On July 10, the Rethink Connect Experiential Marketing Symposium, which was founded by Dalia Strum, Continuing and Professional Studies, was held in New York. The invite-only event was attended by more than 100 professionals and featured discussions led by business leaders from Google, Refinery29, Ritz-Carlton, the Miami Marlins, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, DVF, and Maman.
Speakers at the event shared brand strategies and ways to create positive brand connections that increase trust and conversion rates. Industry leaders and creatives discussed the value of shareable moments in retail environments, how companies are using experiences to boost brand awareness among new consumer audiences, and how white-glove service and “wow” moments help increase brand loyalty.
Kelly Markus, vice president of Experiential Marketing at Refinery29, a digital media company that focuses on young women, described the link between experiences and sales in a panel called “How Immersive Marketing Experiences Can Captivate Event Audiences.” She shared that Refinery29 created an immersive storytelling experience called “29Rooms” to celebrate its 10th anniversary. An interactive, museum-like, pop-up experience, 29Rooms explores pop culture, brands, music, art, and fashion. Markus described it as the company’s “small circus, its small funhouse” and said that it travels to different cities. Refinery29’s experiential marketing team spent hours brainstorming and used thousands of sticky notes while creating the initial concept for 29Rooms, Markus said. The result was an entrance line for the first pop-up that was seven hours long. A big appeal of 29Rooms is the Instagrammable moments offered throughout each of the rooms, Markus said.
For more information, contact Strum, (347) 236-0485.