Observed Signal · Sep 2, 2026 · Other · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Canva's Knowles: Experiential marketing enters its imagination era
In an interview with The Drum, Jimmy Knowles, global head of experiential marketing at Canva and jury president of The Drum Awards for Experiential, argues that experiential marketing is gaining strategic importance as AI commoditizes digital content and production value. Knowles says brands are moving from one-off activations to recurring 'standing platforms' such as Canva Create. He advocates measuring success through 'return on emotion' rather than attendance or impressions, and notes that experiential is one of Canva's lowest-cost acquisition channels, though measurement infrastructure still lags finance-team expectations. As AI-generated spectacle becomes cheap, Knowles believes trust and earned community become the key differentiators, and that awards should reward sharp ideas over large production budgets.
Thought-leadership piece on experiential marketing's strategic shift amid AI-driven content commoditization; relevant to brand marketers but contains no concrete business or product announcements.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Jimmy Knowles is global head of experiential marketing at Canva and jury president for The Drum Awards for Experiential.
- Knowles says AI is commoditizing production value, making in-person experiences rarer and more valuable.
- Canva uses a 'return on emotion' measure focused on advocacy, conversion, and return behavior.
- Knowles states experiential is one of Canva's lowest cost-per-acquisition channels.
- Knowles argues experiential awards often favor the biggest budgets, not the best thinking.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Experiential Marketing Enters an 'Effectiveness Era'
Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray of Spiro argues that experiential marketing is moving beyond the question of whether live experiences work to understanding which design choices drive measurable business outcomes. Drawing on Spiro’s Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) and its follow-up research, the article highlights evidence linking live experiences to trust, advocacy, purchase intent and conversion. The piece stresses that human interactions — notably knowledgeable staff conversations — and active attendee participation are strong drivers of trust and purchase intent. The author calls for more intentional measurement and design (not the replacement of creativity) so marketers can optimize events for specific outcomes rather than rely solely on attendance or impressions.
The Experience Is Now the Product
Adweek argues that live, physical experiences have shifted from supplementary activations to core brand products as audiences seek real-time, emotional moments. The piece highlights growing demand for live sport attendance and experiential retail pop-ups from brands like Ralph Lauren, Dior and Rhode. It notes SailGP is launching a new hospitality offering, VELA Prive, at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. The article positions AI as an enabling tool for personalization and friction reduction but emphasizes that memorable human moments remain central. For CMOs, the shift creates opportunities to deepen loyalty through intentional, creative experiences while requiring investment, courage, and a focus on long-term brand equity over short-term metrics.
Canva Report: Marketers Embrace AI, Consumers Worry
Canva released the third edition of “The State of Marketing and AI,” a study conducted with The Harris Poll that surveyed 1,415 marketing leaders and 3,547 consumers across seven countries. The report finds near-universal marketer adoption of AI for creative work (97% use AI daily) and almost all plan to raise AI budgets in 2026 (99%). At the same time, consumers express mistrust and discomfort with AI-generated ads — 70% say such ads are “missing their soul,” 87% say the best advertising still needs a human touch, and 74% would feel more comfortable if formal policies governed AI use. The study highlights time savings and organizational impact from AI (89% save ≥4 hours/week) while warning of risks like generic, emotionally flat “AI slop.” Canva emphasizes governance, creative judgment, and intentional integration as priorities as AI scales in marketing.
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