Experiential Marketing Concepts

I once lived at distributor’s home in a small town because I had no choice... When Marico Limited was nascent, Bombay Oil Industries was still the family’s backbone. In those early days, I wanted our business to transform from a commodity trade into a branded consumer company. To do that, I had to understand the ground truth. There were no fancy hotels in the towns we visited. I stayed in dusty and small guest rooms. I sat with distributors over chai and samosas. I watched how coconut oil was stored, how shopkeepers priced it, how packaging changed hands. One day, a retailer told me matter-of-factly: “You always sell big tins. When people come back to buy, they carry a few kilos. If your packet is small, they will pick your brand at convenience.” That simple insight was a turning point. It nudged us to expand SKU ranges, introduce smaller packs, and think about how to become a “grab-and-go” brand, rather than just a bulk commodity supplier. If you ask me where innovation begins, it begins in the least glamorous places. In the musty shelves of neighbourhood stores, in conversations that feel insignificant, in paying attention to what people don’t say aloud. Takeaway for entrepreneurs: Your real research lab isn’t spreadsheets or agencies. It’s the ground. If you go build empathy for your customer at the shelf level, the brand strategy almost builds itself. #entrepreneurship #business #resilience #mindset #growth

Netflix Is Going Physical — And It Might Just Rewrite the Experiential Playbook At Cannes Lions, Netflix unveiled more details about its boldest move yet in fan engagement: Netflix House — permanent, immersive venues launching this fall in Philadelphia and Dallas. Think “Stranger Things” escape games, “Squid Game” obstacle courses, “Wednesday” carnivals, mini-golf through your favorite titles, themed cocktails, exclusive merch, and yes — a TUDUM Theater to host fan events and screenings. But this isn’t just a cool activation. It’s a strategic pivot that’s worth unpacking: ✅ Strategic Intent: Netflix isn’t trying to build a theme park empire. This is about deepening emotional ties with fans, amplifying buzz, and future-proofing its brand beyond the streaming wars. These venues aren’t just fun — they’re fan conversion engines. ✅ A New Content Loop: Every attraction is designed to be shared — built for UGC, influencer walkthroughs, cosplay, TikToks, and viral moments. Fans become marketers. Data becomes feedback for future IP development. The venue becomes a living R&D lab. ✅ Not Just Eyeballs — Wallets: With exclusive merch, themed dining, and potential collabs (think Netflix x Funko or Netflix Bites F&B), the monetization flywheel is in motion. Even modest visitor volume could generate $25–30M/year per location — and that’s before you count the uplift in brand love or viewership. ✅ Global Signals: This could be the first step toward regional pop-ups, international localization (imagine a “Lupin” heist experience in Paris or “Money Heist” in Madrid), and even a Netflix-con-branded event model. It’s fandom scaled offline. 💡 Big Picture? Netflix is building something Disney mastered decades ago — real-world storytelling at scale. And if this works, it unlocks a new dimension: streaming IP that lives, breathes, and sells in the physical world. 📊 Our modeled impact: ⌙ ~1M visitors in Year 1 ⌙ 100M+ earned impressions ⌙ 10–15% churn reduction among local superfans ⌙ $5–10 lift in ARPU among engaged segments ⌙ Payback in ~3–5 years — with marketing ROI baked in 🎯 This isn’t about “content” anymore. It’s about building culture. Kudos to Marian, Greg, Josh, Mitzi, Emily, Nidia, Lauren, Jessica, Nikki and team. #Netflix #Cannes #Media #Licensing #ConsumerProduct

