Experiential marketing steadily grew in popularity during the pandemic. With so many restrictions going on, brands had to learn to market their products and services online instead of on-site. This meant adopting a lot of tactics that were previously unheard of, and many brands were successful for it because they managed to work the online world to their advantage.

Here are the various experiential marketing endeavors we saw these past few years. Take note of them, as Drive Traffic Media, a Los Angeles SEO expert, predicts they’re not going away soon!

Using Advanced AR Technology

Augmented reality (AR) technology allows consumers to interact with products without actually having to be there. It’s a fun and personalized way of going shopping, and many commercial websites were already utilizing this technology even before the pandemic hit.

AR technology lets people browse through products and “try” them out online. Sephora, for example, has a Virtual Artist feature that lets you upload your face onto their system. Then, you can try out various makeup and skincare products to see what they look like on you.

Another excellent example of this is IKEA. They’ve got AI technology that lets people see their furniture against different-colored backdrops and rooms to see how well they go together.

AR technology completely revolutionized the way people shopped online. From here on out, brands need to adopt the same technologies on their website lest they get left behind by their competitors.

Hosting Virtual Events

As a result of COVID-19, many industries had to adjust to doing things online. Classes, office meetings, seminars, and plenty of other in-person events had to be conducted on Zoom, Skype, Instagram, and other streaming platforms. Thankfully, many other businesses also hopped on the bandwagon and marketed their products and services there.

For example, one of the biggest losses for the music industry in 2020 was concerts. People weren’t allowed to get out for non-essential activities, let alone with thousands of other people! Thus, musicians had to improvise by holding concerts online instead. Many musicians like Justin Bieber, BTS, and The Weeknd participated in online concerts.

Not only did they manage to interact with fans, but they also saved a ton of money. They didn’t have to pay for concert venues, organizers, ticket offices, and other miscellaneous fees anymore. Both musicians and fans enjoyed the concert experience from the safety of their own homes. It’s safe, affordable, and super convenient, and we predict that it’ll become a new normal even as the COVID-19 restrictions ease up.

Meeting Audiences Online

One of the industries that flourished during the pandemic was the gaming industry. With nothing to do outside, people chose to explore new worlds online through games like Genshin Impact, Valorant, Fortnite, Minecraft, and more. Plenty of brands saw the gaming industry for what it was worth and used it to their advantage.

For example, Among Us was undoubtedly the hottest game of 2020. Developed by Inner Sloth, it involves eight to ten players, one or two of which are imposters. The objective of the game is to avoid getting killed by the imposters and figuring out who they are, thus saving the ship and the crewmates. The game gained massive popularity during the pandemic, generating millions of views on YouTube and Twitch.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez utilized the game’s popularity among the younger generation to encourage them to vote in the 2020 presidential elections. She invited popular Twitch streamers and played several rounds of the game with them, emphasizing the importance of a vote when identifying imposters. It was definitely a fun and memorable way of delivering her message.

Conclusion

You always need to be on top of the latest trends and technologies if you want to be on top of your food chain. Hopefully, you’ve learned a lot from this article and have found your next big project to take your business to the next level.

Check out the related article here: https://www.drivetrafficmedia.net/popular-seo-trends-in-2019/