Brand experience trends for 2022: Rethinking retail and events

Between COVID-19 and rapid digital acceleration, the opportunities and challenges facing marketers on brand experience will lead to new inspiration and strategies for 2022.

2022 is the ‘first of the next’, says Christophe Castagnera, head of strategy for UK/Europe and Middle East at creative design company Imagination: we are moving from the pandemic pressures and associated shifting behaviours to a world that seeks to recapture what we missed, but in new ways and spaces – and always with an overarching drive for sustainability and reduced impact.

Why it matters

Events and experiences costs have been under the spotlight as physical options were curtailed. The knock-on effect is that there has been an increased focus on ensuring the right people are present, especially for brands targeting higher price points or trying to influence specific audiences, such as higher net worth individuals or B2B audiences.

Takeaways

• With more and more brands experimenting with ways to use the metaverse to meet their marketing goals, the conventions are still being defined, it’s a great time to explore the possibilities.
• A shift in attitude toward store space has started to emerge, and with it, the rise of brand home retail as flagship retail spaces meld commerce, communication and brand home strategy.
• A new landscape of B2B events is starting to take shape. Frequency will change – people will attend less often – and tentpole experiences stand out amid fragmentation.

Quote

“Rethinking the store means ditching the idea that it’s about selling products and seeing it as a differentiated brand experience. It’s about retail changing and brands thinking about physical retail with a brand home lens rather than a store lens” – Christophe Castagnera, head of strategy for UK/Europe and Middle East at Imagination.

[Image: Lee Blanchflower from Unsplash]