What now?

That’s a question many brands and event organizers are asking themselves as the fallout of COVID-19 becomes less pronounced. But the answer to that question doesn’t require a lengthy search, especially for brands that hosted hybrid events during the peak of the pandemic.

Circumstances forced many organizers to forgo traditional in-person gatherings and weave virtual elements into those events. This approach helped keep in-person attendees safe and remote visitors engaged, even from the comfort of their own homes.

“Normal” is on an indefinite hiatus.

That’s a reality many people and businesses have had to accept during the coronavirus pandemic. In some ways, we’ve all been forced to redefine the routines and processes that were so essential to our lives as recently as this winter.

But just because the world and the way we operate might look a little different, that doesn’t mean there’s a need to abandon everything familiar. While their services might not completely align with what the public needs right now, forward-thinking businesses must look for gaps that their expertise can fill to stay both useful and relevant during this time.

Innovative technology solutions have emerged in a number of fields, boosting employee productivity and enhancing the customer experience. In the past 10-plus years of experiential marketing, technology's influence on customer engagement has evolved almost beyond recognition.

Technology now allows customers to experience and evaluate brands on their own terms. That's why experiential marketing is important for building relationships with your audience. 

It’s no surprise that experiential marketing’s popularity has grown. According to an Event Marketer/Mosaic study, 85 percent of consumers buy from a brand after attending one of its events or participating in one of its experiences. On top of that, the same study found that 91 percent of respondents said that positive brand experiences left them with positive feelings about that brand afterward.