MEXX unites professional women of Randstad: an example of the event in the framework of an experience marketing plan to revive MEXX

in the Netherlands
Introduction We assume that after the brand analysis which we conducted Iin the previous paper Brand analysis of MEXX, MEXX has defined its core values and, messages in order and is ready to revive its brand. MEXX has now decided to use experiential marketing (as further defined) and to organize a dedicated conduct an event in its framework to deliver such values and messages to its customers. The aim of the paper is to: understand what is experiential marketing and its key elements; describe the target audience of the event; describe the theoretical framework which will help to deliver the benefits of MEXXs brand; describe the event: how the benefits of MEXX are delivered to the target audience through the key elements of experiential marketing; plan the event. The benefits of MEXX which would be conveyed to the target audience during the event are: to be original; to be confident; to be modern. These benefits are the result of a group discussion of the MEXXs brand during one of the workshops dedicated to understanding and revival of the MEXXs brand.

What is experiential marketing In order to understand what is experiential marketing we made a literature review which resulted in following: 1. According to Shaz Smilansky experiential marketing is a key approach to achieve marketing objectives and is focused on a two-way interaction in real time. (Smilansky S., 2009); 2. Pine and Gilmore write about experiential marketing that companies stage an experience, whenever they engage customers, connecting with them in a personal, memorable way. (Pine, B.J. & Gilmore, J.H., 1999); 3. In his turn Schmitt notices that experiential marketing provides sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and relational values that replace functional values. (Schmitt, B.H., 1999). As we can see there are three (3) main actors in the above mentioned definitions: the company (in our case it is MEXX), the customer and the event (as a mediator between the company and the customer to convey the benefits of a company to a customer). That is why we consider the following elements to be the key elements of experiential marketing: MEXX stages the event; The customers are engaged by means of senses and values; the event connects the customers with MEXXs brand benefits. These key elements are in the core of our experiential marketing plan which will ensure that the objective of the event is achieved, i.e. the customers of MEXX experienced the MEXXs brand benefits. Target audience customers (audience) According to the previous research, Assignment 1: Brand Analysis of MEXX, the target customers audience of MEXX are men and women between 20 and 40. Besides MEXX introduces metropolitan casual style for 2012/2013 (Lervrend, A., 2012). The major metropolitan area in the Netherlands is the Randstad which has developed into advanced urban economy and the most attractive metropolitan areas for foreign investments. (OECD, 2007). The European employment policy promotes equality among genders that is why there are attempts to increase number of women in managerial positions, for example, gender quotas for women for top jobs are already introduced in number of countries including the Netherlands (Peston, R., 2012).

From the above mentioned information we suggest to develop an event for professional women between 25-40 years old who live in Randstad, the Netherlands, with particular attention to non-Dutch due to high international environment of the Randstad cities. The age range, 25-40 years, is explained by the fact that the event will be organised in cooperation with European Professional Womens Network, PWN (http://www.europeanpwn.net/). European PWN is a business network which connects its members across 19 cities and Amsterdam is one of them. PWN unites international, senior level and businesswomen. To become a member one should be first approved by the board of the Network and pay an annual fee of 175 Euro what enables the members to attend events in any of the city network. We assume that women from 25 years old can should have relevant experience in order to be able to be part of the Network and actively participate in the events. The benefits of the MEXXs brand will be conveyed to professional women between 2540 years old living in Randstad taking into consideration their senses and values (one of the key elements of experiential marketing singled out above). The top managers women can be role models for the target audience of the event because they present the essence of the values whch brought them to success in their lives and careers. According to Accentures research report Expectations and achievement -. Empowering women from within, the top 10 factors behind personal advancement for women leaders are: 1. Personal ambition and drive - 68% 2. Going above and beyond at work - 56% 3. Assertiveness in the workplace - 53% 4. Family support (family/spouse) - 50% 5. Passion for chosen career - 35% 6. Networking within the company - 36% 7. Pursuing an advanced degree - 33% 8. Luck - 29% 9. Sacrificing work/life balance - 27% 10. Carefully planning career/next step - 23% (Accenture, 2007) In such a way one of the aims of the event is to show to the professional women that the MEXXs benefits will be able to help them to follow the principles of the women leaders and as a result to be better positioned to achieve success in careers. The event of MEXX will coincide with the event of European PWN dedicated to success where the participants will be able to define what is success ultimately is.

