The findings come ahead of the Pearlfinders Global Index 2015 being published this week, which is an analysis based on annual interviews with 10,000 marketing budget holders from across Europe, the USA and Asia, with more than 5,000 based in the UK.
Mike Thorne, editor of the Pearlfinders Global Index, told Event the rise is down to experiential forming part of the wider marketing picture, as well as the authenticity of live brand experiences. "There’s something about live settings that really resonate with younger, millennial consumers," he explained. "Experiential is also increasingly being used to activate social media campaigns, therefore, being more integrated into the marketing mix."
Pearlfinders also reported that experiential now accounts for more than 7% of all briefs, compared with 4% in 2014 – the second biggest increase after marketing research/strategy.
According to the latest findings, wealth disparity is directly influencing the proportion of brands targeting high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in the UK, with 8.8% of all experiential briefs aiming to reach this type of consumer. The number of brands looking to use experiential to specifically target this audience has more than doubled from last year.
The findings also highlight that only half as many brands in the financial and banking sector are seeking to align themselves with music properties, such as festivals and music events.
"All of the above points to a healthy year for experiential," Thorne said. "There are good economic indicators for the next 12 months, and consumers’ returning financial confidence means that they have more money in their wallets and so there will be bigger opportunities for live brand experiences. Agencies and their clients will still be cautious with the impending General Election in May."
Find out more about the experiential marketing trends forecasted for 2015 by Pearlfinders in today’s .
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