Kait Shea

In 2021, the industry’s longest-running recognition initiatives for the experiential industry became one supersized program at a luncheon gala during the Experiential Marketing Summit—the combined Ex Awards + Experience Design & Technology Awards. Here’s a taste of this year’s winning programs.

When Wisconsin Cheese made the decision to activate at this year’s virtual SXSW festival, members of its brand community, Cheeselandia, were the first to know. As brand VIPs, they’re given special access to all kinds of events, promotions and products in return for their fervent devotion. But Cheeselandia isn’t a rewards program or a pay-to-play […]

Some good news for a change: Retail store openings are outpacing closures this year. After the pandemic dealt what appeared to be a death blow to brick-and-mortar retail in 2020, the sector is quickly recovering and talk of the “retail apocalypse” is largely in the rearview window. Much of this revival can be attributed to […]

As the store-within-a-store trend continues to gain momentum, Sephora and Kohl’s have emerged as two key players. The launch of Sephora at Kohl’s is rolling out this year to more than 200 stores nationwide, and to boost awareness of the landmark partnership, the brands delivered a gamified, mobile-first activation outside their Ramsey, NJ location. Using […]

We’re calling it now: 2021 is officially the year of the mobile tour. The strategy has been leveraged for decades by brands of every stripe, but a deluge of b-to-c mobile programs hit the road this year as marketers grappled with the ever-changing COVID regulations and consumer safety concerns associated with traditional events.