In this blog from emc3, we explore how to turn your activation into a stronger reason to buy.
First, earn the afternoon
Eventbrite’s 2026 Social Study found that 79% of surveyed 18–35-year-olds planned to attend more events in 2026, while 89% wanted events that connected them to their local community.
That appetite is fuelling a wider conversation about the value of being together. Forbes has framed it as a “third space boom”, while VIVA Creative’s July Human Connection in an AI World event explored why in-person experiences could become more valuable as AI transforms work. For brands, the practical question is where they can make that time together more worthwhile.
Encouraging if you have an experiential budget, but it doesn’t mean people will automatically show up for whatever you put in front of them. Your activation is competing with a gig, a run club, dinner with friends, a market, the pub or an afternoon on the sofa.
Even free entry asks for an investment: travel, time and whatever else someone could have done. The brief needs a convincing answer to “Why would they choose this?” Perhaps they’ll discover something, learn a skill or have a brilliant time with their friends.
“We’re launching something” is your reason for being there. They need one too.
Then give your product a proper part to play
Once you know what makes the experience appealing, connect that appeal to your brand. Otherwise, you risk creating an experience people love, but can’t remember which brand made it happen.
Here’s a useful test: if we swapped your logo for another brand’s, would the idea still work the same? If yes, we’ve probably got more thinking to do.
For a drinks brand, flavour and occasion can shape the experience. A beauty brand might help someone master a product they’ve never understood. A homeware brand could help people make something they’re proud to take home.
The research gives that product interaction some commercial weight – 61% of consumers surveyed by EventTrack said interacting with a brand at an event made them more inclined to purchase. Trying the product and understanding it were the two leading reasons among those reporting increased purchase intent.
Plus, there’s plenty of room to be playful. The creative should give people a stronger sense of what makes your product interesting, useful or desirable. Give them a story they can tell with your product still in it. And let them enjoy it. If trying the product requires a sign-up, a photo and a hashtag, your lovely afternoon starts feeling suspiciously like homework. Choose the interaction that matters most and give it room to work.
Don’t let them forget you
Someone loved the drink. Will they recognise the can on the shelf next week? They’ve finally understood the skincare routine. Can they find the right products? They’ve discovered their new favourite snack. Is it stocked nearby?
Our recommendation: plan for someone to meet your product in one place and look for it in another. The pack they handled should be easy to recognise online. The serve they enjoyed should be easy to recreate. The product information should take seconds to find. Those details belong in the brief. You’ve paid to create interest. Don’t leave the customer to finish the marketing plan.
And the next step may involve someone who wasn’t even there. 82% of attendees surveyed by EventTrack said they told friends or family about their interaction with a brand. Give them a product name, a useful referral or a next event they can easily pass on.
If the aim is an ongoing relationship, give people a reason to return. Another session, useful advice or access to something they care about. “Join our community” sets an expectation that a weekly discount email probably won’t fulfil.
A one-off activation can do excellent work driving trial. Building a community requires continued attention. Be clear about what you’re asking people to join and what you’re prepared to keep delivering.
Now you have a business case.
You can explain why this audience would participate, how the experience makes the product relevant and what you want to happen next. That gives the budget a clear job – and helps you decide where to spend it.
If trial leads, invest in the quality of the product interaction and track trials among your target audience and any subsequent redemptions. If understanding matters, assess what people learned. If repeat participation is the goal, look at who comes back.
A sample handed out isn’t automatically a customer won. A busy opening day won’t tell you whether anyone wants a second visit. Agree what a worthwhile result looks like before the creative gets expensive.
At Boston Experiential Group, part of emc3 Collective, we see ambition and investment work best when they come together: an experience people choose to spend time with, a product they have a reason to remember, and a next step they can actually take.