You know how to run events — that’s your thing! So why not use it to your advantage and market yourself with experiential marketing?

With experiential marketing, you can use your events to reach a broader audience, attract new customers, and show people why your events are worth attending. And all of this can help you grow your brand and your business, so it’s a win-win! 

But what exactly does experiential marketing mean? Are there different types of experiential marketing? How does it differ from traditional marketing, or from live events in general? And when is it a good idea to use an experiential strategy over other tactics?

Don’t worry — we’re here to answer all these questions. We’ll show you what experiential marketing is, some real-life examples for inspiration, and how to use the tactics to grow your brand. 

Table of Contents

What is experiential marketing?

What are the types of experiential marketing? 

Experiential marketing examples

The benefits of experiential marketing

How to grow your brand with experiential marketing 

Grow your business with Eventbrite

Table of women doing an experiential marketing painting session
Shop Made in DC / Wine and Watercolours / Washington

What is experiential marketing?

Experiential marketing (sometimes called event marketing or live marketing) involves creating an immersive experience for potential customers. For example, a grand opening pop-up shop or experiential brand activations like on-site art installations.

As an event creator, you’re in a great position to use experiential marketing. Think about it. If you run events, you’re already halfway towards using experiential marketing because you already know how to plan, run, and manage an event experience

Let’s say you offer cooking classes. To market your business, you could offer a free 30-minute class online. You already know how to run the class, so arranging a free online session won’t take much time and effort.  

As a result, you get more exposure and some new paid customers — and if your online participants have a good time, they’re likely to recommend you to friends and family. 

Vendor giving guest food at an experiential marketing event
SweetSpot / The San Francisco Dessert Festival / San Francisco, CA

What are the types of experiential marketing?

There are different ways to use experiential marketing — the best option for you depends on the type of events you run. Here are some of the common ways event creators can use experiential marketing:

This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course, but it gives you an idea of the types of activities you can use as part of your experiential marketing. 

How to use experiential marketing (with examples) 

To give you a better idea of how experiential marketing works, take a look at these tactics real event creators have used to promote their brands. 

Group of princesses and a prince at an experiential marketing event
Fairytale Ball / Pretty Princess Parties

Use branded community events 

Hosting a themed community event is a great example of experiential marketing for event creators. It involves hosting a free, local event as a taster of what you do. It gives people a glimpse into your events, encouraging them to attend the real deal. 

Take a look at Pretty Princess Parties as an example. The company hosted a free sing-along event for the people of the Central Savannah River Area in Georgia. It included an hour of songs, dancing, stories, and other family entertainment. 

Pretty Princess Parties are using experiential marketing to do a few things with this event: 

Find out more about how Pretty Princess Parties makes a magical event experience. 

Pro tip: Use an events management platform to plan, promote, and manage your experiential campaigns in a central location. That way, you can keep on top of event logistics, track attendance, and collect customer information so you can reach out to them about future events. 

Sparkles on the Google search results for Margot Robbie
(Image Source)

Capitalize on a popular trend 

The latest trends and fads can be useful for experiential marketing. If you hop on the bandwagon at the right time, you have a better chance of grabbing people’s attention. 

Look at the Barbie movie as an example. Since its release, the film has used a lot of experiential tactics to promote the film and generate some buzz.

Here are a couple of examples:

Netflix also did this in the lead-up to the much-anticipated premiere of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” The Netflix team created 200 pop-up Luke’s Diners around the U.S. to serve complimentary coffee to fans. 

It was hugely successful, with long lines at every location and tons of social engagement (the event’s branded Snapchat filter was viewed 880,000 times).

As an event creator, you can lean on trends like these to promote your own events. For instance, if you’re running a wine-tasting event, you could make it Barbie-themed by only tasting rosé wine. 

By incorporating trends into your events, you can make it more fun, engaging, and reach a broader audience who are interested in the movie but may not be familiar with your brand.

Pro tip: Keep up with the latest trends by signing up for newsletters that’ll send you relevant topics and trends straight into your inbox. Check out the NPR pop culture newsletter or CNN newsletters to get the ball rolling. 

Pink room with neon lights at the 29Rooms experiential marketing event
(Image Source)

Create an immersive experience 

A branded immersive experience is a great way to provide your guests with a fun and engaging event. 

