Reviews are embedded in the consumer shopping experience today, and experiential brands are embracing them with open arms. This year, IRL spaces for real opinions, unfiltered reactions and the freedom to speak openly are cropping up. It’s the antitheses of polished, and the antidote for feed fatigue. Let’s explore “the permission” to be honest in action.
Data on AI Disruption
HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing Report argues that “as AI gets smarter, it allows marketers to be more human.” According to its findings, marketers say AI tools increase productivity, but that soft skills, like emotional intelligence, are becoming a competitive advantage. In the study, 63% of marketers agreed that they “need more unique, human-centered content to stand out.”
Experiential Case Studies
Earlier this year, Dove invited Redditors to try its Intensive Repair hair mask, and then shared (with permission) the first 50 reviews “exactly as written,” criticism and all. The brand then popped up larger-than-life product builds in New York City that featured some of those comments. “Beyond the numbers, the engagement showed that consumers are highly receptive to seeing the full spectrum of opinion laid out openly, particularly in a category like beauty which is so often dominated by curated content,” said Emily Barfoot, head of Dove US for beauty and wellbeing, in a Unilever news post.
In August, organic juice brand Honest Kids activated on back-to-school season with a pop-up confessional at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. There, the brands asked kids for “hot takes” on not the product itself, but on their parents (they earned sips of juice in return). The stunt helped promote the brand’s limited-edition packaging that included blank space for parents to write lunchbox notes for their children.
And last month, Outback Steakhouse announced it was “turning everyday diners into the newest voices” of its Best Steaks Ever campaign via interactive Spokesbooth cameras installed in select restaurants that will capture “authentic first-bite reactions.” The brand plans to use some reactions on social channels and in future campaign content… unafraid of a little heat, especially when the feedback is comin’ in hot.
The Trend of the Week is coproduced with the support of Pinnacle.
