Experiential Marketing Trends: How Influencers Are Leading The Way

Today, influencers have emerged as pivotal players not just in digital marketing and social media marketing, but also in experiential marketing. Leveraging the authentic voices and broad reach of influencers, brands can craft immersive campaigns that resonate deeply with target audiences. Influencers, with their loyal followings and genuine engagement, bring a personal touch to marketing efforts, making experiences more relatable and impactful. By partnering with influencers, brands can amplify their message, foster meaningful connections, and drive consumer engagement in ways traditional advertising cannot. This synergy between influencers and experiential marketing is revolutionising how brands connect with and captivate their audiences.

Everything Experiential spoke to industry experts who discussed the efficacy of influencers in experiential marketing, how their participation can enhance experiential marketing efforts, the do’s and don’ts of involving them in experiential strategies and more.

Determining Efficacy

With the gush of influencers all over different types of media, one tends to wonder if getting influencers on board by brands is truly effective in experiential marketing.

Ramya Ramachandran, Founder & CEO, Whoppl believes that using influencers to drive experiential marketing initiatives is very effective, especially in India. “The market is growing at a significant rate and influencers have a dedicated & engaged following. Why does it work? Because of a broad reach, the credibility of influencers, hyper localisation of content, good quality and snackable video assets makes the consumer be a part of the brand experience.”

When influencers participate in or promote events, leverage physical gatherings, pop-up shops, and live performances etc. —whether physical gatherings or digital experiences—they bring their dedicated followers along for the ride. Ritesh Ujjwal, Co-founder, Kofluence speaks of the much talked about ‘phygital’ connect. “Their authentic experiences, documented and shared online, pique audience interest, fuel engagement, and generate social proof. The findings from Decoding Influence shed light on the significant role authenticity and social proof play in influencer marketing. Given that over 50 per cent of brand marketers prioritise these factors when choosing influencer partnerships, it's no wonder that incorporating influencers into experiential campaigns can be highly effective. This ‘phygital’ blend – the physical experience amplified by the digital world – is where I believe influencer marketing shines in experiential marketing.” 

Abhishek Vyas, Founder and CEO, My Haul Store fathoms that influencers have significant reach and influence, allowing brands to engage with a large, targeted audience. “Their authentic and relatable content helps create a deeper connection between the brand and consumers, enhancing the overall impact of the marketing campaign.”

Since time immemorial, experiential marketing initiatives in India have traditionally relied on celebrities to effectively engage with audiences. However, there has been a recent shift towards using influencers, or a combination of celebrities and influencers, in marketing strategies. “This change is driven by the higher return on investment (ROI) and broader reach that influencers provide. Influencers connect with audiences more effectively and are more willing to collaborate and participate in various activities designed by marketers. Celebrities often have restrictions regarding their involvement in these activities, whereas influencers are generally more flexible and open to experimentation. This willingness to engage allows influencers to create more interactive and engaging content, thereby enhancing the overall impact of experiential marketing campaigns,” understands Sourabh Kumar, Founder and CEO, VidUnit Media, a data-driven influencer marketing platform. 

The Enhancers

There are various ways in which experiential marketing efforts can be enhanced by onboarding influencers.

Ramachandran suggests that brands can rope in influencers by doing a thorough influencer brand fit and if they believe in the ethos, drive real-time interactions, create behind-the-scenes content which gives a detailed glimpse of the event other than the brand integration, collaboration with influencers at the event which can amplify the reach and probability of video going viral. 

By engaging influencers as active participants rather than mere endorsers with experiential marketing, brands can embody authenticity, resonating more deeply with their audience. 

Ujjwal states an instance - the Dollar Shave Club's pop-up barbershop campaign. They strategically invited male grooming influencers to experience the service first-hand and then shared their experiences with their engaged audiences. “This wasn't just product placement; it was a trusted voice endorsing an experience. By leveraging the influencers' voice, the campaign organically extended the brand's reach. Therefore, when executed well, integrating influencers into the brand experience can elevate experiential marketing from a one-time event to a potentially viral phenomenon.” 

Moreover, a major advantage of social media influencers is their presence across nearly every industry. “For any niche, there is an influencer with a dedicated following interested in that specific topic. Essentially, influencers can effectively communicate your message directly to the people who are most likely to be interested,” Ujjwal adds.

Their storytelling ability helps convey the brand's message more compellingly, making the experience more memorable for their followers, believes Vyas.