India has 150 million+ people above the age 60 and there is a massive opportunity to keep them healthy & fit. But everyone’s focused on Gen Z and no one’s building for their parents. It’s a hard business but a big one. We’ve invested in two companies. Here’s why it’s tough and how one should crack it. Understand the reality first. 1. Elders don’t think of “health” as proactive. They’re conditioned to wait until something breaks before acting. You’re selling a solution to a problem they don’t know they have yet. 2. The 65-year-old needs it but their 35-year-old child pays for it. You're not selling to the elder. You’re selling to their guilt-driven kids in Gurgaon or US. The buyer ≠ the user. 3. Trust is everything and you don’t have it. Indian elders trust: Their doctor, astrologer & their neighbour Not apps. Not tech bros. Not AI. You can't growth hack trust. You earn it slowly, locally. 4. They don’t want new habits. They’ve had the same breakfast for 40 years. You’re not selling a product. You’re undoing decades of routine. 5. Distribution is hyperlocal. Elders don’t click Insta ads. They talk to the uncle in their colony. You scale building by building not by user cohorts. Yes, 150M+ elders. But it’s not one market. It’s a thousand tiny tribes. Different languages, cultures, food habits, family structures, and tech comfort levels. If it were easy, Tata or Reliance would’ve done it already. But it’s wide open now. The one who combines tech + trust + real care will win. So how do you crack it? 1. Think first principles & not trends Don’t build a “senior fitness app.” Ask: Why did they stop moving? What gives them joy? You’re selling independence, not health. 2. Design for peace, not features. One-click help, One daily routine, One trusted face. Great elder products feel like human care not software. 3. Human-first, tech-enable. Don’t replace the daughter. Support her. Train 100 amazing elder coaches. Build tools to help them scale. 4. Don't focus on CAC. Here, it’s about trust per acquisition. You’re not selling toothpaste. You’re asking to be let into their daily life. Start offline. Build trust then tech. 5. You’re in the business of habit change & not selling an app or a pill. Get them to walk 15 minutes a day. Add protein to breakfast. Laugh more. Sleep better. Small wins compound. Don’t build for scale first. Build for consistency. Be in the business of habit change. 6. This isn’t a hackable D2C play. It’s a decade-long trust business. Build for one community. Get to know 100 elders by name. Solve deep, boring problems with elegance. Everyone’s chasing the next billion youth users. But the hidden opportunity lies in serving the first 150 million elders. The elder care market in India isn’t just underserved. It’s misunderstood and needs long-term play. Founders who crack this will build generational companies.

Decathlon chose to zoom in (literally) and take a different perspective. Their “Choose Your Way” campaign doesn’t push product features or promotions. Instead, it invites you in through close-up, tactile moments that make you feel something. These are memory triggers. Emotional cues. It’s simple, sensory and surprisingly powerful. A reminder that the most effective creative work doesn’t just show what something is. It makes you feel something about it. This shift didn’t come out of nowhere. Last year, Decathlon rebranded and it marked the beginning of a new chapter for a brand that had always been big, but rarely emotional. This campaign builds on that foundation. It shows what happens when you stop trying to say everything and focus instead on creating a feeling. You don't have to lead with product to make people care. You just need to show up in a way that resonates. Other brands are doing this too. British Airways rolled out its “A British Original” campaign with eye-catching out-of-home executions that use minimal branding and focus on expressions of wonder from people gazing out of plane windows. PepsiCo also nailed it with work that zoomed in on their logo hidden in plain sight on other brand packaging. A smart, subtle flex. It's all about shifting the perspective and zooming in to bring something visually interesting to life. What brand have you seen recently that made you feel something without saying too much?

