Vapouround magazine Issue 14 | Page 119

28 / 10 / 17

Putting a stand together for Europe ’ s biggest vape expo takes a lot of money and a lot of hard work , but vendors are well-aware of the potential pay-off . Increasingly , they are moving beyond just trying to grab our attention with something fun or unusual . They are creating fullyimmersive experiences that leave a lasting impression on their customers .
This is more than a sales gimmick . In fact , more and more industries adopt sensory branding practices every year . Traditional marketing presupposes that a customer ’ s decision to buy a product is based purely on rational thinking : I need one of these , this one is better and / or cheaper than the competition , so I will buy it . But the human mind does not make decisions in such a clinical or linear way . Sensory branding exploits our many senses , emotions , behaviours and cognitive thought-processes and in doing so encourages a deeper connection with the brand .
Front Line certainly used this thinking to their advantage at the Expo in October . If you attended the previous event in May , you will no doubt have seen the stand ’ s fi rst incarnation . As we reported at the time , it was a highlight of the event . But the stand has since been supercharged , making it a worthy winner of the Best Stand Award . I got to try it for myself on the last day of the expo . I admit that I entered with some scepticism . After all , how often does
something touted as ‘ scary ’ actually deliver on its promise ? This time , however , it more than lived up to the hype . After some slightly unnerving health warnings we were ushered into the pitch-black secret military facility . Lights fl ickered and buzzed as we tentatively made our way through .
As we crept around corners , gun shots rang out and between moments of relative calm , a terrifying man in a gas mask popped up , seemingly out of nowhere , leaving us constantly on-edge . At this point I should probably admit that I jumped out of my skin on at least one occasion . The experience reminded me of my visit to a horror-themed escape room a year or so ago . Finally , we made it through to the other side and my Vaper Expo experience ended on a high , or perhaps an anxietyinduced adrenaline rush . Either way , it wasn ’ t something I had expected to experience at a vaping event .
As the industry becomes more profi table , so competition will increase , driving businesses to explore new ways of attracting and retaining customers . No doubt virtual reality will play a part in the years ahead , too . Front Line set the bar of sensory branding very high at Vaper Expo UK . I can ’ t wait to see how they or one of their competitors top it next time around .
VM14 | 117