Say Cheese! 3 Ways Your Brand Can Harness the Power of Face-to-Face Communication

At this year’s SXSW Conference, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board stole the show.

How? With Wisconsin cheese, of course! The board created the Cheese Lounge at SXSW (complete with barn frame), which housed the world’s largest cheese board featuring more than 100 varieties of award-winning Wisconsin cheese. Attendees waited in lines 30-to-40 people deep to experience this incredible exhibit and shared their adventures on social media, creating quite a buzz. Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “SXSW staff congratulated the cheese purveyors on having one of the most consistently busy events at the festival” – a festival that attracts people from all over the world to explore what’s next in film, culture, music, and technology.

“One of the surprise stars of this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, wasn't a fancy app or new music act, but a much more analog and aged product: Wisconsin cheese.”                                           

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board harnessed the power of face-to-face communication in our high-tech, digital world, and so can you.

Create an Experience

When attendees entered the Cheese Lounge, they walked into a space built for entertaining that was “inspired by the spirit of a barn party.” Bulb lights were strung across the barn frame, flowers in mason jars decorated tall boys and the long, rectangular structure had plenty of open floor space for attendees to mingle and share their love of cheese. They could also head to the Bloody Mary bar, enjoy recommended wine & cheese pairings or snap cool pics to share.

People today want experiences and are willing to share them across their social and offline networks, becoming advocates (and micro-influencers) for your brand. When you create an experience, you’re also creating demand for your products and services without any hard selling. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing board wasn’t selling cheese at SXSW, but attendees were asking if they could buy Wisconsin cheese where they lived.

Make It Interactive

People like to interact, whether it’s with their environment or other people. Attendees visiting the Cheese Lounge had plenty of opportunities to interact, starting while they were being served cheese curds while waiting in line. Once inside, visitors could pick up fun giveaways and cool swag, ask questions of cheese experts on hand or head to the main attraction – a 70’ long cheese board – to sample to their heart’s delight.

When planning your next event space or meeting, make it interactive. If possible, engage multiple senses to make the experience more memorable. Cheese Lounge visitors could taste delicious Wisconsin cheese, smell the tempting odors of the food and beverages available and view the beautiful barn party-themed décor. Attendees were immersed in an interactive, fun environment that was educational and showcased the product everywhere they turned – and they loved it. People enjoy interacting with brands if you make it an enjoyable experience.

Don’t Forget the Food (or Swag)

Meeting people face-to-face allows you to create experiences and engage in ways that you can’t online. The sense of touch creates a powerful connection, whether it’s shaking someone’s hand or breaking bread together. Food brings people together, creating a communal experience that breaks the ice and puts people at ease. It also encourages people to visit your space or prolong their stay. Cheese Lounge visitors had the world’s largest cheese board to browse along with wine to taste or Bloody Marys to enjoy. In addition to the food, they also had giveaways and cool swag to browse and take.  

Promotional products are a tangible reminder of your brand and the experience you created for attendees. Cheese Lounge visitors had an array of branded goods to choose from, including mini backpacks with ice packs (cheese to go!) and tongue-in-cheek Cheesy AF buttons. Think about what resonates with your brand and/or theme and choose your swag accordingly. Recipients will love your thoughtful branded items and reminder’s of their amazing experience.   

Don’t settle at your next meeting or event; harness the power of face-to-face communication to create an experience for your attendees. Engage multiple senses and invite meeting participants or booth visitors to interact with each other and their environment. Bring everyone together with food and carefully selected promotional items that make sense for your situation. You’ll be the talk of the show and beyond. Cheese, anyone?