Cisco’s flagship annual customer conference has been a pillar of its portfolio for 20 years, but nothing rocked its foundation like the economic recession of 2009. Founded in 1984, the San Jose, CA-based maker of networking hardware and software had weathered the dot-com boom and bust with relative ease, but for the first time in its history, faced unprecedented concerns about attendee turnout—and attendee revenue—at its largest event, Cisco Live!

Making consumers work to be part of a brand engagement seems counterintuitive, but brands like Canadian Club Whisky, Starwood Hotels and Red Bull are doing just that.

The secret to their success is a modern twist on an old idea—a scavenger hunt that integrates the web with the real world for a series of branded experiences filled with clues, chases and great prizes.

In 1967, Canadian Club Whisky began hiding cases of its whisky around the world and sponsoring hunts in which consumers competed to find them. This year, the brand has resurrected its Hide A Case program to challenge consumers to find one of its 43-year-old lost cases.

The preliminary competition began May 17 and continues until July 9. Competitors of legal drinking age register at hideacase.com and each week they are challenged to solve a puzzle, which, if correct will earn them 10 points and the right to proceed to the next round of competition.

Green Mountain Coffee is connecting with consumers and sampling its caffeinated brew this summer on its first-ever mobile tour. Through Sept. 15, the brand will be visiting fairs, festivals, malls and high-traffic locations across the Northeast to raise awareness for its coffee and promote its Keurig single-serve coffee brewing system. Attendees will get a chance to try the brand’s signature coffee and share their coffee revelations inside a nine-foot tall booth built to look like a hot cup of Green Mountain Coffee.

As part of its HP LaserJet Pays You Back global marketing campaign, entrepreneur and heiress Ivanka Trump and “The Apprentice” winner Bill Rancic on June 24 hosted an HP Payback event in New York City.