Despite how 80% of people say they’re “extremely likely” to attend in-person events in the second half of 2023, event marketers still struggle to drive traffic to their booths. According to “The Mid-Year Industry Pulse Check,” boosting attendance is among the top three challenges facing event marketers today. Despite this challenge, 63% of brands reported executing more or the same number of in-person events in 2022 than in 2019. In 2023, the number of events will only increase.

[Article links updated. Originally published on May 3, 2019.]

When we use the term experiential marketing, those of us in the industry describe it the same way: an immersive experience that shows customers how a brand fits into their lives while allowing those brands to form long-term connections with consumers.

Marketing metrics aren’t one-size-fits-all.

For proof, look at how marketers track the effectiveness and ROI in traditional campaigns versus experiential efforts. Customers encounter a traditional campaign and react to it afterward, either through a purchase or detailed feedback.

Meanwhile, experiential campaigns collect real-time feedback by observing audience reactions to design, content layout, flow, and other variables. Plus, the experiential staff is on the floor with audience members to guide them through the display — a personal touch that can amplify a client’s experience with the campaign.

[Article links updated. Originally published on Feb 19, 2020]

Innovative technology solutions have emerged in a number of fields, boosting employee productivity and enhancing the customer experience. In the past 10-plus years of experiential marketing, technology's influence on customer engagement has evolved almost beyond recognition.

Technology now allows customers to experience and evaluate brands on their own terms. That's why experiential marketing is important for building relationships with your audience. 

[Article and some links updated April 4, 2023. Originally published on June 28, 2019.]

Experiential marketing has quickly become one of the industry’s most formidable strategies. As HubSpot found in its 2022 Marketing Industry Trends Report, 83% of marketers planned to spend the same amount or increase their experiential marketing investments last year.

If brand experiences are the new marketing front lines, then they also serve as the new creative frontier for marketers. Brands that embrace experiential don’t just commit to providing customers an experience — they commit to innovating and revamping their approach whenever the time comes.