The future of luxury beauty is emotional regulation. For decades, the beauty industry sold transformation through visibility: better skin, fuller hair, a younger face, a more perfected version of the self. Luxury was aspirational, performative, external. Now it will be defined by how a product makes you feel. +75% consumers say a beauty routine contributes to their wellbeing +55% of female beauty consumers say they feel more mentally stressed than five years ago >>CONSUMER desire is evolving. Today’s luxury customer is increasingly driven by wellness, longevity, and emotional balance. Beauty is no longer positioned as a tool for attraction alone, but as part of a broader ecosystem of self-regulation and nervous system care. In a culture shaped by digital exhaustion, stress, and overstimulation, beauty products are becoming emotional objects. +80% of adults are adopting preventative beauty routines +70% are changing sleep, stress, and lifestyle habits to support beauty outcomes This is why beauty is beginning to overlap with wellness in a much deeper way. The rise of longevity culture has expanded the definition of beauty itself. Looking good is no longer enough; consumers want to feel regulated, rested, and internally restored. The most forward-thinking brands understand this shift. They are designing products not simply around results, but around experience: +Fragrances developed through neuroscience and mood association +Skincare rituals designed to slow down daily routines +Tactile packaging that encourages touch and presence +Soft materials, weighted objects, and calming textures +Muted palettes inspired by interiors, spas, and wellness spaces +Sensory retail environments that reduce stimulation rather than amplify it >>PACKAGING under the spot light. It is becoming central to the emotional positioning of a brand. The new codes of luxury are softer, quieter, and more intimate. Heavy glass, smooth matte finishes, natural textures, rounded forms, magnetic closures, subtle sound design, and calming color systems all communicate emotional safety and permanence. +60% of luxury consumers plan to increase wellness spending over the next year >>No longer just visual branding. It is becoming a physical interface for wellbeing. In many ways, the future of luxury beauty looks closer to hospitality, wellness architecture, and therapeutic design than traditional cosmetics marketing. The brands that will define the next decade will not be those that sell perfection most aggressively. They will be the ones that understand how to regulate emotion, create ritual, and support longevity in both body and mind. Featured Brands: Atypic Edition Cavaco Elea Feel Olfactif Paris Raaie Sir Jacobs Tamburins To Summer Vie Healing #beautyindustry #beautybusiness #wellness #beautyprofessionals

Nothing sells better than experiential marketing! With so many options available, consumers want something new and there is nothing more engaging than being able to experience and engage with a brand even before you purchase it. Unlike traditional advertising, which focuses on awareness, this strategy creates immersive experiences that keep the audience engaged for long. It is similar to the difference between watching a movie trailer and actually being at the theatre. This is why I feel it will never go outdated -  → Emotional Engagement - Memorable experiences create strong emotional connections, making consumers feel part of the brand story. Something very similar to Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" Campaign. The brand used personalized Coke bottles to engage the audience and help start a new bond. People ended up buying not just a soft drink but finding new friendships altogether. → Loyalty - By giving consumers a chance to engage with the brand, you build a cycle of repeat purchases and loyalty. Fevicol tried it in a very fun way. During festive seasons, Fevicol set up repair booths in local markets, offering free fixes for broken furniture. It was a great way to create an experience that resonated with their brand message.  → Global Reach - Virtual activations give you access to new audiences no matter where they come from. Zomato does it very well. It is no longer just a food delivery app but has created a multi-city carnival that brings together music, food and entertainment. It was a feast for different age groups and gave Zomato a presence in people’s lives.  Experiential marketing is honestly one of the best strategies for brands that dare to go beyond the screen. And the earlier you realise that experience matters more than ads, that is when things will start changing for your brand. I have been working with brands across industries and I believe the brands that win will be the ones that don’t just tell their stories but allow consumers to live them too.  Which brand do you think does the best at this strategy for its audience? #influencermarketing

Every time a new report comes out on the state of retail or luxury, I pause before looking at the numbers. Not because I’m surprised by them, but because they always tell a deeper story about how people are changing. The recent Forbes piece on declining luxury brand valuations is one of those moments and it reflects the mindset of today’s consumer. For years, luxury was fueled by aspiration. People reached for brands that symbolized something. Success, craftsmanship, belonging. But when prices keep rising and relationship doesn’t improve, the equation starts to break down. What once felt aspirational now risks feeling inaccessible. And that shift isn’t limited to luxury. It’s a preview of where all consumer behavior is headed. Today’s customer, regardless of income level, wants three things: 🔹Transparency: Why does this brand exist? What does it stand for beyond its products? 🔹Utility: Does this make my life better, easier, healthier, or more joyful? 🔹Connection: Do I feel seen, understood, and part of something larger? When any of those three breaks, so does loyalty. So, what should brands do now? 🔹Rebalance value and values. The best brands will stop thinking in terms of “premium pricing” and start thinking about “earned pricing.” That comes from trust, relevance, and substance, not just heritage. 🔹Redefine exclusivity. In this era, access is the new aspiration. Personalized experiences, limited collaborations, or digital memberships can create belonging without shutting people out. 🔹Invest in emotional equity. Luxury used to be about owning something beautiful. Now it’s about being part of something meaningful. Experiences, storytelling, and purpose drive that connection far more than logo placement ever will. 🔹Build agility into the model. The macro winds will always shift. economy slows down, aspirational consumers pull back, or new platforms emerge. The brands that thrive are the ones that think like startups: responsive, data-informed, and never entitled to attention. The leaders I admire most are using it as a catalyst to reinvent, to make their brands more intentional, more inclusive, and more aligned with how people truly live. Because if the past few years taught us anything, it’s that resilience doesn’t come from being untouchable. It comes from being adaptable.

