Marketers have recognized the importance of brand ambassadors as social media and influencer marketing spending has increased to reach target consumers. However, what some may not realize is that experiential marketers have known the effectiveness of brand ambassadors long before TikTok and Instagram became primary media channels. In fact, many leading brands have used brand ambassadors for decades to reach audiences using experiential marketing tactics like brand activations, street teams, and product samplings. Event brand ambassadors serve as the face and voice of a brand for experiential e ..read more

Experiential marketing creates memorable experiences that directly engage consumers face-to-face. This hands-on interaction not only helps increase sales but also fosters relationships between brands and consumers, leading to brand affinity and loyalty. In this edition of Happy Hour, we look at how experiential marketing can take your brand to the next level. We also dive into how to use social media to effectively promote events and discuss why brand homes are the future of retail. How Experiential Marketing Increases Sales and Builds Brand Love Experiential marketing is a powerful strategy ..read more

Marketers have shifted their focus to Generation Z in the last several years to understand how their spending habits and behaviors differ from those of previous consumer demographics. Gen Z has made many shifts in the marketplace as their preferences swing in sometimes an opposite direction than their Millennial counterparts. Event marketing still strongly influences Gen Z purchasing decisions, though marketers should understand the unique reasons why in order to make the biggest impact. WHAT EVENT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GEN Z They want to buy directly from brands. A key distinction betw ..read more

Trade shows provide an excellent platform for introducing new products to a targeted audience and can significantly impact your product launch strategy. Leveraging trade shows for launches has so many benefits and can help get your brand noticed by the people who matter the most, including potential partners and consumers. In this Happy Hour roundup, we explore the advantages of launching a product at a trade show. We also deliver insights on how to make the most of your summer experiential marketing campaigns. Lastly, we feature a few tips on how to build event experiences that enable you to ..read more

Planning a conference is a big undertaking requiring a lot of elements to come together to create a cohesive and logistically seamless event. When the first day of the conference arrives, you see the planning transition to, hopefully, flawless execution.  One aspect of planning that ensures a smooth execution is hiring professional staff to help bring the conference vision to life: welcoming attendees, managing registration, answering questions, ushering crowds, and being there to step in for the unexpected. Here are five benefits of having conference staff poised to engage with your audi ..read more

To achieve event marketing success, brands need to capture an audience’s attention through meaningful and genuine experiences. In doing so, they can cultivate deeper connections that stick with them long after the event is over. In this edition of Happy Hour, we look at how purpose-driven experiences elevate engagement and build brand love. We also feature a roundup of the best brand activations and experiences from Coachella 2024 and deliver trade show budgeting tips to help you stay on track and get the most bang for your buck. Elevating Event Engagement Through Meaningful Experiences ..read more

Marketers continue their quest to crack the code of consumer attention in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. While many are relying on emerging technology to solve the puzzle, the pieces themselves haven’t changed. In its analysis of 2024 marketing trends, Kantar noted how important consumer attention is for creative and media effectiveness and that marketers are looking to more nuanced metrics than viewability. It’s a logical evolution of measuring campaign value, and new gaze tracking and AI-based attention predictors are trying to take the guesswork out of ROI modeling. But, i ..read more

With festival attendance at an all-time high, brands should seize the opportunity to connect and engage with festival-goers by utilizing experiential marketing. But activating at a festival is its own beast and requires a lot of creativity and an innovative plan. Unlike some experiential marketing events, festivals are one big melting pot of sensory experiences. From the aromas of food and drinks to the sights and sounds of visual elements, entertainment, and people, there are a lot of distractions, and it’s easy for brands to get lost in the crowd. With that said, you must create a highly imm ..read more

SXSW is known for its killer musical lineup, A-list celeb panels, and movie premieres, but it’s also a hotbed for experiential marketing. Each year, marketers go all out at the Austin festival to showcase their brands through highly immersive experiences. In this edition of Happy Hour, we feature some of the buzziest brand activations from SXSW 2024 and the tactics used. We also discuss the importance of incorporating interactivity into trade show marketing and how small businesses can use ambush marketing to increase brand visibility. The Hottest Brand Activations and Experiential Trends from ..read more

Investing in a state-of-the-art trade show exhibit is a strategic initiative that can return high-value metrics like new sales leads or increased brand engagement. But only if customers visit your space. And with several of your competitors vying for attention on the same floor, you have to work even harder for your presence to impact customers. Hiring professional trade show staff makes that impact easier because of their communication and customer service skills. They are a great solution to include within a trade show investment because they can be explicitly leveraged to attract more atten ..read more