Have you heard of experiential marketing?

Authors:
Ali Karpenko, Director of People 
Emily Dolber, Sr. Brand Marketing Director 

For many outside our industry, experiential marketing is not a familiar term. 

"I had never even heard of experiential marketing," admitted Ethan Markarian, one of our 2023 design interns who learned about OBE during an info session hosted by the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. Previously on track to pursue a career in architectural design, he fell in love with the creativity experiential marketing afforded in the realm of environmental design. As of this month, Ethan has accepted a full-time role at OBE as an Environmental Designer.

The field of experiential marketing offers a unique career path that merges creativity with strategy, technology, content creation, and live production—all held together with strong relationship building and communication skills. This combination of specialties allows us to craft impactful experiences that forge deep connections between brands and their audiences. Whether you’re studying and exploring career options or considering a career change—we encourage you to explore experiential marketing as an option.

What is experiential marketing?

Experiential marketing has historically been synonymous with live event marketing. But at OBE, we believe any way a brand engages people can, and should be, an experience. Your life is impacted by experiential marketing regularly—from the way a brand makes you feel, your interactions with brand on social media and, of course, physical environments where you experience that brand first-hand. From retail pop-ups and free samples at your local farmers market, to that must-attend event you saw on TikTok or Instagram-worthy Time’s Square stunt you stumbled upon—it is all experiential marketing!

Engagement can be between a brand and a consumer (B2C), a brand and a business—also known as business-to-business (B2B), or a brand and its employees (internal). Whether it's an immersive in-person activation, an engaging virtual experience, or a strategic blend of both, experiential marketing creates meaningful connections between brands and people.

To emphasize all that experiential marketing can be—here is a laundry list of tactics that fall within our realm: brand design, concerts, festivals, conferences and keynotes, content creation, exhibitions, hybrid events, influencer campaigns, interactive and technology solutions, holograms, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), internal events and celebrations, live streams, mobile marketing tours and roadshows, non-profit and cause marketing, pop-ups, press events and reveals, product launches, proprietary events, publicity stunts, races and competitions, retail, sampling and trialing, social campaigns, social media, sponsorship activations, sports marketing, strategy, talent management and partnerships, trade shows, digital design for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), virtual conferences, virtual events, websites and more!

How do I get into experiential marketing?

If you want to learn more about the field:

• Attend a brand experience produced by an experiential agency, such as ourselves.

• Apply to work as a brand ambassador at one of our events.

• Apply for an internship to get some hands-on experience and see if this is an arena you’d like to play in.

• Attend an industry event, such as SXSW or Experiential Marketing Summit.

• Do some online research—there's a wealth of content available showcasing award-winning experiential campaigns.

• Check out some of our previous experiences on our Work Page.

If you know you want to be in experiential marketing:

• Apply for open positions—we even have a general application for those who want to be kept in mind for future roles.

• If you haven’t worked in experiential marketing before—consider what skills and expertise you bring to the table that would be an asset and focus on that for your resume and interviews. Do you have production experience? Customer service skills? Experienced in design or CAD? Are you exceptionally detail oriented? Have you worked on the brand side?

• A degree is not required for all roles—but going back to school for marketing or design could be helpful depending on your area of interest.

What qualifications are required for an experiential marketing job?

There are a variety of departments that make up an experiential marketing agency, ranging from client services, production and design to operations and human resources. Some agencies, like ourselves, also have specialty departments in-house such as content creation and creative technology. Each department is unique in the skills required for each role, but all work closely together as a team to accomplish a common goal.

Desired knowledge, skills and abilities for experiential marketing roles:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Design or related field

• Natural curiosity—the drive to always be learning and growing, professionally and personally.

• High energy and flexibility in working non-traditional hours as needed (some nights and weekends as deadlines and/or event dates dictate).

• Willingness to work a hybrid schedule (up to 4 days in office) and travel up to 50% of the time.

• Additional role-specific competencies that are helpful may include creativity, communication, storytelling or technology.

What skills or previous work experience has our team found beneficial and easily translatable to experiential marketing?

“Before transitioning to the agency side, I worked in entertainment and sports marketing with Fox Sports International, Fox Networks and FUEL TV (an action sports network)," shares Sr. Brand Marketing Director of OBE, Emily Dolber. "My brand-focused background in a corporate environment fostered a deep empathy and understanding for the position my clients are often in, enabling me to anticipate their needs, streamline our collaborative processes, and deliver impactful solutions that aligned with their brand during my first nine years at OBE in a Sr. Account Director role.”

Here’s a few additional examples:

• Brand Marketing Manager > Account + Client Services

• Architect > Senior Environmental Designer

• Stage Manager > Production Director

• Staffing Manager > HR Manager

• Race Director > Sr. Director, Digital Product Management

• Executive Assistant > Strategy Director

Want to work with us or stay in touch?

• Apply for a position listed on our Careers Page.

• Send our People team a note using our Contact Form.

• Follow us on LinkedIn.