B-to-C Events

Appliance brand Kenmore has undergone an extreme makeover and is showcasing its updated look to consumers at its recently opened Kenmore Live Studio located in Chicago’s hip River North neighborhood. Rather than setting up shop in a mall, Kenmore creates cool experiences inside a former art gallery and streams them live on its Facebook page, facebook.com/kenmore.

There are roughly 307,006,550 people living in the U.S., but who’s counting? Well, the U.S. Census Bureau, for one, which measures the U.S. population every 10 years. And to make sure Americans return their census forms, especially traditionally under-counted populations such as minorities, children and low-income people, the bureau in January launched a $133 million national advertising campaign that includes TV, radio, print, online and outdoor ads in 28 languages to boost participation rates in the effort.

Real Simple magazine earlier this month celebrated its 10-year anniversary with daylong events in Chicago and New York City. The events, titled Fifteen Minutes and You’re Done, consisted of 15-minute segments that featured workshops to help busy women make the most of their time, including samples, food tastings, gift bags, makeovers and manicures.

Back in the ’80s, AT&T wanted people to use their phones to reach out and touch someone. Now, marketers want people to use their camera phones to reach out and touch their 2D barcodes so they can send them product information, coupons and promotional messages.

Sampling events are taking on a new level of sophistication. What were once trial-sized giveaway blitzes at major commuter hubs have become longer, more meaningful consumer interactions designed to generate positive word of mouth that can extend well beyond the bounds of the one-time event. Of course, there’s no better way to spread the word these days than through social media. Thanks to tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, one happy sampler can now spread her positive recommendations to thousands. The only hitch?