Observed Signal · Jun 25, 2026 · Research Report · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
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.
Provides measurement-backed evidence that experiential marketing drives trust, advocacy and purchase intent — useful for budget conversations and for shifting industry focus from proving value to optimizing experience design, but not a major platform policy or industry‑shifting development.
Track Cannes Lions Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Author Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray published the opinion piece on The Drum on 2026-06-25.
- Spiro’s Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) found clear links between live experiences and business outcomes including trust, advocacy, purchase intent and conversion.
- Spiro’s next-phase EMIR research focuses on why some experiences produce stronger outcomes than others and which design choices drive those results.
- Nearly half of attendees surveyed cited knowledgeable staff as increasing their trust in the brand; active participation correlated with significantly higher purchase intent versus passive observation.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“As thousands of marketers descend on Cannes Lions, I’ve found myself reflecting on a conversation our industry has been having for years......”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Spiro's New EMIR Research Reveals Impactful Brand Experience Design
Spiro, a global experiential agency, released the second wave of its Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR), titled 'The Deeper Dive' (September 25, 2026). Based on a study of 2,000 additional in-person event attendees across B2B and B2C sectors, the report pinpoints design choices that make brand experiences more effective. Key findings show that competent staff boost brand trust for 43% of attendees, clear benefits attract 40%, and active participation drives purchase intent—85% of highly engaged attendees are more likely to buy. Beyond proving effectiveness, Spiro introduces the 'Era of Effectiveness' to shift focus to understanding why experiences work. An EMIR toolkit, including a maturity assessment workbook and finance dialogue guide, helps marketers apply these insights.
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'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.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.