You convinced your CMO to invest in a brand experience at a music festival. You built the booth, made the investment in the merch, and stocked the samples. Some people showed up, picked up a few samples, left the swag, and...walked away.
What went wrong?
The issue isn’t the medium…it’s the execution.
In our latest whitepaper, What Gen Z Really Wants from Brand Activations, we surveyed Gen Z consumers to understand what drives their behavior at live events. The results were clear and consistent.
- 65% say entertainment value (live music, games, creatively driven photo moments) is what makes them feel connected to a brand at an event.
- 61% report being more likely to purchase after attending a brand activation.
- 93% feel more connected to a brand after an activation
This isn’t about passive impressions. It’s about strategically engineered connection that drives measurable outcomes.
Gen Z is the most brand-aware, culturally fluent generation we’ve ever seen. They’ve grown up with ads, algorithms, and curated personas. They don’t need another pitch. They’re looking for something that feels real and worth their time.
From the audience:
“If it’s just a booth and some samples, I’m out.”
“The best activations are fun, have a vibe, and make me feel like I’m part of it.”
“I want to learn about the brand, but not like a pitch. Just tell me a story.”
At Inspira, we design experiential strategies that go beyond “showing up.” We build immersive brand moments that deliver engagement, content creation, purchase intent, and loyalty.
With Gen Z’s global spending power projected to reach $33 trillion by 2027, brands can’t afford to treat experiential as a one-off tactic. It’s part of an integrated strategy for building relevance, relationships, and driving ROI.
Download the full whitepaper today for more insights and framework for building brand activations that work to build genuine connections with Gen Z. Plus, we're always open for a chat. Let's discuss ideas.
