Experiential marketing taps into consumers’ fear of missing out (FOMO), the desire to create fond memories and the ability to connect with others who have similar interests. While these activations serve to inform consumers about a product or service, attendees are more inclined to not only participate, but help promote. This is especially true for millennials—eight out of 10 value experiences over physical purchases.

Sharing The Brand Love

A recent study by EventTrack revealed that 98 percent of consumers capture content at live events, and 100 percent of those who capture content share it across their social media networks. While 83 percent of consumers share content from events up to 15 times—nearly half (47 percent) would prefer to share content they captures versus content fed to them by a brand.

For the 25th annual Lollapalooza music festival, Toyota was on-hand with an exclusive, pop-up concert that was accessible only to festival-goers who used Toyota’s limited-time “golden ticket” Snapchat geo-filter. Toyota’s “25th Hour” surprise concert featured performances by Grammy-nominated recording artist Leon Bridges and Outkast rapper Big Boi.

While not all updates shared on social media had anything to do with cars, the activation proved to be a fun way for attendees to show off their latest adventure.

A Sense Of Community

Eventbrite reports that 69 percent of millennials believe attending events makes them feel more connected to other people, the community and the world. Millennials aren’t alone in this sentiment, however—when Netflix surprised Gilmore Girls fans with a pop-up Luke’s diner at their local coffee shops, long lines were made fun through camaraderie.

“It ended up being great because everyone in the line was so happy,” wrote Danielle Trullo, a journalist for Cosmopolitan after attending an event in New York City. “They all love Gilmore Girls and their childhood dreams were coming true.”

Getting To Know You

A report by the Event Marketer showed that after attending an activation, 98 percent of consumers feel more inclined to purchase, 74 percent have a better opinion about a brand and 70 percent become regular customers.

Taco Bell teamed up with Sony to create a pop-up VR arcade in New York, allowing anyone to try the new PSVR for themselves and get some free tacos while they were at it.

Making Memories

Seventy-seven percent of millennials say some of the best memories of their life have been made at live events.

Ahead of Dishonored 2, Bethesda hosted a scavenger hunt around London. One of the items participants could find was an invitation to Karnaca Supper Club, a Dishonored-themed banquet on November 4. The activation, hosted by GrubHub, was a huge success and those who attended showed up in cosplay and posted dozens of times across social media. One couple even got engaged at the dinner table.

Getting Involved

Engaged consumers spend more, and 65 percent of brands say that their event and experiential programs are directly related to sales, according to Event Marketer. The company also reports that 77 percent of marketers use experiential marketing as a vital part of a brand’s advertising strategies. Experiential marketing not only provides an opportunity for fans to spread the word online, but for brands to engage with them to create lasting relationships.

According to Twitter, customers are willing to spend anywhere from 3-to-20 percent more on items from a business that engages with them through Twitter. In addition, those who receive responses on the social platform are 30 percent more likely to recommend the brand to others, and 44 percent more likely to share their experience online and off.