9fbtechreview.comOCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2025I need to ensure that energy translates from the person creating the content to the person consuming it. You can use trends, great photography or video, but the key is that the passion behind it comes through. That's what builds momentum. That's what makes people want to engage with you, not just once but again and again.Experiences Built to Be SharedI see experiential marketing evolving well beyond where it started. It used to be about sampling or offering people a direct experience with the brand, almost a one-to-one exchange. That's still valuable, but it's grown into something bigger.The real power of experiential marketing is in creating experiences that people want to capture and share. That's how a live event becomes thousands of authentic stories amplifying your brand. It's not just about what happens in the moment; it's about creating something that lives on through the content people put into the world. When you plan an event or a campaign with that in mind, you can turn hundreds of individual experiences into thousands of pieces of content, each amplifying the brand personally and authentically.So, over the next couple of years, I think the best experiential marketing will be designed with that dual purpose; creating a meaningful live experience and building it in a way that invites people to share it. That's how you maximise visibility and make the brand part of conversations far beyond the original event.Thinking Like a ConsumerIf I were advising peers, colleagues or people coming up in hospitality marketing, I'd say to always think like a consumer first. I spent much time looking outside hospitality and asking myself why I feel connected to certain brands. What makes me loyal to them? How are they speaking to me? What does their marketing look and feel like?That lens is essential because in hospitality, we're all essentially saying the same baseline. We have a great restaurant, great food and excellent service. But the real question is, what's beyond that? Why do we exist outside of the obvious? What's our personality, tone of voice and role in people's lives?For me, building a brand is about making those cultural and emotional connections. It's about tapping into pop culture, storytelling, the partnerships we choose and the occasions we fit into. If you can articulate what you stand for beyond food and drink, people won't just come for a meal; they'll feel part of something bigger.I'd warn against the common trap of stopping at the basics. Food and service should always be excellent, but that alone won't create real brand engagement. To build a true following, you must be clear about why you exist and ensure every touchpoint reflects that. You can use trends, great photography or video, but the key is that the passion behind it comes through. That's what builds momentum. That's what makes people want to engage with you, not just once but again and again
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