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BRAND EXPERIENCES ARE THE NEW R&D
Brand events and trips have become increasingly popular in recent years, mirroring the upward trend of influencer marketing. The experiences are designed to generate content, create buzz, and build relationships with their customers. While those goals still matter tremendously, I believe we are entering a new era of brand experiences and, with that, some additional goals may be relevant for more than just the marketing team. My guess is that companies will begin to use these events as a means of sharpening insights on their target customers. Brands are constantly fighting for attention in increasingly crowded markets, making the understanding of their customers one of the most valuable competitive advantages available. The best companies aren't just hosting events for their communities, but they are using those events to learn from them. While there is certainly opportunity to learn from your customers online via social media commentary, surveys, reviews, etc, nuance can get lost very easily online. Oftentimes people don't really know exactly what they want until they start talking it through. In person, conversations flow much more naturally. Something one of your customers mentions over dinner is likely to be more unfiltered, unexpected, and genuine than something they would have rushed through in an email thread.
It is less about getting the content creators with the highest engagement, and more about getting the ones that fit your niche best. A great example of a company putting this to the test is Rella, a collaboration content management platform. Rella founder, Natalie Barbu, mentioned in an Instagram reel that the company hosted a trip in Miami this past May,
and instead of making it a traditional influencer trip or a bland customer
appreciation event, they invited a group of social media managers who already actively use their platform. Through a mix of fun activities, group discussions, presentations, and time for informal conversations, this trip was hugely (and mutually) beneficial for the Rella team and their guests.
The most successful events of the next few years won't be the ones with the biggest budgets or the most impressive venues. They'll be the ones that create genuine exchanges between brands and the people they serve. The smartest companies won't leave an event with just photos and social content. Instead, they'll leave with a deeper understanding of their customers and a clearer vision for what to build next. 16
This puts a lot of pressure on making sure the invite list is carefully curated.
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