Take a look at lifestyle brand Refinery29 as an example. The company hosts the 29Rooms event, a collection of 29 different rooms of branded and curated experiences. All of the rooms are connected by a central theme to create a “multi-sensory playground.” 

For your own experiential marketing event, you might not have the time or funds to create 29 different rooms — but that’s okay. You can bring it down a notch and host a smaller-scale interactive event that represents your brand. 

For example, let’s say you’re a venue hosting a taco-and-tequila pop-up event. You can decorate the venue with Mexican decorations to make it more immersive and engaging for your guests. 

Pro tip: For an immersive experience to be successful, it’s all about the details. You want it to be as realistic as possible — from the music to the food to the decorations. 

Artist painting at the art battle international experiential marketing event
Art Battle SF / Art Battle International / San Francisco

Host an interactive art performance

An interactive art performance is a great way to actively engage the audience while keeping things light and fun. It typically involves artists working alongside each other to complete a piece of artwork in a set timeframe. 

If your events are creative in any way, an art battle could be a good choice for your experiential marketing activity. You can organize a pop-up art battle in a fun location, get some cool local artists involved, and generate awareness for your brand. 

Plus, artists can use this event to promote their art, reach a wider audience, and spark interest in their work. Attendees can also interact with the artists, ask questions, and gain insights into the creative process — making the event even more fun and engaging. 

For inspiration, see How Art Battle Makes Art Immersive, Democratic, and Fun.

Pro tip: Take it a step further and involve guests in the voting process to pick their favorite piece of art and offer the winners a prize. 

The benefits of experiential marketing

Considering dipping your toes in the experiential marketing waters? Here are some of the benefits you’ll experience as an event creator. 

Chefs with thumbs up while preparing food
Avocado Con / Spark Social SF / San Francisco, CA

Build trust with your audience

Experiential marketing lets your audience get up close and personal with your brand and experience your offerings firsthand. 

Think about it. Positive and memorable experiences help you build lasting relationships with potential customers. It allows them to interact with you in a real-world context and helps you put a face to the brand by showing people who you are. 

Take a look at the Acting for Film and Television – Sample Class by Actors Theater as an example. The sample session allows people to attend a class and get to know the creators behind the event. 

This builds trust and customer loyalty, and forms a positive relationship with potential guests. And when people have a positive interaction with your brand, they’re more likely to do business with you in the future. 

Three guests talking at an experiential marketing event
Screen Free Weekends / Half the Story / Chillhouse Soho Flagship / New York

Humanize your brand 

Experiential marketing allows you to interact with your guests. These interactions create a sense of authenticity and connection that you simply don’t get from other forms of marketing. 

Think about an online ad as an example. You might see it as you’re scrolling through social media. You’ll look at it for a second, and you might even click it. But will you remember it in a week’s time? 

People remember genuine conversations and interactions. Your experiential event is less likely to get lost in the sea of marketing ads, and it makes your brand feel more human. 

The Houston Texas Pop-Up Festival by 954 POP UP LLC is a good example of how these interactions work. 

Entrepreneurs can mingle with event hosts and other guests at their pop-up events. They can talk to each other in person, build relationships, and spur unique and interesting conversations. 

As a result, they’re likely to remember the event and recommend you to family and friends or attend another event in the future.

People learning how to country dance at an experiential marketing event
Country Dance Party / The Marketplace / The Contour Group / Nashville

Differentiate yourself from other creators 

There are endless marketing ploys out there for events. From social media ads to email marketing, it’s hard to cut through the noise and get your events in front of the right people. 

The good thing about experiential marketing is that it helps you stand out from your competitors. How? By creating memorable experiences that people will associate with your brand for years to come.

Consider the Interactive Movie Night from Springfield Town Library as an example. 

Instead of scrolling past yet another ad in their feed, people see an interactive movie night and become intrigued by this fun and engaging event. They’re thinking, “What is this? It’s free? Sounds fun!”

So, they sign up. 

Then, when the event is happening, the creators can post live content to show how the event is going, what’s happening, and how much fun it is for the people attending. Your guests have a good time, and you’re showing other people online that it’s fun at the same time. 

Something like this can really help you stand out from all the other event creators in your market.

Boost event attendance using Eventbrite’s marketing tools.

Vendor giving guest food at an experiential marketing event

How to grow your brand with experiential marketing

Now that we know what experiential marketing is and why it’s helpful for event creators, let’s walk through some best practices. 

