman returns to take the car back to the showroom you ask him if it is possible that you could buy the car. Thus an experimental marketing sale has just been made