The IPM’s Experiential Community gathers to chart the future of the sector, uniting industry leaders to define and amplify its purpose and value. This collective effort comes at a crucial time, as findings from the IPA Bellwether report reveal a remarkable 23.1% increase in event marketing budgets—up from 15.9% in the previous quarter. This surge in investment signifies a clear shift in marketing strategies, emphasising the critical role of real-world experiences in forging meaningful connections with consumers. So, what drives this investment in marketing spend during challenging economic times? Jon Evans, Chief Commercial Officer at System1, explains:

“The ‘why’ rests in consumers’ increasing demand for human connection. We’re still experiencing the pandemic bounce back, with hybrid working leading to a greater need for in-person interaction. As more work and leisure time is spent in the digital world, the desire for thrilling real-world experiences continues to increase, making it an essential channel for brands looking to build powerful audience connections.”

At Brand Experience 360, Olivia Rayner, Creative Director at Sense Marketing, highlights the loneliness epidemic impacting today’s youth. She paints a portrait of a post-pandemic world that feels increasingly digital, noisy, and overwhelming, which contributes to what she calls “Connected Anxiety.” Olivia argues that by creating immersive and meaningful experiences, brands can effectively address the emotional pain points of younger generations, enabling them to rediscover a sense of belonging and community in a disconnected world.

Engaging Communities & The Rise of Run Clubs

The rise of local run clubs reflects this growing need for community and face-to-face interaction in today’s digital age. Google Trends indicates a steady increase in searches for ‘Run Club‘ in the UK over the past five years while the Hackney Half Marathon has sold out for the first time ever, demonstrating the heightened appetite for community-driven events. In her article, “Is Strava the New Tinder?”, Clara Duval digs deeper into the phenomenon, exploring how platforms like Strava and local run clubs are redefining connections and promoting real-world meetups over traditional dating apps. Nick Tuppen, CEO of Threshold Sports, elaborates:

“The continued growth of wearable tech engaging people with their wellbeing and fitness shows how health is increasingly seen as the new wealth. Coupled with wider cultural trends for ‘athlete CEOs,’ platforms like Strava cultivating active communities, and the crossover of outdoor brands like North Face becoming high street staples, it’s no surprise that consumer appetite for active events is on the rise too.”

Recent research conducted by Bumble Inc. in collaboration with YouGov supports this theory, revealing a significant increase in the participation of active events for 2024. The report highlights a 31% increase in time spent and 17% rise in spending intentions for activities such as marathons and 10K runs. Driven primarily by Millennials and Gen Z, this trend highlights the significance of physical community gatherings, with participants engaging in active events an average of 3.6 times a year. Building on these insights, Bumble recently celebrated its first Run Club Festival, partnering with the five top running clubs in Paris for a week filled with runs, coffee collaborations, and brand experiences. This cultural shift highlights the role brands can play in uniting shared passions, in this case, health and wellbeing, through active experiences.

Bringing Brand Partnerships to Life

Through experiential marketing, brand partnerships come alive. A prime example is Polly Pocket’s recent 35th-anniversary collaboration with Airbnb, which captured widespread attention this summer by offering fans a chance to stay in a life-sized Polly Pocket replica. This collaboration taps into nostalgia, reflecting what Pion describes as “the pursuit of stagnation”—a desire to revisit and celebrate beloved aspects of the past. However, brands must proceed with caution when forming partnerships. Barbie’s ventures into unexpected product categories—such as toothpaste and meat-based snacks—have raised eyebrows. With over 165 brands associated with the recent movie, the sheer volume of these collaborations sparks debates about consumer fatigue, illustrating the delicate balance between cultural relevance and commercial saturation.

Technology Transforms the Viewing Experience

2024 brings sports and technology closer than ever before. TRO leads the way with the Just Eat Grabber and Pepsi Pulse Challenge, while also offering an exciting opportunity to test-drive a Mini in virtual reality at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. These pioneering campaigns reflect a broader trend in the industry: Lucy Porter, Strategy Partner at PrettyGreen | B Corp, highlights that spending on live sports is set to increase by 10% in time and 15% in overall expenditure. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games exemplify this shift, achieving a record-breaking 34 million livestream viewers and shattering the BBC’s sports streaming records. In response to this growing interest in live viewing, fan zones are on the rise, with Shared Reality Experiences like Cosm at the forefront of this trend, creating hybrid environments that allow fans to experience front-row seats from anywhere in the world.

