Experiential marketing demonstrates that the media landscape has unalterably
changed in recent years. In 1985, a commercial on peak-time television would have
been expected to reach over 40 per cent of the population. A similar commercial today
would be unlikely to reach more than 15 per cent of the population, and this figure is
likely to continue falling (Gautier, 2004). Despite increased spend on traditional media
many of the worlds top products and brands have suffered falling market share. There
is a widespread belief that old models of advertising spend are no longer as effective as
they were and alternatives have to be sought. As Pine and Gilmore (2004, p. 36) argue:
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. . . there seems to be three different reactions to the decreasing efficiency of advertising in
reaching consumers. Some have denied it’s happening, some have thrown money at the
situation, and others have tried to forge a new direction, in the last category are those who’ve
realised it’s time to start staging marketing experiences.