Experiential marketing flash mob at the beach
Flash Bob Miami / Bob’s Dance Shop / Miami

Stand out from the crowd

To cut through the noise and capture the audience’s attention, your experiential marketing efforts need to be unique and eye-catching. 

Plus, when your event stands out, it increases the chances of attendees remembering and talking about it long after it’s over, leading to more positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Take a look at these tips to create a fun and unique event for your experiential marketing campaign: 

Choose an unconventional venue 

Think outside the box and try a new, exciting venue that has never been used in this way before. Consider a flash mob as an example. For an event like this, the creator has to think about where it can take place to generate the most buzz and excitement for guests and onlookers. 

Hosting your event at the beach, like Bob’s Dance Shop’s flash mob, or a busy office building could garner a lot of attention for your brand. 

Define your USP 

Start by identifying your unique value proposition or unique selling point (USP). This means figuring out what makes you different from everyone else, and why customers should choose your events over your competitors. 

For example, let’s say that you host art classes. Unlike your competitors, you might provide guests with a mixed-media experience. Attendees can use whatever mediums they like to create their artwork, and you’ll guide them as much or as little as they want — that’s your USP. If no one else is offering this experience, you can really lean on it to stand out from other event creators. 

Pro tip: Spend some time reviewing what other event creators have done to figure out how you can be different. That way, you can be sure you’re cutting through the noise to make a lasting impression. 

House of Yes NYC's Instagram post
(Image Source)

Share your events and activities across your social channels 

Leverage social media to promote your experiential marketing events and generate buzz, excitement, and engagement among your target audience. It’s also a great way to extend the reach and impact of your event. 

Here are some tips to effectively share your experiential marketing events on social media.

Post pre-event teasers

Create anticipation by sharing teasers and sneak peeks of what attendees can expect at your event, like House of Yes! does. This could be behind-the-scenes pictures, videos of the event set-up, or clips from previous events. 

Remember that the aim is to make your followers want more. Don’t overshare, but be sure that your clips or pictures spark some interest. 

Go live

Live streaming during the event gives your online audience a real-time experience. You can show people what’s happening at the event, and they can engage with it from the comfort of their home. This creates a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) in viewers who will be sure not to miss your next event!

Create a hashtag 

A unique, branded hashtag can encourage people to post and engage with the event. You can ask people to share images before, during, and after the event to boost excitement and keep the buzz going even after the event is finished.  

Using hashtags is also a great way to boost user-generated content. Think of all the posts and stories you’ll be able to share on your feed when followers tag you!

Pro tip: Use Eventbrite Ads to promote your experiential marketing events and get 14x more visibility on our homepage, related events, search results, and more.

Band members playing at an experiential marketing event
PINK FUZZ + Floating Witch’s Head + MÔS / Duck Club / Boise

Partner with other creators and influencers

Working with other event creators or online influencers can be a great way to reach a wider audience. Plus, if you partner with the right people, you can enhance your event’s credibility and impact. As a result, you boost your brand reputation and encourage more people to come to the event. 

You can work with other creators in different ways during your experiential marketing campaign.  Here are a couple of options to consider. 

Host a collaborative pop-up 

Work with another creator to run a pop-up event showcasing both brands. For example, if you run arts and crafts events, you might work with another creative event organizer to host a collaborative event. 

Or, you might consider working with a food and drinks event creator to provide guests with snacks and beverages while taking part in the arts and crafts. There are a lot of different ways you can partner with other creators to run a pop-up! 

Go live on each other’s social media 

As part of the event itself, you could each go live on one another’s social channels. This will get you in front of a new audience and show potential customers what your events are all about. You could also cross-promote each other before and after the event to generate excitement and keep engagement going even when the event is over. 

When it comes to working with other creators, it’s important that you choose the right people to partner with. 

Think about a music event as an example. With two artists that don’t gel, the event itself could be a disaster. But with artists that go well together (like PINK FUZZ + Floating Witch’s Head + MÔS hosted by Duck Club), it can be a roaring success. 

To make sure that you find a partner that’s right for your event, think about what they want to achieve and how it aligns with your event goals. Do you have a similar vision for the event? Are you able to listen to each other’s ideas and collaborate effectively? Consider all of these things to give your event the best chance of success. 

Pro tip: Be sure to partner with creators that are targeting a similar audience to you. Otherwise, you risk reaching people that’ll never be interested in your brand, which defeats the point of working with other creators in the first place. 

