Within five minutes of meeting Natasha Miller, you will quickly learn this multi-talented entrepreneur has many captivating stories to tell. She started her career as a classical violinist, then became a celebrated Jazz vocalist having recorded seven albums. This led to her founding her event and entertainment production company, Entire Productions. She is the founder of Poignant Press and the best-selling author behind Relentless- Homeless Teen to Achieving the Entrepreneur Dream.
Over the years, Miller’s company has become a household name in the experiential marketing space for brands like Google, LinkedIn and AAA, but she says her biggest claim to fame has become a marketing experience she throws in San Francisco. “The retail value of this event if we were producing it for a client would be more than $500,000. At our last experience, ‘Into the Wild’ held at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, CA, we had 1,200 RSVPs and there were about 200 people waiting outside for the doors to open before the event.”
Miller doesn’t assume all the financial responsibilities for the party because vendor partners contribute their products and services as it stands for one of their biggest marketing initiatives of the year as well. And while she admits her event is over the top in every way, she says the whole point is to show marketers, event producers and administrators what it looks like – and feels like – to attend an event where the organizer thought about how to give you the experience of a lifetime.
The Art of Experience Design
Miller and her team think about every aspect of the event from how guests are invited to what they’ll take home as their party favor. “We really try not to do what’s expected.” That includes inviting guests, but telling them they cannot bring a plus one in an effort to make sure we have the exact target demographic attending to honor all of our partners by presenting them with actual buyers.” Another year she did an event where guests had to dig under grass and pull up a container that had their food in it. When people walk into the party, there are no brochures, selling or vendor booths. When they head out, the surprises keep coming. “We’ve left cookies in their cars, or a little bag of nuts and some water. And then after that, the communication and the cadence of communication is planned, but you have to also include what happened at the event.”
How You Can Stand Out
Miller doesn’t expect people to produce events like hers for their businesses at the level she does, but she says, people can do experiential marketing events in their office, on the sidewalk, in front of their office, at a hotel or at a bar. “This is our approach because of who we are and what we have to do to remain not just relevant, but at the top of the list.”
At the end of the day, Miller wants to see brands recruit and retain customers. She wants to see customers feel seen and valued – and to accomplish all of the above, she shares this advice:
1. Communication is everything. Whether it’s crafting compelling copy, establishing a strong brand identity or delivering awe-inspiring experiences, communication is at the heart of it all. Many corporate clients recognize the significance of experiential events within their comprehensive marketing strategies, but they often fall short in terms of planning and timing. The key here is foresight and meticulous planning, ideally spanning a year or two in advance.
2. Know where the money is going and why. This is all about ROI. Some of it will be realized immediately, some of it is a branding campaign and a buyer might not make a decision until well into the future. Showing them how much per person they’re spending, that’s kind of an eye opener. And then backing out what they want to make out of it, what the outcome is and then designing it from there. And we do something that we really focus on. It’s called experience design. So we can be a regular planner and we can bring in great ideas and stuff, but the experience design is making an impact.
3. Keep your audience sticky. Maintaining audience engagement is crucial, ensuring their continued interest in both the brand and the overall experience. Traditionally, as attendees depart an event, there’s often a simple farewell and thank you for attending. However, we’ve explored innovative approaches such as a gifting suite. Instead of merely receiving a branded giveaway upon exit, attendees have the opportunity to indulge in a more personalized experience. In this setup, departing guests can peruse a selection of items and choose their favorites. Depending on the event’s scale and budget, some individuals may select one item, while others may be able to pick up to three. Our advice is to avoid excessive branding on most items, as this doesn’t truly qualify as a thoughtful gift. We constantly seek out opportunities for unique touches, even in unexpected places like the parking lot or valet area. These special touches leave a lasting impression and create those memorable moments attendees love to share.
4. Keep the surprises coming. The first time anybody hears about the event, it’s got to be amazing. And each touch point that they get before the event is carefully planned to increase excitement and FOMO and attendance. And then once at the event, this is a layer of planning above and beyond just programming and production, we’ll create experiences out of the blue that are like, whoa, I never thought that would happen at a conference. Or, oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening about every half hour.
5. Incorporate philanthropy. We often suggest to our clients to include a philanthropic element or beneficiary at their events. It’s good practice in giving back. We often support the Search Foundation which supports people in the event industry in need or the Covenant House of Northern California.
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