How to deliver the benefits of MEXX to the target audience In order to understand how to deliver the benefits of MEXX to our the target audience, we decide to refer to the framework of Schmitt because it takes into consideration the three actors: (the company (MEXX), the customer and the event), - and as a result it helps to create the link relation between the customer and the brand (MEXX). The framework consists of two 2 elements (Schmitt, B.H., 1999): 1. Strategic Experience Modules (SEMs): sense, feel, think, act, relate; delivered by 2. Experience Producers (ExPros): communications, visual and verbal identities, products presence, co-branding, spatial environments, web sites and people. Schmitt recommends to choose one type of Strategic Experience Modules as it will allow to focus while developing the event and be coherent in delivering the benefits of the brand. (Schmitt, B.H., 1999). We assume that professional foreign women would like to keep in touch with women of the same origin and/or alike professional background. And even when a professional woman expat would will return to her home country she could can be a brand ambassador for the brand of MEXX and, in such a way, she would help the creating penetration of MEXX in to other countries. That is why we decided to concentrate on the Strategic Experience Module relate which is mainly all about connecting people or groups through the brand . (Koch, C.G. & Andersen, M.T., 2009) In order to tailor made the link relation between the professional women and the MEXXs benefits we suggest to concentrate only on two Experience Producers, i.e. environment and people: ExPro environment can be created thanks to cooperation with European Professional Womens Network (PWN), i.e. the event will be organised in the venue of European PWN; ExPro people are the top managers women top managers who can share their stories with the target audience of the event and give provide examples on how the MEXXs benefits can help in achieving the success in the careers.

Description of the event The event will look like an exclusive club of professional women and will aim at reaching each participant, sharing and learning from personal experience. The participants of the event will be: professional women between 25-40 years old living in the Randstad, the Netherlands; women top managers as guests of the event; women top managers of MEXX as hosts of the event.

The event will present include a roundtable where all the participants will discuss the role of style and appearance with regard to career achievement: guests, women top managers, as role models, will share their stories and present values which are important for achieving success; hosts, women top managers of MEXX, will present the MEXXs benefits and present how they can help to create the style of a successful professional woman; altogether will develop common role model with values of a leader where the MEXXs benefits are integral part of a style of a success professional woman. The event will take place in the venue of European PWN in Amsterdam and will coincide with the event of European PWN Redefining "your" success. The target audience of the event will have chance to meet with women top managers, learn about their career path, network with all the participants of the event, learn how to create the style of a successful professional woman with the MEXXs benefits as an integral part. In the end of the event each participant will get the member's card of MEXX and a special voucher with a discount to give an opportunity the participants to further experience benefits of MEXXs brand in practice and build their own professional style.

Planning of the event: Category Message of the event The goal of the event Strategy MEXX unites professional women of Randstad to reach the target audience; to deliver benefits of MEXXs brand to the target to attract the target audience to the shops of

audience; MEXX in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam and increase sales in them up to 25%. Target audience professional women between 25 and 40 years old living in Randstad Expected number of participants 100

Benefits conveyed to the target to be original; audience to be confident; to be modern. Date 24 April 2012, the event of European PWN Redefining "your" success Time Relevant people/groups/cultures targeted audience How to identify the target audience MEXX will contact European Professional Womens with these groups Network and international corporations (HR departments) in order to reach the target audience and invite for the event Communication channels to reach Websites of MEXX and European PWN; the target audience of the event E-newsletters of MEXX and European PWN Telephone calls; Face-to-face. Evaluation criteria Quantity of used vouchers with a discount; Number of times the members cards were used after the 19.00-21.00 reference European Professional Womens Network (PWN) for the

event.

Budget of the event: Category Venue Cost 100 per hour (shared with the PWN) * 3 hours = 300 Catering Printing costs Handouts 500 (shared with PWN) 50 250

Documenting the event (video of the 250 per hour * 3 hours = 750 event) Telephone costs Mens hour Decorations 100 80 per hour * 8 hours = 640 500

Total

3 090