Scent-sational Marketing

This year, brands like McDonald’s and Lynx have taken a bold step into sensory advertising with their aromatic billboards, transforming traditional marketing into immersive experiences. In a striking move, Doritos even ignited one of their billboards to launch a new spicy hot range, showcasing how brands can push boundaries with creative installations that engage consumers on multiple sensory levels. Aldi UK takes this a step further, winning the IPM Grand Prix with the world’s first rosé-dispensing billboard. Developed in collaboration with Hopper and Clarion Communications, this innovative installation pours rosé once the temperature hits 19.2°C—the ideal temperature for enjoying rosé. As we look to the future, the lines between advertising and experience are clearly blurring. How do you think these blurred lines will impact consumer expectations of advertising?

Brand Experiences for a New Generation

As we look to the next generation of brand experiences, it’s clear that both Gen Alpha and Gen Z are redefining how we interact with brands. In a digital world fraught with existential threats, the demand for real-life connections has never been greater. With many feeling too stressed to enjoy simple pleasures, nostalgia and Kidulting experiences—those that allow adults to embrace their inner child—are thriving.

What trends do you see shaping the future of experiential marketing? How are brands like Pinterest breaking the B2B mould? What role does the “main character” mentality play in light of AI and personalisation? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

In response to these shifts, our Experiential Community is committed to leading the way and shaping the future of our industry. Emma Kirk, our General Manager, summarises:

“The IPM’s Experiential Effectiveness Community is shaping the future of experiential marketing. Together, we tackle critical industry challenges by defining the essence of experiential marketing and developing standardised measurement tools that provide quantifiable value for brands and agencies. By transforming competitors into collaborators, we empower one another to establish and elevate industry standards for the collective benefit. To register your interest and contribute to the progression of this dynamic sector, please reach out to us today.”

The post Run Clubs to Aromatic Billboards: Trends Shaping Experiential Marketing 2024 appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

The IPM is delighted to welcome members to take part in our brand new Webinar Series. As a member of the IPM, you now have the opportunity to share invaluable knowledge, champion thought leadership and raise your profile.

In the fast-paced world of promotional marketing, staying up to date with the latest trends, strategies, and insights is essential for success. The IPM Webinar Series offers you a unique platform to engage with industry experts, thought leaders, and seasoned professionals who are at the forefront of promotional marketing. Through these webinars, you’ll have access to cutting-edge information, innovative ideas, and best practices that can propel your campaigns to new heights.

Taking part in The IPM Webinar Series is free for IPM members. For more information on how you can get involved contact emmak@theipm.org.uk

The post Join the IPM Webinar Series: Unlocking Benefits for Members appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Clare James, Chief Operating Officer at creative brand experience agency, N2O

At N2O, we’re dedicated to helping brands build meaningful relationships with their target audiences through relevant brand experiences.  Through our long-standing expertise in working with brands such as Tesco and Superdrug to create Pride campaigns, we understand the importance of connecting authentically with the LGBTQIA+ audience and strive to help brands move beyond tokenism during Pride month.

However, we acknowledge that the decision to create a targeted experience at Pride is complex, so we felt compelled to explore the subject further and provide our clients with practical guidance through our white paper, “Standing Proud at Pride – and Beyond.”

We assembled a dynamic panel of industry experts and diverse community members whose collective perspectives and insights fuelled our research. Using our own data and insights from sources such as GWI and YouGov, the resulting white paper provides a comprehensive and digestible understanding of the LGBTQIA+ audience and how brands can support them. It highlights the importance of being a year-round ally and the potential pitfalls to avoid when activating Pride experiences. Download your copy of the white paper here Brands at Pride White Paper – Standing Proud at Pride and Beyond

Our research also led to an in-depth webinar with IPM, where our Strategy Director, Steven Workman, Art Director, Emily Shahaj, and panel contributor, Sade Giliberti, shared illuminating and authoritative advice based on our findings. The webinar is available here Institute of Promotional Marketing

The post How brands can support the LGBTQIA+ community for Pride – and beyond appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Influencer Marketing is one of the most effective promotional marketing strategies used by brands across the globe. But when a brand gets it wrong, it can cause controversial shockwaves across the internet. 

