An open letter to the marketing industry from an experiential agency CEO
Dear friends of experiential marketing,
With everyone isolated at home right now baking bread, binge-watching Tiger King, and lamenting how March felt like an epoch that spanned years, I have had a lot of opportunity to reflect on a response to what is happening in the world, and in our industry, while on walks with my pup, Brooklyn.
As the days and weeks of isolation go on, we are seeing businesses pivot and organizations flux. Unemployment is high and owners are stressed. There isn’t a playbook for this kind of scenario and while we can’t solve every problem, what we can do is stay positive, stay busy, and stay authentic.
Our belief is that experiential marketing has seen exponential growth over the past several years for a very important reason — humans crave live experiences. They crave engagement, interaction and real-life moments. Although VR/AR and online platforms make it easier to create exciting digital experiences, nothing replaces being shoulder-to-shoulder in an outdoor venue with thousands of people swaying to the music. Digital can’t replace the picture in your head of thousands of iPhone lights seemingly floating in the darkness and the goosebumps you get while a band takes you on a magical journey.
As an agency, we have delivered sneakers from drones, built eight-foot gumball machines, and worked on some of the biggest and most magical music festivals on the planet. We have engaged consumers in so many immersive ways and facilitated the release of every emotion a human can have. Now is the time for us to push the boundaries, elevate your brands’ messages, and bring even more emotion and love to what we do.
We’re making a commitment to stay true to who we are as a business and as an agency family. We’re not going anywhere and we don’t think experiential marketing is either. When this is over, people are going to want to celebrate together in person and with community, and live experiences will be the way in for brands.
If I take off my business hat, I can say that what is TRULY most important to me is that you all continue to create, dream, and bring live experiences to your consumers faster and better than ever. Whether your next project is with The Pineapple Agency or another agency, I am challenging you to keep fighting. The world needs us right now. We are not just marketers, we are shaping our world’s narrative. We bring life to brands, and more importantly, we bring life and light to humans.
Virtual cheers,
Justin Moss
CEO, The Pineapple Agency
