The experiential marketing industry has increased tremendously over the last few years. As with any growing industry, experiential marketing has brought to light some trends that we should take note of.

Social Media

Social media is used so often because marketers are able to promote the event prior to the event date, which not only makes consumers engaged with the event but also builds momentum and motivates consumers to attend the event with excitement. On top of that, it creates an ongoing buzz that couldn’t really be recreated by any other source of media, given the extensive audience reach social channels have.

Tracking ROE

A trend that is very dominant in the experiential industry is tracing the return on engagement (ROE). Creating an experiential marketing experience allows consumers to easily identify and remember the product or service. This happens because of the engagement the consumer experienced while being present at the event. This can ultimately lead to a long-lasting client. In connection to social media and ROE, it is important to promote a brand’s purpose in the event to reinforce the value of the engagement and the product/service.

Viral Videos

Sharing viral videos is continuing to become a trend in the experiential marketing industry. Now, many brands have a section on their website dedicated to social posts stemming from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and other social platforms. Therefore, when consumers are at the event they can visit the brand website after having gained product knowledge, select what they like, and share what they have purchased. On top of this, consumers can create live videos that can be shared instantly while the event is happening.

Combination of Social and Digital

Combining both social and digital is an effective way to reach consumers and convince them to attend events. By having both the social and the digital presence, consumers can engage not only at events but also prior, and more importantly after it. This also creates an active audience, making the experience for all consumers fuller.

Wearable Tech

Brand ambassadors will sport wearable tech to make their lives easier and the consumers’ lives more exciting at an event. Something else that is important in this industry is generating content not only to create a “wow factor” but also to provide knowledge to the consumers so they can walk away with fabulous experiences and great knowledge of the product. Brand ambassadors are also going to create long lasting relationships with the consumers so consumers feel more connected to the brand and are more likely to continue to purchase the product and ultimately become faithful customers.

Personalized Premiums

In the past, consumers would usually receive bland and generic premiums when they attended experiential events, but now we are starting to see that personalized premiums are becoming the trendy giveaway item. Experiential marketers are coming up with ways to create premiums that are unique to the consumer experience at the event, which is leading to more and more commercial 3D printing when creating these premiums.

Event Apps

Many experiential companies are using mobile event apps to let the attendees know the schedule of any event. These apps also allow consumers a peep into the behind the scenes world of marketing, where they’re able to see what it takes to create such events and even what events lay on the horizon, which is a nice feature when it comes to consumers’ scheduling conflicts.

Mobile Tour Vehicles

Mobile tour vehicles can be successful because they provide a convenient way for brand ambassadors to travel to several cities. This allows brand ambassadors to take their routine of standing in front of popular stores or high traffic areas on the road. Plus – the tour bus/car itself has major branding, which is a tremendous way to create a visual of what the brand is trying to promote. The tour vehicles also provide another medium through which the brand can interact with consumers. These consumers can get inside of the bus for a fuller experience, giving them something else to hold on to and share with their networks.

Although some of these trends will be around for a while, most trends aren’t static – they evolve. With technology growing at the astounding rate that it is, you can count of more tech based trends surfacing within the next few years.