Brands are shelling out on activations to catch consumer attention at music festivals, sporting events, and shopping malls. But as experiential volume grows, so do audience standards.

• 41% of US ad buyers expect to spend more on in-person and experiential marketing in 2026, according to an IAB study.
• Between 2024 and 2025, experiential and sponsorship had the highest increase in budget of all offline channels (12.0%), according to Winterberry Group data.

“[Gen Z] just wants to feel… and you don't make them feel by scaling your boring print ad from a magazine into a mall,” said Kristen Jackman, senior vice president of Westfield Rise.

Brands are considering how to make their in-person touchpoints unexpected and memorable while building long-term experiential strategies. As they grapple with turning popups into repeatable concepts, they face measurement gaps and unpredictability distinct from digital marketing.

Experiential as a retail standout

To stand out in the grocery space, Monte Fine Foods wrestled with its proposition beyond sauce and pasta products.

Building that brand distinction comes with offering experiences rooted in hospitality, said PJ Monte, CEO and founder of Monte’s Fine Foods. The brand has built activations that range from a private Montauk dinner cohosted with Casamigos, to a menu partnership with fast casual restaurant chain Sweet Chick.

At a higher price point than budget sauces, the brand could preach ingredient quality, but another way to get consumers to break old habits and build new loyalties is through brand partnerships and events.

“I kind of hate the term 'lifestyle brand' because I think it's bastardized, but I think we really are the epitome of the lifestyle brand,” Monte said. “At the end of the day, the real mission of the company is to sell Sunday dinner in a jar.”

More than photo ops and social posts

Consumers, and especially Gen Z, are looking for in-person experiences from brands. Some 90% appreciate brands that facilitate real-world connection, and 87% want brands to involve them in the creative process, according to a March Hello Sunshine and Westfield Rise report.

While social engagement is an indicator of success, Westfield Malls are shifting clients from buzzy events that are built around social media to more involved experiences.

“Most people go with photo op experiences, which is great, but taking it a step further is really important,” said Kristen Jackman, senior vice president of Westfield Rise.

This was the mall’s approach for an activation with Apple TV, where attendees could design personalized merch inspired by one of the streaming service’s series.

“We’re trying to train brands to think in real life first and then social second,” she said.

For an activation with Minecraft, the goal was sustainability and repeatability. After using the set for a multi-day fan event in Westfield Century City, the brand handed out pieces to attendees and partners.

“I see so many brands spending millions of dollars building these things, they use it for two days, and they tear it down and it goes in the trash,” said Jackman.

Making experiential products stretch also supports event ROI, said Jackman, referring to activations at events like Coachella.

“Take it on the road and to everybody else,” she said. “You’re watching it on Instagram, but are you really connecting with it? What we’re trying to do is change the game with experiential that is scalable and repeatable.”

From pop-ups to permanence

A main challenge of experiential is not knowing who attendees actually are.

“Brands that are spending on live events sponsorships don't have a great sense of who is actually in the building, and the teams don’t have really great data to share back to those brands and sponsors,” said Cole Rubin, cofounder and CEO of FanFeed, referring specifically to sporting events.

Better audience data is an investment in more curated experiences, said Rubin.

“From a consumer standpoint, they want the most hyperpersonalized experience possible,” he said.

Beyond audience identification, defending an experiential budget means defining business goals, which have evolved from social platform impressions to tangible objectives.

“How many people do you want there, how much do you want to sell, and how much do you want to give out?” said Jackman. “Getting really clear on those metrics because a lot of times, people aren’t actually clear on what success looks like.”

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