The marketing game has leveled up. Two decades ago, the process was straightforward: You chose the media outlets you knew would reach your audience and purchased tangible, quantifiable “real estate” for a fixed dollar amount. You knew the size of your ad or the length of your commercial. You had complete creative control over how that advertising looked.

You also had one shot at reaching your audience. It was unlikely magazine readers would be cutting out your ad and passing it around. But that is no longer true in a time when social media is king and professional influencers reign supreme.

New media requires a new advertising approach. And if influencers are the new media, experiential agencies are the new ad agencies.

AIM FOR EXCELLENCE

The professionalization of the influencer space has led to transactional relationships between influencers and the brands they promote. Companies are accustomed to creating contractual obligations and ensuring those are fulfilled, but this new world is much more nuanced. The influencer is not just an advertising medium. They are humans with inherent emotional facets, and they want to produce authentic, relatable content for their audiences.

Relatable content is compelling content. Understanding the human element and its role in quality social currency can position brands to create ripple effects. When you deliver inspiring experiences to an influencer, they will want to share your message rather than simply meet the bare minimum.

Your assets should hold emotional depth, dimension, and spark intrigue to quench an audience’s thirst. Suppose you create an in-person brand experience and invite 10 influencers contracted for two posts each. You may feel you have purchased sufficient “advertising”—but you would be wrong. The “just enough” approach dismisses one crucial element: the potential for scalability.

We measure the success of our curated moments through a metric we’ve dubbed “posts above contract.” It quantifies the number of spontaneous, organic posts influencers produce beyond contractual obligations. The primary goal is to inspire them to exceed expectations, driving the conversation further and amplifying the brand’s message.

For one of our client’s recent influencer trips, most influencers were contracted to post at least twice daily during the three-day getaway promoting the brand’s 72-hour moisturizer. So what launched us to an average of eight-and-a-half posts per day? Delightful and surprising immersive details.

A professional underwater photo shoot captured the influencers in a way they had never seen themselves. In-room moments that felt unique to them added a touch of magic—unexpected branded items like carved coconuts. An on-site stylist provided outfits incorporating the brand’s colors that were visually striking and conveyed a coordinated look. That is how you can generate four times more visibility from one experience.

Quality content is contagious; that is what makes it so compelling. Genuine interest sparks genuine interest. When a high-profile influencer attends an in-person experience, others want to associate themselves with the influencer’s source of inspiration. As a result, they engage with that content, boosting its visibility. This cycle repeats within increasingly broader audiences (remember that ripple effect?). This is virality, and it is your golden egg.

ENCOURAGE YOUR IMPACT

Many experiential marketing teams overlook the importance of the playgrounds constructed to generate that quality content. The purpose is to provide your attendees with the necessary material to create contagious posts. You should encourage the momentum you want to achieve.

Is it a perfectly lit rock-and-roll-inspired bed in a beauty pop-up? Or a pop-colored kitchen with surprise elements throughout? Consider what unique aesthetic experiences you create that become the backdrop of influencer content. Maybe that looks like a runway over water or recreating a tagged 1980s subway cart. The key is knowing which immediate content to provide the minute people walk out of an experience and how it can multiply their posts.

Additionally, suppose a brand coordinates its efforts to be a part of the conversation as soon as the initial posts go live. In that case, it can actively participate in the ripple effect from its genesis. In the past, brands waited two weeks or more for assets—long after the energy originating from the experience passed. A more proactive approach can ensure the brand is included in the conversation as it is happening. This can increase visibility and relevance while allowing the brand to capitalize on its influencer partnerships.

Creative strategy is paramount. We no longer live in the one-and-done advertising days of a bygone era. Strategic efforts—planned before an experience even begins—can help keep the brand’s message relevant and engaging over an extended period. That is how you can take a big idea and make it a long idea.

CREATIVITY STILL COUNTS

A mindset shift is required to achieve the coveted “posts above contract.” The deeply calculated efforts made by creative executives around boardroom tables are still relevant today. Our boardrooms and approach may look different, but the same level of diligence is required: strategic planning, creativity, and multiplied messaging—but all at an accelerated pace.

As the new media, engaging with influencers requires the same level of thinking, forethought, and innate creativity that once defined traditional advertising campaigns. In this new landscape, experiential agencies have emerged as today’s ad agencies. We are tasked with creating viscerally engaging experiences and igniting conversations through digital word-of-mouth.

The media space has changed hands, but you can still retain creative control of your brand. Your message can snowball and strategically establish itself as an industry leader through advanced planning, attention to detail, and a creative outlook.