From loose contracts leading to deliverables not being met, weak influencer and brand matchmaking that can’t convince audiences and even half-arsed posts with the wrong wording copy and pasted in the caption, *cough cough*, Scott Disick we’re looking at your Bootea #ad. 👀 

Want to learn more about Influencer Marketing Best Practices?

Say goodbye to favouring vanity metrics and hello to prioritising quality KPIs giving your brand more bang for its buck. 👋

Learn how to conduct influencer marketing, the importance of audience research and how to smash your next promotional campaign out of the park.

Written by Holly Eddleston, an OG of Influencer Marketing, our Best Practice Guide to Influencer Marketing gives you top tips for planning your next influencer campaign with the right content creators to represent your brand. 

Who are we?

We’re BIG little London and we don’t do one off #ads. We’re here to build you an army of brand ambassadors who can talk genuinely about your product or service to their engaged audiences. Decades of campaign management means we know our talent and what their followers respond to in order to drive sales, increase share of voice, enhance your reputation and boost social media engagement.

Holly Eddleston has worked on influencer marketing campaigns for brands such as Red Bull, Peroni and Microsoft. Holly has a large network of influencers who she has worked with previously but loves to identify the new up and coming talent who can engage, excite and sell product. 

Download our FREE Best Practice Guide to Influencer Marketing.

The post Best Practice Guide to Influencer Marketing From Big Little LDN appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

The MARS Agency has recently launched an insightful universal trends report that surveys over 14,000 shoppers worldwide, highlighting 7 key trends that will impact commerce marketing in 2023. The report examines 34 different shopper categories, investigating how these trends are impacting both shopper behaviour and marketing strategies.

Covering a series of trends including:

01 COVID Gone. Recession On?

02 Quick Commerce Stays the Course

03 Community in Mind, Spirit, Body

04 Recommerce is a Natural Fit

06 Digital Shopping Deepens

05 In-Store Is ‘In’ Again

07 It’s All the Same to Shoppers

The report aims to give a holistic view as to the challenges and opportunities considered within this year’s marketing strategies to engage shoppers.

The report serves as a valuable resource for marketers looking to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and preferences. By understanding these trends, brands can create effective marketing strategies that resonate with consumers in the coming year. To read the full report, click here

The post MARS Agency Launch Insightful Universal Trends Report appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

We are delighted to let you know that, on March 15^th 2023, IPM member Mando is launching a new white paper with YouGov “Understanding Loyalty in Europe”. The first of its kind, this study explores loyalty membership, appeal and impact across 24 European countries. It also introduces a new loyalty metric the Loyalty Gauge^TM – which ranks the countries for loyalty engagement and features in-market and programme case studies from 10 expert contributors. The paper will be available to download from www.mando-connect.co.uk and if you have any questions please get in touch with Charlie.Hills@mando-connect.co.uk.

The post ‘Understanding Loyalty In Europe’ White Paper Launch By Mando appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

We’ve all become used to the unpredictable over recent years. TLC’s marketing trends for 2023 aims to give you the best opportunity to kick start the new year- but prepared. At the start of 2020 nobody had heard of Covid, and a year ago you’d have got long odds on seeing a takeover of Twitter, a king on the British throne and an actual war on the European mainland. But as spring is on the horizon, it’s worth planning for the rest of the year ahead. This is how TLC help their clients and fellow marketers to prepare for the upcoming twelve months. Presenting their annual prediction of marketing trends for 2023 and developments that – unforeseen events aside – will be leading the conversation in marketing departments across the UK and the world. Fasten your seatbelts…

Click here to access

The post Marketing Trends For 2023 From TLC appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Brands who offer customer incentives can cut cost of acquisition and retention in the year ahead