Product Marketing doesn't end at launch. That's where some of the most valuable work begins. Here's what great post-launch product marketing looks like: > Analyze launch 📊 Measure what worked, what didn't, and feed insights back to your GTM teams > Customer enablement 🎯 Give customers the tools and resources they need to succeed from day one > Product feedback loop ⭕ Build systems to capture and action customer insights > Customer stories 📖 Turn successful customers into compelling case studies > Community building 🤝 Create spaces for customers to learn, share and grow > Expansion strategy 📈 Partner with customer success to identify growth opportunities Remember: PMM doesn't own these touchpoints alone - success comes from orchestrating across teams. But the best product marketers don't just launch and move on... they build flywheels that deliver ongoing success. 🔁 Feel free to save and share

Do this one thing with your team (and your CEO)! No budget needed. Get everyone, including your most senior bosses, to go mystery shopping. Get them to start with your website on their mobile phone. It will open their minds to what the real experience is for customers. Then go visit your stores and your competitors’ websites and shops. Don’t rely on reports and spreadsheets to understand your customers. They are helpful but cannot substitute the real thing. I learnt the importance of doing customer listening when working with Tim Copper at British Gas. With my team we spent one day every quarter in our contact centres taking calls from real customers. With Mark Vile and the late John Dalkiran at Compare the Market we read all the NPS commentary from customers and learnt how we could improve our service (and meerkat toy delivery). When I was at Audi UK with Andrew Doyle and Antony Roberts we went mystery shopping in car dealerships and constantly tested new ways to improve our website (as that is the biggest customer shopping window for most brands). One of the key targets at Samsung Electronics is NPS. We ask customers how likely they are to recommend Samsung to friends and family. We constantly review and improve to make sure we provide the best service possible. This is why Samsung TVs are the no.1 choice by consumers for 19 years in a row. Marketing isn’t just about ads and pretty pictures. It is making sure the customer experience lives up to the brand promise. More business stories can be heard on Jon Evans excellent podcast Uncensored CMO. The podcast is free on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eGPak4GW #CMOUncensored #Samsung #CustomerExperience

The event might be over, but the conversation is just beginning! You poured time, energy, and resources into creating a memorable experience. Now turn that impact into a sustainable content machine. The most successful event marketers are building robust post-event content funnels rather than focusing on the "one and done" approach with their events. By using insights gained from attendees, event marketers can keep the conversation going by re-engaging them on the platforms they use every day. This approach is about more than just visibility. It's about creating sustainable content that offers a better return on your initial investment - the time, resources, and budget you put into curating it. By repurposing that content, you extend its value far beyond the event date and continue to generate leads, engagement, and brand awareness for weeks or even months after. Plus, the new data you gather from this content like: 👉 what gets the most views 👉 the highest engagement 👉 the most shares provides invaluable insights for redesigning and improving the event the following year. Here's a few simple ways to start creating an evergreen content machine: 🎥 Short Form Video Highlights: Repurpose keynotes and panels into bite-sized 15 - 30 second clips for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. 📝 Speaker Q&A Blog Series: Expand on the top questions and answers from your sessions into a multi-part blog series on LinkedIn Articles or your company blog. 📊 Data Driven Infographics: Distill event stats and key takeaways into easy to digest visuals for Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. 🎙️ Behind the Scenes & Testimonials: Share candid moments, setup time-lapses, and attendee quotes to humanize your brand and build trust. 🤔 What's one piece of content you always repurpose after an event to keep the buzz alive and maximize your ROI? #SustainableContent #PostEventEngagement #EventStrategy #EventProfs