Over the past few years, experiential marketing has become a powerful tool for beauty brands, driving consumer connections through immersive, memorable encounters. The global experiential marketing spend is predicted to reach $128.35 billion by the end of 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in a 10.5% jump that outpaces the 9.7% growth seen in 2023.“Experiential marketing is fundamentally the creation of a physical experience or a stunt that tells a story to an audience about your brand that evokes an emotional connection,” Katie Peake, co-founder and Creative Director of creative experiential agency Backlash, tells BeautyMatter.In the beauty sector, 84% of brands have increased their experiential marketing budgets over the past three years (38% significantly and 46% slightly), with 10%-30% of overall company budgets now attributed to events and immersive activities that enhance customer experiences.According to research from experiential marketing agency Gradient, brands are specifically investing in initiatives such as in-retail rituals (62%), livestreams (56%), partnerships and collaborations (41%), and influencer content creation (36%). Notable industry examples include temporary branded shoppable events such as Sephoria, Roblox activations, and other immersive gaming campaigns, as well as social media livestream selling. The primary objectives for hosting such experiential events and brand experiences include content creation (51%), innovation/test marketing (49%), and customer relationship management (41%).