Marketing with Gifts and Experiences: What Works, What is Cringe
B2B marketing professionals have shared valuable insights into the use of gifting and experiential campaigns to engage prospects and customers. These strategies allow brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace through thoughtful, targeted experiences that strengthen relationships and position them as innovative and customer-centric. The key to success lies in understanding the customer journey, leveraging data for personalised approaches, and embracing bold creative execution to make lasting impressions. By combining these elements, brands can create memorable interactions that drive both engagement and business outcomes.
Hosts
Joaquin Dominguez was joined by four marketing experts to discuss the topic.
Guests
Caroline Quinn, Senior Manager, Demand Generation & ABM at Cloudflare
Dom Boyd, UKI Managing Director, Solutions & Marketing Effectiveness Practice at Kantar
Paula Molinar, Demand Generation Manager at Paddle
Victoria Blackwell, Research Principal - Marketing and Digital Advertising at G2
Creating Memorable Experiences
Caroline Quinn shared a standout example from her time in a former role, where direct mail played a pivotal role in an Account Based Marketing campaign targeting Mars Incorporated. The central theme - "Mission for Mars" - wrapped around an invitation for a trip to the executive briefing center for a workshop - including a custom ticket and "flight plan" with an agenda for the session. The campaign delivered a fun, personalized experience across online and offline channels with matching advertising and landing pages. While COVID-19 travel restrictions interrupted the chance to host the executive session in-person, the campaign theme carried on for multiple phases. It was an example of how creativity and personalisation can combine to drive meaningful engagement and bring a campaign theme to life with direct mail.
Paula Molinar of Paddle echoed this sentiment, sharing a campaign that involved sending a rocket to space, symbolising the company’s ability to facilitate payments anywhere, even beyond Earth. This campaign involved personalisation at scale, with customised landing pages and unique touches, such as SpaceX jackets with mission patches. It demonstrated how a bold, creative idea could capture attention and lead to substantial business results.
"The power of experiential marketing lies in its ability to bring a campaign’s theme to life, making it tangible and memorable for the audience. When done right, it can be the most impactful and fun part of B2B marketing." - Caroline Quinn
Kantar’s Brand Growth Framework: Driving Impact with Meaningfulness, Difference, and Saliency
Dom Boyd from Kantar introduced a framework for brand growth built around three key components: Saliency, Meaningfulness, and Difference. Saliency ensures a brand comes to mind easily when a customer is ready to buy, while Meaningfulness reflects how well a brand meets customer needs and builds emotional connections. However, Dom emphasised that Difference—the unique qualities that set a brand apart from its competitors—is a critical factor, especially for smaller or younger brands. This distinction provides a competitive advantage, much like launching a rocket into a crowded marketplace. To ensure these elements are effective, it is essential for brands to measure their performance through key performance indicators (KPIs) that track saliency, meaningfulness, and differentiation. Regularly assessing these metrics allows brands to stay relevant and ensure their efforts are driving growth.
According to Dom, Difference also plays a crucial role in driving price power—the ability to command a premium for your product or service. Brands that are meaningfully different can charge higher prices, build strong customer loyalty, and sustain profitability. Kantar’s analysis shows that the most successful brands excel in differentiation, creating buzz and momentum that boosts sales. By generating KPIs for each component—how salient, meaningful, and different a brand is—businesses can strategically adjust their marketing efforts and measure the performance of their campaigns. However, Dom cautioned that differentiation for its own sake is not enough; a brand must also meet customer needs to thrive.
"Difference makes the difference. Being meaningfully different gives brands the rocket fuel they need to lead the market, drive premium pricing, and build lasting momentum." - Dom Boyd
The Role of Personalisation and Data
Personalisation was another critical factor discussed, with panellists agreeing that it must go beyond superficial touches to truly resonate with the target audience. Paula emphasised that personalisation needs to connect with the recipient's work or life context, ensuring relevance and impact. For instance, recognising that a customer had just had a baby and sending a personalised care package can create a memorable experience far beyond the standard Amazon voucher.
Victoria Blackwell from G2 expanded on the role of data in shaping these personalised experiences. She discussed how G2 leverages data to create relevant, valuable interactions. In their case, offering gift cards for honest reviews allowed them to foster trust and build a system where authenticity was rewarded, rather than just driving transactional engagement. This approach reframed the gifting experience, transforming it into a tool for genuine customer feedback, which in turn helped improve the buyer’s journey for others.
Strategic Use of Gifting and Experiences
One of the most notable insights from the discussion was the strategic timing and placement of these gifting and experiential efforts. Dom Boyd highlighted the importance of understanding where and when to deploy such tactics. He pointed out that while creative campaigns can generate buzz, they need to be rooted in a clear understanding of the customer journey and aligned with the brand’s overarching goals.
Caroline underscored this point by discussing the importance of timing in relation to deal cycles. She noted that even the most well-executed campaigns could fall flat if the timing is off, stressing the need to read the signals from both the sales team and the customer to ensure relevance. This level of alignment requires close collaboration between marketing and sales, ensuring that gifting and experiential efforts are integrated into the broader account-based marketing strategy.
"Bringing together data and authenticity is key. We reward honesty because it builds trust. The more genuine your approach, the stronger the loyalty and the better the long-term outcomes." - Victoria Blackwell
The Balance Between Creativity and Data
While data is critical, the panel agreed that sometimes bold, creative ideas are just as important. Paula’s example of the Blink-182 concert Paddle hosted for clients exemplified this balance. While data can guide strategy, creativity can push the boundaries and deliver unexpected results. The concert not only provided an opportunity for attendees to enjoy a memorable experience but also allowed Paddle to build relationships in a relaxed environment, fostering long-term engagement.
Dom Boyd added that experiences that create emotional highs are key to forming lasting memories, which are critical for building brand loyalty. He compared the role of a marketer to that of a DJ, crafting a journey that takes the audience on an emotional ride, ultimately delivering the desired experience but in a way that feels fresh and unexpected.
"Sometimes you just need to try something completely crazy. Bold, creative ideas can not only capture attention but also build relationships in unexpected ways, as long as they connect with what your brand stands for." - Paula Molinar
Conclusion
The discussion highlighted three powerful takeaways for B2B marketers: First, gifting and experiential marketing are game-changers when they deliver personalised, meaningful experiences that resonate with the audience. Second, leveraging data to enhance personalisation is critical for turning creative campaigns into business results. Finally, brands that focus on being meaningfully different, measuring their impact through KPIs, and aligning with customer needs will drive loyalty, command premium pricing, and achieve sustained growth. Success lies in the balance between creativity, strategic execution, and precise measurement.
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