70+ Experiential Marketing Statistics You Should in 2025

Experiential marketing goes beyond selling products; it’s about creating interactions that resonate deeply with your audience. By focusing on how customers perceive and engage with your brand through immersive events, personalized demos, or interactive campaigns, you’re not just marketing; you’re building relationships.

In an era where consumers crave authentic connections, experiential marketing offers a powerful way to rise above traditional advertising, delivering unforgettable experiences that inspire loyalty and drive results. Many businesses conduct in-person events with the help of event marketing software to put experiential marketing strategies into action. 

This article dives into the latest statistics on experiential marketing, showcasing its impact on brand perception, customer engagement, and ROI. 

Key experiential marketing statistics

Marketers from all walks of life are optimistic about experiential marketing. They believe that nothing else matters except the experience. This is fuelling a period of unprecedented growth in the industry. Take a look at the numbers showing this:  

• Global spending on experiential marketing is projected to hit $128.4 billion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
• Seven out of 10 Fortune 1000 marketers are increasing their experiential marketing spending in 2025.
• B2C companies are expected to spend $90.3 billion on experiential marketing in 2024, a 10.3% increase from 2023.
• B2B companies are spending an estimated $38 billion on experiential marketing in 2024, marking an 11% growth over the previous year.
• The United States remains the world’s largest market in 2023, spending $52.80 billion in spending and commanding 45.5% of global spending on experiential marketing.
• US spending on experiential marketing is set to rise 12% in 2024, fueled by the Paris Olympics and the 2024 presidential elections.
• The experiential marketing service market is projected to grow to $57 billion by 2027.
  

Top event types and investment trends in experiential marketing

Understanding the top event types and investment trends provides valuable insights into how companies are allocating resources to maximize impact. From ticketed events to innovative brand activations, these trends highlight where brands are putting their dollars to drive meaningful connections and lasting impressions.

• 51% of companies plan to increase their experiential marketing investment from 2024 through 2026.
• Brands are investing between $500,000 and $1 million a year in experiential marketing.
• 37% of businesses invested in ticketed events in 2023, making this the top event type.
• Nearly a third of brands invested in brand or field activation events and another third invested in brand home tours as par of their experiential marketing strategy in 2023.
• Among various brand activation strategies, sporting events top the list, with 51% of brands investing in them in 2023.
• Other popular brand activations include festivals (39%), sponsorships (38%), pop-ups (36%), community events (33%) and product samplings (26%).
• 73% of companies held in-person events in 2023.

• 92% of marketers plan to strengthen their post-event attendee follow-up this year to improve event return on investment (ROI). 
• 77% of marketers are focusing on building year-round engagement with attendees.
• However, 68% of marketers note the cost of running an in-person event post the pandemic has increased.

The success of experiential marketing

Brands and businesses relying upon experiential marketing are on a growth trajectory. Read on for some success stories to see its potential benefits.

• When it comes to evaluating the success of experiences, ticket sales (47%) stand out as the most commonly used metric, closely followed by the number of consumers engaged or attended (44%).
• Other significant metrics include data points collected from consumers (37%), marketing opt-ins collected (34%), post-event product sales (30%), social mentions/shares (27%), net promoter score (NPS) (20%), loyalty program sign-ups (11%).
• 44% of marketers measure the success of an experiential marketing campaign based on the number of people who attend it.
• Over 60% of marketers who have hosted in-person, virtual, and hybrid events found in-person gatherings most effective for driving revenue.
• Two in every three marketers believe experiential marketing allows businesses to reach their goals.
• 72% of marketers believe they miss significant opportunities by not incorporating experiential campaigns in their marketing strategies.
• 84% believe experiential marketing is a crucial marketing strategy and that events make their company stand out among the competition. 
• Experiential marketing that involves trade shows and other physical events is the third most effective channel for acquiring customers, behind social media and search engine optimization (SEO). 
• Experiential events at the beginning of videos perform well, with a 12.7% conversion rate.

• 79% of marketers drive sales from experiential marketing through organized brand events.

Statistics showing how brands perceive experiential marketing

Experiential marketing contributes to the recurring success and growth of a business. Several brands feel experiential marketing is a potent strategy to boost sales. These statistics will help you develop a holistic viewpoint of experiential marketing success. 

