Personal, in-person moments such as eye contact and handshakes create belief and trust that AI-generated content cannot replicate. Live experiential marketing gains significance in an era of AI content and deepfakes because firsthand experiences provide verifiable proof points. Spiro's EMIR study of over 2,000 event attendees found trust strongly predicts purchase intent: over 90% who reported increased trust purchased, while intent fell to 34% when trust did not increase. Trust can be strengthened through strategic experiential design and clear, honest messaging; attendees describing events as "transparent" and "real" showed 91% purchase intent. Social media influences discovery but remains low in trust among many consumers.
Spiro's Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR), a proprietary study of over 2,000 consumers attending live CPG and tech events, revealed trust isn't a soft metric. It's one of the strongest predictors of purchase intent: over 90% of attendees who reported increased trust in a brand post-event went on to make a purchase. Where trust didn't increase, purchase intent dropped to just 34%.
In an era where consumers are suspicious of polished digital narratives, in-person proof points matter more than ever. McKinsey's State of the Consumer 2025 report reinforces this dynamic, noting that while social media influences discovery, trust remains low. Thirty-six percent of US consumers and 56% of UK consumers rank it as their least trusted source for brand recommendations. Translation: in a noisy, skeptical marketplace, people trust what (and whom) they can see, hear, and shake hands with.
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