Marketers are latching onto sensory brand experiences to build relationships, drive sales and appeal to new audiences, reports brand experience provider Freeman. Drawing from a global survey of marketing professionals, the company found that marketers plan to increase their spending on immersive brand experiences, ranging from events, trade shows, sponsorships, virtual and hybrid events, and exhibits, to permanent installations, virtual or augmented reality experiences, and pop-ups.
The marketers polled for the survey, working in roles focused on both the B2B and B2C segments, report that brand experience is more central to their roles today than it was in the past, and that the audiences they serve seek more personalized interactions with brands. More than 90 percent of marketing professionals polled agree that brand experiences deliver stronger face-to-face interactions and more compelling brand engagements.
“The role of brand experience continues to increase in scope and importance, as audience expectations evolve,” says Chris Cavanaugh, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Freeman. “Steep competition, changing demographics and more sophisticated audiences mean now, more than ever, marketers need new approaches. The right brand experiences have the power to evolve brands, build relationships and inspire action. Our new research helps us understand brand experience as a medium of the future.”
Freeman’s survey found that more than two-thirds of respondents feel that brand experience is an effective way to reach their organizations’ goals, and that 59 percent recognize its ability to create ongoing relationships with key audiences. In a reflection of this perception, more than one in three are planning to allocate 21 to 50 percent of their budget to the practice over the next three to five years.
To download the full survey, visit click here.
