Stuart WoodA new survey by marketing agency Savvy has demonstrated a rise in live brand experiences across the retail sector.
73% of 18-34s rated experiences over physical products, and 60% of consumers said they feel more loyal to brands they can interact with.
It also found that in the past 12 months, 57% of UK consumers have engaged in some way with experiential activity.
Furthermore, consumers are more likely to expect experiential activity from certain types of businesses than others – drink and food brands topped the list, suggesting tasting events are a strong fit for experiential marketing.
Elsewhere, the survey found that product sampling has reached the most consumers, with 47% of UK consumers having engaged with this type of activity in the past year.
Alastair Lockhart, insight director at Savvy, commented: “The way people consume media has fragmented as new digital touch points have proliferated. As a result, the reality is that it’s never been so difficult for brands to be heard through the constant buzz of communication, to get their message across and to tell their brand stories.
“In large part this explains the rise of experiential marketing in recent years. Increasingly brands see it as a powerful platform to be heard and, more importantly, to engage directly with their target audience without constraints on creativity.
“It is however really important to underpin a campaign, from initial planning through implementation and evaluation, with solid insight. Fully understand who the target is, how they behave and what they respond to in order to shape the user experience.
“A well thought out social strategy is also critical as a means to drive footfall to events, to share content at the event and to maintain a conversation after it’s taken place.