By Geetha Kerlin, Senior Account Director, Consumer & Travel
In 2025, CMOs, founders, and communication leaders are experiencing a powerful resurgence: experiential marketing is not just back—it is generating unprecedented returns. Amidst digital fatigue in a post-pandemic era, consumers now crave authentic, meaningful brand interactions. Recent industry insights reveal that intimate, high-touch events are significantly outperforming traditional marketing channels, offering richer storytelling opportunities, deeper consumer engagement and enhanced brand affinity.
For branding directors and PR teams at consumer brands, this presents a compelling opportunity. However, the true magic is not simply hosting events—it is strategically integrating these events into holistic communication plans.
Take, for instance, Villeroy & Boch’s exclusive influencer and media dinner held during Art Basel. Timed precisely with a key product launch, this intimate gathering provided not only a visually captivating brand experience but also valuable storytelling touchpoints. By strategically selecting influential media and tastemakers, in addition to a collaboration with an Instragram-sensation chef, the event generated authentic social buzz, amplified product messaging and secured high-impact earned media placements. PR leaders maximized this investment by capturing event highlights and leveraging attendees’ influential platforms, further amplifying the product launch beyond the event itself.
Similarly, American Apparel’s activation at Lollapalooza demonstrates the PR potential of experiential marketing. By offering personalized, on-site t-shirt customization, American Apparel transformed festival-goers and attending media into active brand ambassadors. Attendees enthusiastically shared their experiences on social platforms, organically generating brand visibility, creating valuable user-generated content and sparking authentic conversations. Strategic communications teams leveraged this momentum by curating influencer collaborations and media outreach, exponentially expanding the event’s reach and reinforcing American Apparel’s brand identity.
These cases illustrate that high-touch experiential events are most impactful when woven deeply into a strategic PR and communications framework. The key to maximizing ROI involves meticulously planning the narrative—before, during and after the experience. Effective strategic communications teams proactively shape messaging, provide event attendees with compelling, shareable content and integrate seamlessly with social media efforts, maximizing earned media opportunities.
Additionally, events like these offer critical opportunities for PR leaders to strengthen relationships with media and influencers. By thoughtfully inviting journalists and influential personalities into immersive brand experiences, companies foster deeper, more meaningful relationships, driving greater trust, credibility and positive coverage long-term.
As experiential marketing thrives again, savvy CMOs, PR directors and brand leaders who strategically leverage intimate, high-touch events as a central element of their communications strategy will achieve far-reaching engagement and lasting consumer loyalty.
Photo courtesy of Lollapalooza.
