Studying the impact of the pandemic on experiential marketing and how some brands have merged digital experiences with personalization.

1. Experiential
Marketing is
Essential
¾ of American consumers agree that “for brands to
be successful today, they must connect with
consumers in real life”
ENGAGEMENT MARKETING BUILDS BETTER
RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONSUMERS
89% of ad content is ignored and many people have
ad-blocking software installed. Experiential
marketing offers an effective way to get your
message across.

2. Experiential Marketing
Before COVID-19
Popular and successful experiences
involved tangible elements that
allowed visitors to make the
experience their own. Shared props,
photo booths, and touch screens
encouraged consumer engagement
and social sharing.
TANGIBLE EXPERIENCES
Experiential marketing has consistently
been hyped as the future of marketing
for all industries. In 2018, 84% of
brands said that events and
experiences are a key part of
integrated marketing campaigns.
THE “NEXT BIG THING”
Source: Hubspot

3. Current State of
Experiential
Marketing
Even with current restrictions in place, 31% of
Americans have attended product demonstrations,
17% have gone to brand installations and 1-in-5 have
attended pop-up shops.
16% of Americans and 24% of millennials are “very
likely” or ”somewhat likely” to attend a brand event in
the next 12 months.
– YouGov
44% of consumers prefer outdoor events over
indoor events. Outdoor events that allow social
distancing offer a better opportunity to engage
with attendees.
Gamifying events and offering rewards will
increase interaction between brands and
consumers. 40% of Americans say they look for
prizes and 24% look for live performances.
- YouGov

4. Increased Usage of
Internet During
COVID-19
1/3 of Americans have had a virtual party or social
gathering with friends and family.
1 in 5 Americans have watched a concert or play that
was live streamed through the Internet.
18% of Americans have participated in a virtual
workout class or completed an online workout video.
17% of Americans have attended classes for school
online.
– Pew Research

5. However, most consumers are not ready to return to
large scale events. They may be unable or unwilling to
travel far from home during the pandemic.
Companies should focus on small-scale, virtual, and
hybrid events. Eventbrite anticipates that “small- and
medium-sized events… will likely resume earlier” and
that they will occur more frequently to “satisfy pent-up
demand”. – Eventbrite
68% of event marketers are looking at hybrid events
and 93% plan to invest in virtual events going forward.
– Bizzabo
Future of
Experiential
Marketing
87% of the world’s leading event organizers will run
virtual events in 2020 and over 90% of event
marketers plan to incorporate virtual events into their
strategy.
That being said, the majority of event marketers believe
in-person events will resume in 2020 and 96% of
marketers agree that virtual events cannot replace
in-person ones.

6. Virtual Experiences
During COVID-19
2020: The economic impact of virtual and augmented reality
is predicted to reach $29.5 billion and the number of VR
headsets sold is predicted to reach 82 million. - HubSpot
Increased usage of virtual reality technology will help
create engaging and accessible events
Ex: The Fabric of Reality is an immersive VR experience that
reimagines high fashion, art, and lifestyle content as fashion
shows are not possible now. The virtual Charlie Cohen dress into which participants
could slip into during the Fabric of Reality XR Showcase.

7. Virtual Experiences
During COVID-19
The SBC Summit offered a fully immersive experience for
attendees complete with a networking lounge, a virtual
lobby, different “rooms” and a virtual auditorium to best
emulate the real-life experience.
Offering attendees the ability to choose their own itinerary
and experience helps make the virtual event feel more like an
event and less like a webinar.
VIRTUAL SUMMITS: SBC SUMMIT

8. Example: Nike's "Living Room
Cup"
• A virtual competition hosted by engaging and trustworthy athletes
like Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Ovechkin, and Simona Halep.
• Social media users competed against each other and professional
athletes in different challenges designed to get people moving at
home.
• Created a sense of community
• Created a tool for people to self-improve during hard times
• Encouraged social media sharing with hashtags #PlayInside and
#TheLivingRoomCup.

9. Example: Mastercard’s
Digital Priceless
Experiences
• Range of activities hosted by brand partners:
■ Digital golf lesson with Annika Sörenstam
■ Knuckleball lesson with former Red Sox pitcher Tim
Wakefield
■ Mini concert series with Grammy nominee Camila
Cabello
■ At-home cooking lesson with chef Bryan Voltaggio.
• Cardholders received exclusive access to elements and
events like personalized messages from influencer partners
during and after the experience.

10. Drive-Through:
Immersive Van
Gogh Exhibit
● A drive-through exhibit that allows
visitors to be fully immersed in art,
light, sound, and movement to
experience Van Gogh’s artwork
safely.
● Visitors park, turn off their cars, and
remain inside for a full 35- minute
experience.
● Attendees must purchase a ticket to
visit the exhibit and only 14 cars are
allowed in at a time.

11. Drive-Through:
Six Flags Safari
● Six Flags reopened their
drive-through safari that allows
visitors to view the wildlife safely
from their cars, which was
previously closed in 2012.
● Visitors must purchase a ticket in
advance to prevent overcrowding.
● Visitors drive along a designated 5
mile route and must follow all rules
including a speed limit and safety
guidelines to protect visitors and
animals.

12. Hybrid Scavenger Hunt: University of Iowa
University of Iowa has several hybrid scavenger
hunts to familiarize students with the campus. Clues
and an interactive map are available online and no
campus staff are present to host the event.
Students are required to wear masks and socially
distance on campus. To earn points, participants take
photos or videos of the items and submit them online
before the deadline.

13. Hybrid Events: Concerts
Tidemark Theater began using technology to create
hybrid shows and events. They collaborated with the
Vancouver Island Symphony to record a series of
concerts that will be sold as a package and released
to subscribers and ticket holders.
“Saturdays at 7” local concerts features local and
international classical and jazz talent. These concerts
will be available to attend in person (limited
audience) as well as digitally.