In-Person Marketing Boosted Brand Consideration Rates
Retailers prioritizing live brand events can increase consumer consideration and product affinity.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Marketing
Live Poll
Do you find that live marketing events or local activations make you more likely to buy?
A recent Harris Poll report indicates that 80% of U.S. consumers are more likely to consider a brand following an in-person experience. The data highlights how physical engagement channels, including live events and outdoor advertising, influence shopper perception and future purchase decisions.
Why it matters
Operators face a shift in consumer demand where live interactions drive authenticity and brand relevance more effectively than digital-only channels. Businesses that integrate in-person experiences into their marketing mix are better positioned to capture interest across the full retail funnel.
Harris Poll research found that 80% of consumers consider a brand more favorably after live events, compared to a significant preference shift toward retailers using outdoor or in-person engagement cited by 73% of adults. It remains unknown how specific industry sectors perform against these averages.
The players
Harris Poll
A global market research and consulting firm specializing in public opinion and consumer behavior trends.
The details
Live brand interactions function through diverse mechanisms, including product sampling, trials, and free merchandise, which trigger subsequent information searches and in-store lookups. Consumers increasingly perceive out-of-home advertising as more human and culturally relevant than mobile or online alternatives. These physical touchpoints directly impact purchase behavior, with 64% of consumers noting that retail out-of-home ads influence decisions when encountered inside a store.
Timeline
September 22, 2026: Harris Poll research report publication date.
Market Landscape
This research follows the established industry trend of prioritizing experiential marketing models over traditional digital-first acquisition strategies. It reinforces the shift toward experiential marketing models by quantifying the specific consumer preference for physical brand presence.
Operators should evaluate shifting a portion of their advertising spend from mobile to local, in-person activations to leverage the 59% of consumers influenced by advertising immediately outside the store. Monitoring these conversion metrics against standard digital KPIs will help determine if physical engagement offers a higher return on investment.
The takeaway
Authenticity is increasingly tied to physical presence, making memorable, in-person events a key driver of long-term brand consideration. Consider integrating a live promotional event into your next product launch cycle and track the resulting uptick in in-store product lookups to measure impact.
Further reading
For more information on current industry tactics, visit the Marketing section.
Live Poll
Do you find that live marketing events or local activations make you more likely to buy?
