6 Trends in Experiential Marketing You Should Be Watching

The Future is Now.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of this ever changing Experiential Marketing industry is a daunting task to say the least. In just the past few years the trends have been impossible to keep up with  jumping from green screens, to giant touch screens, to RFD/NFC, then on to “pop-up” retail. But sometimes it is better to allow the present to happen and instead look at the future. I’ll start with a short forecast on the upcoming challenges we, as marketers, will be tasked with solving in 2014 and 2015.

As all of the new and innovative technologies that have emerged recently begin to develop and mature we will see less of a focus on the technology as a centerpiece and a stronger drive for brands to develop human connections with consumers. Wearables, connected devices, robotics, 3D printing are all exciting tech developments. I think the more important uses of technology in the near future will be used to bridge the hundreds of gaps consumers experience, the multitudes of devices they rely on, and also to help silence the noise consumers experience because of these gaps.

So I thought for this post instead of focusing on a heavily tech based trends, I would look at what experience at events and mobile marketing tours will look like over the coming months and years.

  1. Move over tech you’re not the star anymore. Technology will no longer be the focus of experiential campaigns, instead the tech will be behind the scenes making magic happen for the consumers and their favorite brands.
  2. Wearable smart devices will play a big role in experiences of the future. Whether it’s Brand Ambassadors with T-Shirts that recognize visitors, or wristbands that display information related to the brand or products on display. Look out for these experiential wearables taking over your wardrobe.
  3. Content and Experiential Marketing will converge into Creating Events that are focused on educating prospects not just making them say “WOW!”
  4. Brand Ambassadors will be more focused on creating lasting relationships between brands and their customers.
  5. Experiences will sew together all of the micro-interactions in an intelligent way. Experiences will tie together the tweets, tech support and in-store experiences in a valuable and unique way.
  6. Personalized premiums are more than just pictures and t-shirts. Welcome commercial 3d printing.

So that’s it, my list of things that will change the landscape of Experiential Marketing in 2014 and beyond. Agree, Disagree? Let me know in the comments or write a note on our facebook!