Evolution in Experiential Marketing: Why brands are shifting from excitement to empathy
December 8, 2025
For years, experiential marketing was built around spectacles: flashy stunts, headline moments, and Instagrammable surprises. But audiences have evolved. In a world where AI blurs the line between real and manufactured, people are no longer chasing novelty; they’re craving sincerity. The most powerful brand experiences today don’t create noise — they create trust. In fact, 87% of shoppers will pay more for a product because they trust the brand (source: Salsify.com). And that shift, from excitement to empathy in marketing, is redefining what meaningful engagement looks like.
It’s getting harder for consumers to identify and trust what’s real. While some brands may see this as an obstacle, smart brands will see it as an opportunity. Now is the time for marketers to invest in strategies that earn trust, especially through experiential marketing.
One of the most powerful ways to build trust is through authentic human connections, and activation events give brands a chance to create that in person. However, the standard stunt-driven approach is no longer enough. Brands need to think beyond the superficial experiential marketing trend of creating excitement and instead cultivate empathy.
After hundreds of activation events, we at Hoffman York (HY) have learned how to create experiences that not only engage people but endear them to your brand. Here are the four human truths in experiential marketing that will strike a chord with consumers and get them to sing your praises:
1. Desire for Connection: It’s a universal need to feel connected, and activation events give brands the unique opportunity to foster this bond. But to build a real connection, face-to-face interactions must go deeper than a signup sheet for free swag. Start by engaging consumers through product trials and asking for their honest feedback. Next, introduce them to a key stakeholder so they can see the face and hear the voice behind the name. Finish by shooting content of them and then sharing it on your social media channels.
2. Integrity: People are more likely to trust brands that live their values, not just talk about them; moreover, research found that adding one or two social impact messages to a core product message increases brand appeal by 23% (source). When a brand aligns with those principles it’s a powerful thing, so brands shouldn’t be afraid to weave their core values into their activation events. Consider partnering with a charity to bring empathy to your event.
The Wahl Benevolent Beards Contest is a perfect example of empathy in marketing. HY developed the Shorty Award-winning initiative to recognize bearded men who were doing good through charitable work. Not only did the brand donate money to important causes, it brought attention to those causes by holding free beard grooming events across the country from the Wahl Mobile Barbershop.
3. Existential Awareness: Nothing lasts forever, and with this realization comes a greater appreciation for consistency. Consistency compounds trust, and brands can lean into this by showing up, again and again, in an authentic way. Consumers know when brands are using them for short-term wins, and when they’re in it for the long haul. For example, Wahl has been traveling the country with its mobile barbershop for 15 years. The grooming tour has become an annual destination for consumers, and a legacy campaign for the brand.
4. Need for Empowerment: People want to feel capable—like they can make informed choices, master new skills, and take control of their own well-being. When brands design experiences that empower rather than impress, they build deeper trust. Activation events are a powerful way to do this: teach something useful, simplify a common challenge, or help someone see a familiar product in a new light. The goal isn’t just to demonstrate a benefit, but to let people experience it firsthand and walk away feeling more confident because of it. Empowerment creates connection—and connection creates loyalty.
In a world of AI derivatives, authentic IRL interactions that do more than just entertain are where brands can build trust, elicit loyalty and establish credibility. Let’s talk about when, where and how HY can help your brand use experiential marketing to create touchpoints with a human touch.
During Robyn’s 20+ years of marketing experience at Hoffman York, she’s contributed to the development and execution of several public relations programs for a number of clients. Her strategic planning, effective writing, celebrity partnerships and extensive experience with media relations and event planning has resulted in high-profile national media coverage as well as targeted niche and local publicity.
