How Technology Is Poised to Change Experiential Marketing in Coming Years

Experiential marketing has a unique role to play in a marketing campaign. Sometimes, it’s the best way to introduce your brand cold to a local audience. In other cases, it’s the “last mile” of your campaign, where you get a chance to connect with people who have been attracted to your brand online and create a meaningful experience that they won’t soon forget.

While experiential marketing has been called slow to change, technological innovation and a rapidly changing world have accelerated changes to this unique style of marketing. These are just some of the trends that are transforming experiential marketing.

Digital Innovations

Online, digital experiences exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic as in-person interactions became risky or even restricted, not to mention the overnight disappearance of large gatherings of people like concerts, conferences, and festivals. It was a big blow to the world of experiential marketing, but it was also one that spurred on digital gatherings and experiences, including innovations like:

• Testing luxury cars with VR technology
• Sending consumers care packages and gift bags
• Shifting sponsored events and launches onto Zoom and livestreaming platforms

It was a seismic change that brought digital innovation to an industry historically reluctant to fast changes. Going forward, most expect experiential marketing to exist in a hybrid form, where both digital and in-person events have a role to play.

The Revenge of Real Life

While digital experiences became the dominant marketing mode in 2020 and 2021, the experience of lockdowns and capacity restrictions has generated pent-up demand for getting out of the house. Real life events are back with a vengeance as people from all walks of life are ready to engage in the world.

How can you compete for attention in the real world? Thanks to innovative digital pop up billboard technology by BIG Digital, it’s never been easier to incorporate digital experiences and signage into pop up, in-person events.

Digital billboards are a great way to draw an audience in. Whether you’re setting up signage in a public space or attracting audiences at a festival or conference with interactive or Augmented Reality features, it’s the kind of flash experiential marketers need to draw a crowd. It’s how you get people to stop and pay attention.

In the past, digital billboards in an outdoor environment required permits, building a truss, and a lot of logistics. Pop up digital billboards are plug-and-play solutions that can be put in place with just a forklift. These wind-resistant pop up signs can even include interactive elements. They’re a quick and easy way to activate experiential marketing events taking place in-person and out in the world.

Augmented Reality

Although some high-end marketers looked to VR during the pandemic to deliver new experiences at home, VR remains a niche technology as far as the majority of households are concerned. Augmented Reality is making some inroads through mobile apps, but it’s far from widespread.

Augmented Reality still has the potential to draw attention when it’s employed creatively. Experiential marketing in crowded environments can engage audiences and bring them closer to your brand. It’s new, exciting, and it’s your key to getting people to stop and pay attention.

Experiential marketing is changing. Expect digital and real world experiences to continue to blend and complement each other as brands find new ways to connect with their audiences.