Liberty Dining Services testing experiential marketing on campus

Experiential marketing, also referred to as engagement marketing, is the process of allowing consumers to experience a brand through events, unique interactions, personalized product mailers, and the senses. The goal is to leave an emotional impression upon the consumer and have them experience something new.

Liberty Dining Services is testing experiential marketing and its effects on campus. The main way is through "experience" events. Experience events showcase different parts of the world for students to enjoy. The dining team researches the regional areas they plan to showcase to create a true experience of being transported somewhere new.

The campus’ recent Experience Caribbean event featured live Caribbean music. The dining team partnered with the on-campus Caribbean Club to ensure an authentic food menu – the club even made their own dishes. Dining services set up island-style street markets where students could sell handcrafted items.

Experience Italy event showcased all the regions the country and replicated the variety of foods known in those areas. Student actors were hired by the dining team. The actors walked around in Venetian-style outfits and interacted with guests. As experience events typically attract an additional 1000 students to the dining hall, the actors were there to interact with students while they were in the lines so that everything in the dining hall was a memorable experience.

Liberty Dining Services has measured a 92% overall satisfaction rate, an impressive feat considering the tremendous size of the campus.

By holding experience events, attending town hall meetings, meeting with RA's, managing social media accounts so the general manager can communicate directly with the student body at any given time, the team is passionate about ensuring students are consistently enjoying their experience with Liberty Dining Services.

"Experience Marketing is the future," said Ryan Wheeler, Marketing Manager. "Our consumers are smart. They want to invest in brands that give back in some way and by providing unique experiences we can meet that need.”