AI technology in experience marketing
I’ve been working on experience marketing filed, especially convention center management and tradeshow marketing over 19 years in Korea. My experiences cover how to manage tradeshow as an off-line experience marketing tool, and attract global conventions to our local city, which events bring many business opportunities and social impact to relevant people.
Regarding the business strategy for enhancing performance, our organization concentrates on ‘Differentiation’ strategy rather than cost leadership or focus. As our service industry like us is mainly based on people who are intelligent in terms of problem solving and creating contents, I try to think how ‘differently’ propose our marketing service to our exhibitors and convention participants.
There are many IT systems for enhancing customer satisfaction service differently. CRM, for example, it is mostly used technology for visitor management system. But it is like junk mail than a conversation. The main problem is that it is a one-way conversation between customer and marketer. Customers were badgered by companies like show or event organizers for more personal data such as visiting purpose and interested exhibitors, while they saw no return on their investment of time and information. They complained about the ‘one way’ nature of so-called relationship. I think this kind of customer’s experience with CRM is characterized by loss of control, vulnerability, stress and victimization.
This is the area exactly what AI can support and solve. I believe that AI’s role in this experience marketing should be an ‘assistant’ in terms of supporting for satisfying experience for customers. I don’t think AI can change all the process of meeting event, but it can assist to meet well before or at the meeting event site.
AI will analyze the personal data of pre-registrants and personally recommend booths or participants they should visit in a trade show or convention. It is not an invitation letter that is unilaterally delivered to all visitors as it is now, but it will personally inform the location and information of the booth or person to be visited by individual. The AI based curation system, which, when introduced, no longer requires a large event layout in front of the exhibition hall. The AI system provides benefits for visitors with efficient exhibition viewing, exhibitors secure DB of interested customers in advance. Also the organizer grasps key data such as moving routes and major visiting companies or visitors so that it can be utilized for additional advertising revenue or event planning.
As we are in circumstances of differentiation competition, we can develop our differentiation strategy more based on the help of AI. If we can analyze customers’ database and get the perception of its pattern, we can recommend personally like Netflix in an experience marketing field. That is also reason why I should learn AI and apply to my work.