UK consumers say that incentives will be key to securing their loyalty and custom through the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research from Edenred.
The study, which asked 2,000 consumers about how they were changing their spending behaviour in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, found incentives were more important than a range of factors including reputation or customer service in attracting customer spend and second only to price.
With the majority of consumers (54%) having already made changes to their lifestyle to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, only 15% of consumers say their household budget can accommodate further prices increases and 42% say they would need to borrow more to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.
Against this backdrop, consumers are adopting a range of value-seeking behaviours as they shop, with one-in-four consumers (26%) looking for cashback or incentives when shopping and just under a third (29%) said they were using money-off vouchers or coupons to make their household budget go further. Around a third (32%) are shopping around for the best prices.
Close to four-in-ten consumers (38%) say they are more likely to recommend a brand that offers incentives while a quarter (25%) say they will be more loyal to an existing brand. Incentives will also encourage people to switch (35%) or trial a new brand (30%).
The most attractive incentives that brands can offer are rewards for loyalty (37%) followed by cashback (35%) or vouchers (31%). A significant majority also value the opportunity to share rewards with friends and family (29%) or with a good cause (23%).
Andy Philpott, Marketing Director at Edenred said:
“While these are tough times to compete for a share of consumer spending, our research shows that brands can attract and retain value-seeking customers and avoid a race to the bottom on price by using incentives.
Whether it is by reducing customer churn, rewarding loyalty or winning new customers through refer-a-friend schemes, incentives offer every brand the opportunity to minimise the impact of the cost-of-living crisis without having to resort to price competition.
By offering customers the opportunity to give to causes they believe in or simply the ability to share reward with friends and family, brands can also build preference and differentiation through the choice of incentives on offer.
As the battle for customers intensifies, it will be the sales and marketing teams who can best deploy incentives who are likely to attract and retain customers through the cost-of-living crisis.”
To download the full report, “The battle for new customers in the cost-of-living crisis”, please visit the Edenred website HERE

The post Incentives Second Only To Price In Attracting Value-seeking Consumers In The Cost-of-living Crisis appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Mando-Connect’s latest research conducted with YouGov provides yet more evidence that Rewards are the number 1 factor for Brits to join Loyalty programmes. 60% are motivated by discounts and offers with 28% looking out for partner offers.

The results demonstrate that the impact of loyalty programmes are stronger than ever. They help brands engage in a completely unique way and cut through the noise of a crowded advertising and marketing landscape. Once a programme is in place, brand appeal among users increases. Then, as users needs naturally evolve, the challenge is to keep innovating in the right direction and keep pace with these changing requirements as they happen.

For the full whitepaper, please head to the Mando-Connect website 

The post Rewards Matter Most appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Mando-Connect and Ogilvy hosted one of the first face-to-face loyalty events since 2019 to celebrate the launch of Mando-Connects latest whitepaper: ‘What the British want from Loyalty Programmes 3.0’. It was a hugely successful afternoon with a joint presentation from the Mando-Connects head of strategy, Charlie Hills, and YouGov’s data team, led by Nick Fishbourne. On top of this, we also heard a fascinating talk on applied behavioural science in loyalty from Ogilvy’s Maddie Croucher and an insightful panel discussion hosted by Isobel Finlayson with representatives from Vodafone (Camilla Cooper), Lidl Plus (Tina Hansom) and Marriott Bonvoy (Katie Cox).

The event certainly highlighted some challenges ahead for those working in the loyalty industry. There is, however, a lot to be positive about. Peter Kerr (director of the IPM) introduced the event by recognising the increased scope for loyalty in new sectors ”with emerging digital and multi-media channels, loyalty opportunities are becoming increasingly accessible to every sector’‘. We’ve also seen how with data and a better understanding of how your customers think and feel, you can adapt your programme to engage your users and give them the rewards they really want. On this topic the overall findings and recommendations were very clear:

• Firstly, focus on offering really great rewards – it’s Number 1 for driving Brits to join a programme. And it’s Number 1 for maintaining engagement. 
• Secondly, bake a strong sustainability ethos into your programmes. 71% of us think loyalty programmes should help us to live more sustainably, so understanding how loyalty can contribute to creating a more sustainable future is key. 

The event and research shows that the impact of loyalty programmes has never been stronger.  They cut through the noise of a crowded advertising and marketing landscape and help brands to engage in a completely unique way. Just by having a programme, users will find your brand more appealing. The challenge for us then is to keep innovating in the right direction and ultimately to try and keep pace with changing user needs as they happen.

For the full whitepaper, please head to the Mando-Connect website 

The post Mando-Connect Loyalty Event Celebrates Whitepaper Launch appeared first on IPM Bitesize.