Jordan Pollak

In last May's Spring Awakening EDM music fest in Chicago, Corona Beer branded an "Electric Beach" in the form of a virtual oasis under a separate dome, complete with sand, palm trees, cabanas and fog machines - a truly unique setting for one of performance stages on site. That is one of the more recent examples of successful experiential and influencer marketing created by Cogent Entertainment Marketing and VP/Experiential Jordan Pollak. Here, he discusses what makes experiential marketing successful and how radio could best exploit and optimize their own events.

How did you evolve from music management to marketing?

The evolution came natural to me as it was where the world was going. As I gained exposure to more and more artist/brand partnerships, I saw untapped potential to help brands connect with artists -- if only someone can help them think like an artist.

When I decided to make the transition, I quickly learned there were more synergies than I imagined when it comes to brand management for consumer products and music artists. At the end of the day, both are attempting to tap into the emotional affinity of a consumer to build brand equity and consumer loyalty.

What are the keys to successful experiential and influencer marketing?

1. Know your market and know your consumer. What may work in Miami may not work in Los Angeles.
2. Provide a one-of-a-kind experience that will organically drive consumer-driven social content. The Instagram moment is what every brand is fighting for these days. The more you can provide an asset that attracts attendees without forcing communication is a win.
3. Every detail matters -- stay organized as consumers and your clients pay attention to these aspects. It starts with a buttoned-up "run of show," or what we like to call a "dial list" (a document that is tracking all the moving parts of the activation with respective timelines and responsible parties involved).
4. Tap into technology -- understand how you can manipulate your activation so you're not using the same photo-booth or giveaways that you have seen in the past. You want to ensure you are setting the example, not being the example.
5. Think big and don't be afraid to take risks. Due to the evolution of the digital world, brands and consumers have a lot more exposure to the experiential and influencer marketing space. Shoot for the sky and work backwards if needed. It is much easier to dial back than to dial up.
6. Align with the proper media outlets to ensure your promotion efforts deliver on the attendance numbers you are looking to achieve. (There is no such thing as over-promotion; in fact, having a line around the block is a good problem to have.)
7. Identify every opportunity to improve the experience for your next event. Anticipating the unexpected is best applied when leveraging key learnings and trusting history repeats itself.

In the past, you cited the importance of Instagram moments. Is it imperative now to tailor events to social media/technology?

Absolutely. Consumers are being exposed to many brand experiences, especially in the festival landscape. Ultimately, the desire to be "insta-famous" gives brands the opportunity to capitalize on this consumer thirst by providing compelling activations that act as branded "Instagram moments" for consumers.

For example, to ensure Instagram moments tie back to the brand and to the occasion that provided the opportunity we aim to develop an asset that is own-able. We have seen tremendous success supersizing iconic branded assets like the larger-than-life Corona Adirondacks chair that has become a "must get" social photo at many iconic music festivals.

When a brand connects this benefit to consumers, they become part of the event conversation, with a tremendous amount of social activity filled with user-generated content and positive consumer sentiment -- as well as trial!

Exactly how do you judge the success of your marketing campaigns and promotions?

Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) for experiential can span across several different categories. Some brands measure how many consumers were sampled while others are looking to generate media impressions and get eyeballs on their brand.

There are more quantifiable metrics like sales, but overall there's not one silver bullet or indicator of what success really is that applies to all brands.

And sometimes success is not measured in anything other than "gut" -- how the consumers reacted, the client's response, our team's vibe pre/during/post. All the variables coming together and the event delivering for all parties involved gives you a feeling when you know that it was "right."

Are you concerned about reaching and surpassing critical mass in terms of too many promotions or too much experiential marketing at the same event?

You can say it's already reached a critical mass; some of these events are literally a zoo of brands fighting viciously for the consumer's attention. Yet there's so much consumer demand, we have to keep our finger on the pulse of what's next to keep our offerings innovative.

Do you expect to see more experiential marketing in radio?

There is a massive opportunity for someone to "broadcast" live from events and festivals, similar to what you see at award shows and sporting events. Radio is an interesting platform that is continuing to evolve with digital. Podcasts are doing more live events, which is a sign of the times that consumers want to experience media in a live setting.

So where do you see your future in marketing? Do you have a five or 10-year plan in hand?

Understanding and learning what moves the needle for the next generation of consumers. As a Millennial marketer, I consume myself with Millennial culture and have been expanding my interests to fully ingratiate myself into Generation "Z," which will have a much larger spending power than any other audience over the next 10 years.