As the world enters its second year of pandemic restrictions, experiential marketing is attempting a comeback ahead of Valentine's Day. Including Dunkin'、White Castle and Lowe's marketers are rolling out experiences that promise to be both memorable and reflective of the current era of social distancing. However, whether consumers are ready to get close to their favorite brands again remains to be seen.

Before the pandemic, experiential marketing was booming, with brands using innovative ideas such as themed hotels and immersive installations to break through the noise and capture consumer attention. Over the past year, people have mostly stayed home, venturing out to retail stores and other venues only when necessary; meanwhile, major events that many brands had hoped would build buzz and consumer connections—such as SXSW, Bonnaroo, and ComicCon—were either canceled or moved online. As a result, marketers have had to rethink what "experience" means. Initially, this meant pivoting to virtual experiences, but since early 2021, there have been signs that marketers are again considering in-person experiences, just with some changes.

"The first few weeks were tough, with projects canceled and large music festivals unable to take place. But we quickly started thinking about how to make virtual events a reality," said Eric Shamlin, senior vice president of growth at agency MediaMonks. "We are still cautious about returning to in-person live events, but we have begun tentatively dipping our toes in to gauge consumer comfort."

"We are still cautious about returning to in-person live events, but we have begun tentatively dipping our toes in to gauge consumer comfort."

Eric Shamlin, Senior Vice President of Growth at MediaMonks

Perhaps because Valentine's Day naturally lends itself to small, intimate gatherings, multiple brands have launched experiential marketing campaigns as this Valentine's Day approaches.

For example, Dunkin' is offering couples the opportunity to renew their vows at select locations via the drive-thru, allowing consumers to stay in their cars and away from others. This experience reimagines Dunkin's takeover of a Las Vegas chapel a few years ago, adapted to a new era where contactless interactions are highly valued.

"At Dunkin', we are always looking for safe, new ways to engage with fans, especially as customers become increasingly interested in contactless experiences," said Jill Nelson, vice president of marketing and culinary at Dunkin'. "Early in the pandemic, we communicated with customers, listening to their expectations for safety measures, while keeping an eye on how experiential marketing could be reimagined—particularly using the drive-thru this time to reimagine weddings in a fun and unique way."

Beyond Valentine's Day-themed activities, another recent experiential marketing case comes from 7-11, which redesigned its stores to give a few consumers the chance to lock themselves inside and enjoy a full day of gaming. The winner could bring one guest, but the guest had to be from the winner's social pod.

These experiences have built-in opportunities for brands to drive social interaction, with participants taking photos and posting them online.

Personalization and Virtualization in Parallel

Alongside the renewed interest in in-person experiences, marketers are also continuing to find ways to create online and virtual experiences that capture attention, recognizing that many principles remain the same and that these experiences are likely here to stay.

"When you virtualize these experiences, you have to give them the same craftsmanship, care, and narrative as you would in person," Shamlin said. "It's a performance and entertainment. You have to make it distinct from the Zoom meetings they are already attending."

Harley Davidson's annual dealer meeting is one of the experiences MediaMonks created, with new models and accessories unveiled in a virtual environment. To boost engagement when consumers couldn't freely interact with the brand, this traditionally closed event was opened to the public, "providing an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the creativity and craftsmanship behind Harley Davidson's latest products," Shamlin said.

But over time, marketers have also recognized that there is no substitute for personal interaction with a brand.

"Virtual events won't replace in-person events unless we all put on VR headsets and haptic gloves," said Laura Ramos, principal analyst at Forrester Research.

Marketers can adjust in multiple ways to make experiential campaigns compliant with social distancing and other safety protocols. For example, in the absence of real office parties, Miller Lite commissioned an outdoor art installation featuring lifelike statues mimicking office party behavior.

"Virtual events won't replace in-person events unless we all put on VR headsets and haptic gloves."

Laura Ramos, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research

Hovercraft Studio created a recent experiential installation for Nike, using augmented reality and QR codes to simulate a visit to Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. Hovercraft is focusing on creating experiences with a more personalized approach, such as using people's smartphones and other personal devices to access the experience. Another consideration is offering content that can be quickly accessed in-store but explored in depth at home.

"We don't want people lingering too long," said Matt FaJohn, executive director at Hovercraft. "We've started using easy-to-clean materials and reduced the use of shared interactive kiosks."

Store windows may also present new experiential opportunities.

"That used to be a place for quick content," FaJohn said. "But with consumers queuing outside stores, it's not unthinkable for someone to stand in front of the same window for a while. We've started viewing them as a way to extend the experience."

David Marcotte, senior vice president of cross-industry and technology at Kantar Consulting, said the many new behaviors triggered by the pandemic may force marketers to rethink in multiple ways how to capture consumer attention. He explained that consumers now enter stores with more purpose and have little desire to browse or linger. Additionally, everyone is wearing masks, which can restrict field of vision.

"When I see people walking around stores with masks, they turn their whole heads to look at things," Marcotte said. "I've been encouraging clients to shift product displays from horizontal to more vertical modes to better capture consumers' eyes."

Hybrid Models

With many predictions that large in-person gatherings won't resume until fall 2021, virtual and socially distanced experiential marketing programs are likely to be the norm for months to come. And even when in-person events return and a sense of normalcy resumes, many pandemic-driven changes are likely to persist.

For example, large conferences and events are likely to continue offering some kind of hybrid in-person/online model, with prominent speakers pre-recording presentations and then joining live Q&A sessions virtually, said Forrester's Ramos. She also said event planners are likely to intersperse large flagship in-person events with smaller, online-only events using repurposed or on-demand content.

"A large proportion (about 70-80%) of event professionals and marketers believe future events will be hybrid," Ramos said. "They will serve both in-person and remote audiences, and the challenge is delivering the same experience."

Pop-up stores and other marketing experiences may also continue to look different, said Hovercraft's FaJohn.

"Once stores return to full capacity, these experiences won't disappear," FaJohn said. "The changes will be in material choices, bring-your-own-device experiences, and contactless technology."

Ultimately, experiential marketing needs to reflect consumer comfort, and while some pandemic-related behavioral changes may be short-lived, others may be more enduring, forcing brands to adapt.

"As customers become increasingly interested in fast, contactless shopping experiences, contactless has become extremely important to more customers," said Dunkin's Nelson. "The key is giving customers choices and ways to connect with the brand so they can safely 'run on Dunkin'' in their own way."