The multi-platform engagement and ‘phygital’ connect allows brands to bond with audiences more effectively, enhancing the experiential campaign’s reach and authenticity.

Kumar recalls a car brand campaign done by him and VidUnit Media wherein they decided to bring some influencers to a remote location. “During the activity, we suggested they go live and show detailed information about their visit to their fans and also have fun while trying their hands at the new car launch, which in return gave a tremendous boost to the campaign.”

The Do’s & Don’ts

The industry experts unanimously agreed on two do’s – influencer-brand fit and authenticity. “One must look at influencer brand fit - just like product-market fit, influencer brand fit is also essential. Also, let influencers stay authentic as per their tonality as they get more relatable with authenticity,” elaborates Ramachandran.

“Don't just invite influencers to your party – make them co-hosts. This collaborative spirit fosters a deeper connection with the brand and allows them to become storytellers, not simply walking mouthpieces,” underlines Ujjwal. 

The don’ts were quite obvious too. “Micromanaging influencer’s content as a lot of guidelines will just make it extremely branded and very brand focussed instead of organic,” feels Ramachandran.

She goes on, “It is a myth that influencers with bigger fan following have greater reach. Also, ⁠influencers who have worked with a competing brand in the recent past - their objective, demographics and geography might differ from yours and hence you shouldn't consider influencers that have worked with your competition.”

Vyas brings out, “Avoid short-term partnerships; instead, aim for longer collaborations to build trust and credibility.”

With the whole deal about influencers being held up by the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci), Kumar underscores that brands shouldn’t overlook legal considerations such as FTC guidelines for disclosing sponsored content. “Ensure the influencer is aware of their obligations and follows the rules.” 

The Ones that caught the Eye

Ramachandran personally liked the campaign of Levi’s - I shape my world. “The brand collaborated with female influencers and activists to share stories of empowerment and resilience. The campaign fostered a strong sense of community and engagement among women and the beauty of the campaign was each story was unique and empowering in its own way.”

Ujjwal bets on Kofluence’s strong tech infrastructure. He recollects a notable campaign executed by them for Domino's India during the pandemic, wherein they combined influencer marketing with a creative AR filter at a time when such strategies were still relatively novel. “By focusing on hyper-localisation and topical themes, we engaged over 700 influencers to promote Domino's initiatives and delectable offerings, resulting in an impressive reach of 8.4 per cent. Similarly, our campaign with Netflix for the film ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ showcased the power of AR by integrating scannable QR code murals, complemented by the endorsement of 50 macro influencers.”

Beyond immersive experiences, Kofluence has also helped amplify multiple event-based campaigns. Ujjwal talks about their current work with Husqvarna. “For the launch of their new motorcycles, we devised a strategic amplification of this event series across key Indian cities by implementing a multi-layered influencer outreach program. This program encompassed a diverse range of influencers, from nano-influencers to established macro-influencers. This mix ensured comprehensive reach and resonated with audiences on a granular level. The resulting campaign has garnered significant traction, trending across social media platforms as influencers enthusiastically promote the Husqvarna events.”

My Haul Store, too, has successfully utilised influencers for various clients by hosting exclusive product launches and live events where influencers share their genuine experiences. For example, during a recent tribute to Virat Kohli on his birthday, an event from Puma, My Haul Store invited top influencers to make videos on the unique tribute, allowing them to explore and showcase the tribute first-hand. “Their engaging content and live updates created a significant buzz, driving traffic and engagement on social media, and effectively creating an impact on King Kohli’s birthday tribute by our client Puma,” articulated Vyas.

For the launch of the Duolingo app in the Telugu language, VidUnit Media invited top influencers like Varshini Sounderajan, Prashanth Práshú, Sri Satya, and RJ Surya from Hyderabad to participate in a special event. “One of the popular rappers Rolls Rida, created a rap song in Telugu centred around Duolingo. During the event, the influencers curated both online and offline content, performed rap songs, engaged with the audience, and participated in various activities and games designed to demonstrate the app’s features.,” outlined Kumar.

In conclusion, the integration of influencers into experiential marketing continues to be highly effective in enhancing brand engagement and reach. As the landscape continues to evolve, the ‘phygital’ blend of physical and digital experiences will remain a cornerstone of experiential marketing, driven by the influential voices of today’s social media stars.

Neha Kalra

BW Reporters She is the Senior Editorial Lead at Businessworld and majorly covers pieces on advertising, marketing, branding and experiential marketing. She writes closely for BW Marketing World and Everything Experiential.