The earliest post-event surveys in the experiential marketing industry often involved a clipboard, pen and paper, and covered broad-stroke sentiment markers and anecdotal feedback on intent. (Are they “most likely,” or aren’t they?)
But the survey has evolved into a strategic evaluation tool that’s designed to maximize that precious feedback time, that’s live-wired to be as seamless as possible, and customized to map back to the team’s core objectives.
In this new series, we’re exploring how experiential marketers are approaching their surveys—from the methods to the madness, and everything in between.
First up, we tap Dylan Jones, founder of LYX Hydration, a hydration supplement brand for dogs, who recently activated a dog-focused campaign at the American Kennel Club Celebrates USA 250 event at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard. Jones explains how his team avoids the enthusiasm trap and, in that way, keeps “incentives bias” to a minimum.
Event Marketer: What is your overarching measurement strategy?
Dylan Jones: I think it would be helpful to give you an overview of how we view analytics currently in our organization. Internally, we call our approach “Analytics for Innovation.” Rather than asking attendees to simply rate the booth or the experience, we focus on understanding people, their routines, behaviors, frustrations and unmet needs as dog owners. We believe the most valuable insight isn’t whether someone enjoyed the event; it’s discovering something that can influence what we build or do next. That philosophy has shaped nearly every major decision we’ve made as a company.
EM: What survey style are you finding draws the best response rates?
DJ: We focus on strategic surveys that are short, and time them usually the Monday after event close. We usually wrap them with a thank-you and ask for input to help us make the event even better for them next time. We usually don’t offer any incentives other than maybe a purchase discount, but we keep the process simple, straightforward and strategic.
EM: What’s the single survey question you’ve found gets the most honest or most useful response from attendees?
DJ: Our favorite question to ask isn’t about us or our booth at all. Instead, we like to ask, “What was missing from this event overall that would have made it more enjoyable and stress-free for you and your pup?”
That question consistently generates the most honest and actionable feedback. It shifts the conversation away from evaluating our presence at the event and toward understanding the consumer. We look for recurring themes, unmet needs and behaviors that can inspire future products, partnerships and experiential campaigns. This single question has led to massive innovations and opportunities in our business that we might have missed otherwise.
Here is a great example of that: Early in LYX’s development, feedback from pet owners led us to discover that the crating and relief areas at most dog events were the most crucial areas for dogs. It led us to create our “Dogvertising” activation at AKC USA 250 after recognizing an underserved opportunity to engage dogs, not just their owners, in these spaces at canine events. The dogs became the experience, and the experience became the product demonstration.
Image Credit: iStock/Iryna Melnyk
