Budgets are lean and marketing leaders are consistently asked to do more with less. And, when it comes to experiential campaigns some brands look internally first or turn to PR partners because, on the surface, events might feel like public relations.

Media Contact
Melissa Burns
Director of Marketing & Communications
914-384-0945
mburns@inspiramarketing.com

Celebrating 50 years in distribution, HI-CHEW, the famous fruity chewy candy from Japan, was on the cusp of a U.S. breakthrough. The brand had secured strong national retail distribution and cultivated a passionate online fanbase known for hunting down elusive flavors, but despite that loyalty, mainstream awareness remained limited in the U.S. HI-CHEW wasn’t yet a household name; it was still in discovery.

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.

We all know that letting out a scream can sometimes feel ridiculous, but if done right, it can also make you feel ridiculously better. Yasso, Unilever’s popular frozen yogurt dessert brand, had recently introduced its largest advertising campaign in the company’s 12-year history, titled "Ridiculously Better," to promote their better-for-you desserts. Then, with tensions in the world seemingly at an all-time high, the Yasso team wanted to kick off an experience during Mental Health Awareness Month in May that would offer consumers the opportunity to participate in a ‘ridiculous experience,’ and also reinforce activities and dietary choices that would be beneficial for the mind, body, and soul.

There are a few things you can always count on during the Big Game: Snacks will be elite. Someone will burn something in the oven. Rivalry banter will be ruthless. And at least one person will claim they are “only watching for the football,” while never once looking up from their phone.

Most brands think they’re doing experiential marketing when they launch an Instagrammable pop-up or hand out free samples at a sporting event. But the truth is: tactics without strategy are just noise. They might create a quick spike in awareness, but it’s rarely anything that lasts.

Café Bustelo has always stood for living life passionately, inviting everyone to sip in the vibrant, magnetic energy of Latin culture, but as the brand prepared to debut a new line of roasts and flavors (Light, Medium, Dark, and Dulce de Leche), the moment called for more than an average product launch. It was an opportunity to extend Café Bustelo’s passionate following beyond its core audience and cultivate genuine relationships with a broader, mainstream consumer base.

Conventional marketing has always focused on the sale, but in today’s world, the wiser investment should be in the relationship that follows. Today’s consumers are armed with more choices and more skepticism than ever before, and while algorithms may know preferences, they don’t earn consumer trust.

International Delight has long been known for bringing the flavor to coffee moments with their robust lineup of creamers. But playing off some of the biggest trends in coffee culture—cold brew and cold foam—their newest cold foam creamer innovation was unlike any other product on the market, thanks to its two-in-one foaming and creaming technology that makes it easy for anyone to make coffeehouse-quality coffee drinks at home.