2025 Experiential Marketing Trends That You Need To Know

2025 experiential marketing trends are shaping up to be some of the most exciting and transformative yet. As brands navigate a rapidly evolving landscape, there’s a clear shift towards creating more immersive, personalised and sustainable experiences that cut through the digital noise. With event attendance on the rise and a renewed focus on in-person engagement too, next year presents an opportunity for brands and agencies alike to make a big impact. 

In fact, new research from Event Marketer shows that 74 per cent of Fortune 1000 marketers plan to boost their 2025 experiential budgets, while 56 per cent of attendees expect to join more events compared to 2024.

DisplayWise General Manager of Sales, Anne Evers, shares her perspective on the biggest 2025 experiential marketing trends and how marketers can dominate in this space next year;

“As we move into 2025, our custom builds will help brands break through the noise and create experiences that truly resonate. But what sets us apart is the end-to-end support we offer throughout every stage of the production process—ensuring a seamless, stress-free experience from concept to completion. If you’re ready to make a bold statement and lead the market, we’re here to make it happen.”

Trend 1: Sustainability and ESG Reporting

Sustainability remains a top 2025 experiential marketing trend that’s a priority for both brands and consumers alike. Our team see a growing demand for eco-friendly activations as a key request in the briefing process, from sourcing sustainable materials and minimising waste through to ensuring circularity at the end of a project’s lifecycle. We’re also experiencing increased requests for transparency on material sourcing and sustainability policies, as brands aim to align with consumer values and business objectives.

As new sustainability reporting legislation comes into effect on 1 Jan 2025, brands will also be under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals. As such, green initiatives in experiential marketing activations will be crucial to meet these evolving expectations and legislative requirements. Discover why a sustainable design strategy is worth the investment in our latest article for more tips and insights to help with creating your brief. 

Trend 2: Experiential Content Creation

Content creation will be a game changer for marketers to increase both reach and revenue as the next 2025 experiential marketing trend that’s gaining traction.With the rise of social platforms like TikTok and YouTube prioritising entertainment, it’s predicted that more organisations will step outside their creative comfort zone and pushes the boundaries of their brand guidelines to capture and delight audiences. In fact, according to Hootsuite’ 2025 Social Media Trendy Survey, 80-100% of social content is entertainment driven for a quarter of organisations.

We’re seeing evidence of this already as new client briefs are demanding more disruptive environments and visually stunning spaces to inspire consumers to become content creators themselves. This approach is well-known to extend the activation’s reach well beyond the event, leverage organic audience-generated content as well as generate buzz and excitement. However, achieving viral cut-through comes down to selecting the right content creators who amplify brand visibility and add an authentic, real-time element. If you’re ready to take your content creation up a notch in 2025, why not try out Flaunter – an all-in-one PR platform connecting brands and agencies with media, influencers and creators. Discover more tips on how to succeed at influencer marketing in their latest article. 

Trend 3: Hyper-Personalisation and Inclusivity

While brands continue to leverage real-time data—such as purchase history, location and social media activity, the real game-changer will be how brands broaden their inclusivity. Hyper-personalisation and inclusivity is a 2025 experiential marketing trend that’s demanding a reframe on what it means to be an ‘inclusive brand’. According to the ‘State of The Connected Consumer Report, 65% of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences, but 61% of customers say most companies treat them as a number.

What’s clear is that consumers now expect product experiences that are not only personalised but also accessible, shifting the experience beyond simple customisations. Brands who embrace this trend next year are guaranteed success as we see these experiences making an impact in both online and offline spaces. However, the 2025 retail landscape of a pop up or experiential marketing activations still pose a myriad of challenges that even the most seasoned marketers and brand managers find daunting. From selecting the perfect location through to enhancing the customer experience with data integration, there’s a lot to consider!  Be ready to hit the ground running next year with the right strategies and tactics that will turn these common challenges in experiential retail pop ups into opportunities with our latest blog. 

Trend 4: Tech-Driven Immersive and Hybrid Experiences

This 2025 experiential marketing trend is set to rise in next year with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) leading the charge. These new technologies and rapid advancements in recent times, offer brands the ability to create multi-sensory experiential activations that go beyond traditional physical spaces.

At DisplayWise, we’re seeing a continued push towards hybrid experiences that seamlessly merge in-person and digital touchpoints. Clients want activations that engage attendees on-site while extending the experience online. This could mean livestreaming events, leveraging retail media networks, or using QR codes for exclusive digital content and gamified interactions. Brands want real-time insights and ways to measure the impact of their experiences too. We’ve seen rising demand for integrated tech like RFID tracking and interactive kiosks that capture audience behaviour, however, this also poses challenges around first-party data collection as privacy regulations tighten.

The 2025 experiential marketing trends we’re predicting will have the greatest success are those that embrace the power of immersive, experiential marketing activations with digital channels continuing to dominate. It’s clear that the demand for physical brand experiences is stronger than ever and with a custom build in your strategy, you’ll create a strong tangible connection to cut through the noise and amplify your digital efforts.

Whether you’re planning a retail pop up or outdoor experiential activation next year, our expert team is here to guide you through every step of the process—from concept to completion. Let’s make 2025 your most successful year yet! Get in touch to start planning your next big brand experience.