People dancing on the beach at an experiential marketing event
Spring equinox yoga + dance celebration / Outdoor Yoga SF / San Francisco

Tailor the experience to your audience 

Tailoring experiential marketing to your audience means hosting an experience that’s personalized to your guests. 

This means understanding your target demographic, their preferences, interests, and challenges. Then, you can design an experience that resonates with them. This will help you run a successful event that encourages people to come back for more. 

Here’s how you can make sure your experiential marketing resonates with your audience.

Research your audience

Start by understanding your audience and what they want — and don’t want — from an event. To do this, take a look at the ticket sales from your previous events. What’s their demographic? This will give you a better idea of who you want to attract to your event. 

You can also review feedback from past events to better understand what your guests enjoyed and what could be improved. If you don’t have previous events to look back on, have a look at similar event creators. Browse their online reviews and look at their upcoming events to see what resonates with your target audience. 

Not sure how to collect the feedback you need to improve your events? Check out our guide to creating an effective post-event survey.

Choose the right experience

Based on the information you have from your research, you can choose an experience that’ll resonate with your ideal audience. For example, if you’re trying to appeal to people that love fitness and outdoor activities, you might host a yoga pop-up on the beach. 

Use personalization

Personalizing the event will make it more memorable and enjoyable for your guests, and there are plenty of ways to do it. You can create an agenda that’s unique to your audience, customize the check-in experience by allowing guests to scan themselves in, and personalize the on-site experience with RFID wristbands. 

Pro tip: Create an event page on Eventbrite to promote your event to your ideal audience. Our search engine helps you effortlessly reach people looking for events like yours. 

Red and green cup at the Bacon and Beer Classic Festival
Bacon and Beer Classic / Cannonball Productions / San Francisco

Get your branding up to scratch 

To develop your brand and grow your business, you need a solid brand image. This means aligning all your branding, making sure it’s up to date, and ensuring that it reflects who you are as a creator. 

Here’s what you need to consider. 

Create branding that reflects who you are and what you do

It’s always a good idea to have a brand name and logo that shows people what your events involve. If people look at your event logo and can’t figure out what you do, they might look elsewhere. 

Be consistent

Consistency is the key to effective branding. Why? Because it helps people recognize your brand. This means using the same fonts, color scheme, and images across all your platforms. If you don’t, you’re making it harder for people to know who you are. 

Make sure your branding is visible

When people instantly see your branding at your event, it helps you build a strong brand identity. Plus, it helps guests recognize and remember your brand more easily. To make your branding as visible as possible, place your logo (and any other branded materials) prominently at your event, for example, on branded signs, goody bags, t-shirts, and so on. 

Pro tip: Check out our branding guide to learn how to make your events stand out and create a lasting impact. ​

People on an experiential marketing walking tour
Neon Walking Tour / San Francisco Neon / San Francisco

Use technology to add interactive elements

Technology adds an immersive and interactive element to your event, which is great for experiential marketing. It enhances the event experience, increases engagement, and creates a memorable experience for your guests. 

For example, you could use virtual reality (VR) to immerse attendees in a digital environment. This transports your guests to an entirely new virtual location, all without moving an inch. 

Or you could create an augmented reality (AR) experience that overlays digital content into your physical event space. Take an event like the Neon Walking Tour by San Francisco Neon as an example. With AR, you could show people how San Francisco looked in the past while on the tour. 

AR and VR are both pretty engaging and exciting ways of using technology in your events, but we know this technology isn’t accessible or affordable for every event. 

Here are a couple of ways to incorporate technology in your events without spending a fortune. 

Use event apps

Create a mobile event app where attendees can access schedules, session details, speaker bios, and any other event details. You could also enable interactive experiences like personalized agendas, live polling, or Q&A sessions to boost engagement. 

Include social media activations

Social media activations are ways to engage and interact with your audience on social platforms. For example, hosting contests and giveaways, running interactive quizzes and polls, and so on. These activations are a great way to encourage participation at your events and engage with people who aren’t attending. 

Pro tip: Test the technology before you launch it as part of your experiential marketing campaign. This will help you identify any issues and allow you to put things right before the big day. 

Grow your business with Eventbrite 

Whether you’re launching an experiential marketing activity or running a series of events, consider using Eventbrite to make the process easier. With our platform, you can manage your event logistics, track attendance, and review key data to make informed decisions about future events. 

Try it for free today