The world of events and entertainment is still evolving quickly as the industry continues to face pandemic-related challenges and changing fan expectations. Brand have had to adapt as well, as fan experiences first pivoted to digital and have gone back to live in full force this year.
Toronto-based brand sponsorship and experiential marketing company T1 Agency has been designing brand activations and experiences for almost 30 years and continues to adapt to new attendee expectations and is beginning to dip its toes into metaverse activations.
XLIVE spoke with T1 Agency Founder Mark Harrison about the post-pandemic brand experience landscape and some of the trends taking shape in 2022.
He will also be speaking on a panel about brand sponsorships and activations at XLIVExLDI in November so be sure to check it out for more great insights.
XLIVE: What has 2022 looked like for your company when compared to the last two years? Are brands back in full force looking to connect with audiences?
Mark Harrison: Most of our consumer business is in Canada, and we have been locked down pretty hard until Q2 of 2022. Yep, you read that correctly. So that big hurrah you hear from the North is the thrill of being back. Events such as the Calgary Stampede were ‘open in 2021, but they were not the Stampede we all love. Even many brand partners paused activating in 2021, although they still paid their rights fees. This year, really just the past five months, has been wild, and I have not heard of any brands staying away from activation for pandemic reasons.
XL: How has the pandemic changed the way you're approaching live experiences? Are you implementing any hybrid options/digital campaigns or is everything back in person?
MH: We have seen a big, big, big swing from all virtual to all live; without many hybrids in between, especially in the consumer space. I think the pendulum will slowly move back, so there will be more integrated hybrid experiences coming. But people want to be with people. In the B2B space, indeed, the expectation is for a hybrid program and the industry can execute a decent product. But the authentic festival experience is pretty hard to deliver through the internet.
XL: What trends have you been seeing consumer/attendee expectations? Have they fundamentally changed as a result of the pandemic?
MH: When we were still in lockdown, we thought consumers would be most concerned about safety when they first returned to live experiences. Based on all the smiles I have seen at events and conferences, it is clear that was a misplaced thought. I think the attendee expectation mirrors the customer experience they became accustomed to during the pandemic. Consumers expect more automated activities, less touch, less friction, and more seamless delivery. The online world zoomed ahead (like my pun?), and consumers expect the same of the offline.
XL: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve been facing this year?
MH: Have you tried to hire lately? From creatives to brand ambassadors, the talent shortage is unreal. If you are reading this and haven’t experienced it, consider yourself very fortunate! A similar need exists for venues, infrastructure, and vehicles; you name it!
XL: How is the metaverse impacting brand experiences? Is this something that you’re seeing more interest in as a way to engage audiences? How do you see this evolving moving forward?
MH: The short answer is we are admiring the unique brand experiences we are reading about on the Metaverse, from Gucci to Deliveroo and everyone else. This arena is so exciting, and we are hoping to start ratcheting up our expertise in this area. We recognized this area of need, so we have brought on a Director of Activation with an unreal background in television and digital content and digital events. His resume is much different than how we would have sought for Activation in the past. In addition, we have just partnered with a Web 3.0 expert to help build new frameworks for our Partnership Strategy group to leverage with our clients. Meta partnerships are so unique, so we want to tap the people who are thinking about this 24/7. This Fall we are producing a global award show and we have pitched a metaverse experience, so fingers crossed we can get into the action!
XL: Is there a particular experience/activation that you’d like to highlight from the past year, or anything else you’d like to mention?
MH: There have been some fantastic moments this summer. The first would be Pride Toronto, where we were activating for Manulife, Maple Leaf, and OLG. It was heartening to see how many community stakeholders, civic organizations and brands wholeheartedly got behind this fantastic event. More recently, we have been doing a tremendous larger-than-life trophy experience for the National Bank Open events in Montreal and Toronto. The photo opp is tried and true, but our client let our ideas shine with this one (see photo below). Lastly, I want to highlight SponsorshipX Whistler an immersive B2B event held during Crankworx which features the incredible Red Bull Joy Ride. Have you ever been to a conference where every delegate gets a bike to ride to enjoy all the programming?