• Brands that use experiential marketing receive three times the word-of-mouth awareness of those that fail to do so.
• 9 out of 10 marketers consider brand experiences important to their business success.
• 52% of businesses aim to grow and deepen brand loyalty through experiential marketing.
• Nearly 40% of brands use experiential marketing to increase sales. 
• One-third of the brands use it to improve their brand awareness. 
• 58% of marketing executives believe that experiential marketing increases advocacy.
• 90% of marketers say experiential marketing helps them get more compelling engagement.
• 62% of marketers identify end consumers as the primary target audience for their most important events. 46% target media and influencers in their events.37% prioritize channel partners as their main audience
• 68% of B2B marketers and 63% of B2C marketers hosted live, in-person events for experiential marketing in 2022. 
• 92% of clients and customers expect and love personalized experiences, and one way to deliver this is via experiential marketing.

Challenges of experiential marketing

That said, it's not all sunshine and roses with experiential marketing. Brands face Brands face challenges from getting resources to proving return on investment (ROI) when using this strategy. 

• Not having enough team resources is the most significant challenge, cited by 59% of marketers.
• 39% struggle with proving return on investment (ROI).
• A lack of budget affects 33% of marketers trying to use experiential marketing.
• 19% face difficulties due to a lack of global team alignment.
• 11% report challenges related to the absence of technology to support their strategy.
• Only 1% cite a lack of internal tracking across departments as a challenge

Consumer-related experiential marketing statistics

Despite the challenges, businesses value experiential marketing, and so do their customers. Consumers feel experiential marketing adds credibility to a brand’s product or service. The statistics below delve into customers’ perceptions of experiential marketing. Keep exploring to gain insights you can use to inform your strategies.

• 91% of consumers think participating in experiential marketing would make them more inclined to buy from the brand.
• Two-thirds (66%) of event attendees report feeling more positively about a brand following their interaction with it at a live event.
• 85% of consumers are likely to purchase a product or service after attending a live marketing event.
• After an in-person experiential marketing event, 75% of marketing convention participants felt more connected to a brand as consumers.

• 40% of customers agree experiential marketing makes them more loyal to a brand. 
• 96% of millennials who engage with a brand take pictures or videos and share them online, and 86% of recipients will open and review these.
• 70% of consumers become repeat customers after experiencing a brand. 
• Only 7% of customers prefer television advertisements to live events, meaning around 9 in 10 love experiencing a product. 
• 78% of millennials prefer to spend more on brand experiences rather than purchasing a product in another way. 

Experiential marketing techology statistics 

As experiential marketing continues to evolve, technology is playing an increasingly vital role in shaping event experiences. This section explores the technologies shaping the future of events.

• Nearly 25% of large enterprises use six or more B2B event technology solutions, spending over $250,000 per annum in the process. 
• 85% of marketers use technology to help enhance their experiential marketing campaigns.
• 59% of events are expected to have a mobile app in 2024. 
• 47% of marketers plan to use QR codes in their 2024 events. 
• 35% aim to utilize onsite check-in tools, while 34% are considering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
• Other technologies marketers plan to incorporate in their events as part of their experiential marketing experience include digital photo booths (28%), wearable technology (22%), and holograms (9%).

Use of AR/VR in experiential marketing

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) make experiential marketing more immersive, impactful and convincing. Below are some statistics that show just that.

• Over 1 billion consumers use AR every day.
• 61% of consumers say they prefer retailers offering AR experiences.
  
• Over 90% of Gen Z consumers are interested in AR shopping experiences, and 70% of consumers believe AR can be beneficial in various fields.
• 33% of event organizers plan to use AR for future events.
• A third of marketers plan to use VR for enhanced experiences in their events in 2024.
• Revenue in the AR & VR market market will reach $40.4 billion in 2024.
• User penetration of AR/VR is projected to be 52.8% in 2024, increasing to 56.5% by 2029.
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) of AR/VR technology is expected to be $11.9 USD.

• 3D content can increase conversion by up to 28% on retailer websites.
• AR product experiences are 200% more engaging compared to their non-AR equivalent.
• Over 50% of AR use is in B2C retail.
• Between 2023 and 2028, there is an expected increase of 5.5 million VR headsets in the training and education industry.

Go above and beyond

Experiential marketing makes unforgettable and engaging experiences for customers. The statistics above reveal how brands perceive it and why they want to invest in it consciously. They want to go beyond traditional advertising to establish a deeper connection with their audience. 

Personalization fosters brand loyalty and successfully generates word-of-mouth promotion. An effective experiential marketing campaign can create a social buzz for the brand. This extends the campaign's reach beyond its initial audiences. 

Want to boost your sales with experiential marketing? Get inspired by the best experiential marketing campaigns and learn the best practices.