A shopper strolls through her favorite grocery store, her list in hand. But today, something is different. Vibrant pop-up booths line the aisles, each showcasing a new flavor of a beloved chip brand. She stops, samples the product, and chats with a friendly brand ambassador. Before she knows it, she’s adding the chips to her cart—and snapping a photo for social media.
This is experiential marketing in action: an immersive strategy that connects consumers with brands in real-world settings. Behind these engaging activations are event and retail space servicing companies like Old City Media, experts in transforming how customers interact with brands and retailers in North America. How does Old City Media’s strategy work, and why is it so effective in the marketplace?
Stepping Up the Game in Marketing
In today’s competitive market, standing out is no easy feat. With over 500,000 brands spanning over 2,000 product categories worldwide, the struggle for consumer attention has never been more intense.
This saturated market has forced brands to seek inventive strategies beyond traditional advertising to capture and retain consumer attention. Traditional advertising no longer captures attention as it once did, as consumers crave authentic interactions with brands.
Old City Media, founded by Ray Sheehan, recognized this shift early. When COVID-19 disrupted traditional marketing channels, the company, previously in the entertainment field, adopted a new marketing strategy. It brought in 20 years of Sheehan and his team’s aptitude in the marketing space.
The company strategically combined the strengths of retailers and brands to reach their market and build new experiences that drive engagement and sales.
Making Your Brands Seen
Brands can no longer consider themselves “seen” by simply accumulating likes on social media or plastering billboards across town. In today’s hyper-connected world, Old City Media has redefined brand visibility through its innovative experiential marketing technique. With over 50,000 events executed, it has mastered the art of creating authentic, face-to-face connections between brands and consumers.
The beauty of Old City Media’s process lies in its multifaceted benefits for brands. Strategic retail partnerships create opportunities for immediate sales conversion while gathering organic consumer insights that no online survey could match. Its events, strategically placed in trusted retail environments like grocery stores and hardware chains, provide brands with a legitimate platform to engage with consumers already in a shopping mindset.
This strategy drives immediate sales and builds a natural lead funnel, as consumers who experience positive brand interactions are more likely to become loyal customers. The face-to-face engagement allows brands to gather real-time feedback, understand customer preferences, and adjust their strategies accordingly.
This direct interaction creates a powerful trust-building opportunity for Sheehan and the Old City Media team. Consumers thus experience the brand’s values and promises firsthand rather than through a screen.
“You can start having conversations about why they’re unhappy with a brand or what interests them in a product. If they are happy, brands can use it as an opportunity for sales as consumers’ guard may be down as they are in a purchasing mindset,” explains Sheehan.
What Is It for Retailers?
Regarding the retail revolution, Old City Media’s experiential marketing strategy isn’t just a win for brands—it’s a game-changer for retailers, too. Picture this: instead of rushing through aisles for their weekly essentials, customers are now drawn into an environment where every visit holds the potential for unexpected new brand discoveries or freebies to receive. Brand pop-ups excite routine shopping trips, engaging customers and making them curious about new brand activations they might encounter.
For retailers, the benefits extend beyond just creating a dynamic shopping experience—they also gain access to the brand’s loyal customer base. These consumers are often willing to go out of their way to visit a store hosting their favorite brand, driving additional foot traffic and expanding the retailer’s reach.
Sheehan adds, “Whether it’s a pop-up showcasing a new coffee flavor or an interactive demo of a new floor mop, this strategy keeps shoppers coming back for more.”
The benefits for retailers extend far beyond just increased foot traffic. Retailers create additional revenue streams and elevate the customer experience by monetizing previously underutilized floor space through these pop-up activations.
Additionally, in a world where countless retailers are vying for consumer attention, experiential marketing becomes a game-changer. Imagine a small community with two or three retailers competing for the attention of local shoppers. On any given day, these stores might offer similar products, discounts, and services, making it difficult to stand out.
Now, picture one of these retailers hosting a vibrant pop-up activation with Old City Media right in their store. Suddenly, interactive product demos, exclusive giveaways, and opportunities to engage directly with brand representatives energize the store and draw in curious customers. Sheehan describes this as elevating shopping. It is not just purchasing; it’s a whole different experience.
The Matchmaker in the Marketing World
For Sheehan, Old City Media’s strategy is a win-win experience for retailers and brands. The founder describes it as the art of matchmaking. For instance, its GIFT Program creates value for both parties while keeping the end consumer in mind. The program revolves around the strategic use of gift cards, which are more than just incentives—they’re tools that unlock a cycle of benefits.
Sheehan explains that when brands distribute store-branded gift cards during pop-up activations, customers immediately benefit as it becomes an instant treat. However, these gifts also serve as an indirect drive for consumers to spend on the brand’s products and on the items within the retailer’s store.
This psychological nudge often leads to consumers spending beyond the card’s value, driving higher sales for retailers while creating a positive shopping experience for customers.
Retailers, in turn, reap additional benefits by purchasing more gift cards from brands to reward their staff in a strategy aptly called “Fill the Fridge.” Retailers build goodwill within their teams and turn employees into indirect ambassadors by compensating them with these gift cards. Employees become firsthand users of the brand’s products, effectively serving as an additional layer of organic marketing.
Sheehan mentions, “We ensure a win for everyone—brands gain visibility and drive sales, retailers attract new traffic and increase revenue, and customers enjoy enhanced value during their shopping experience. By bringing them together, we create meaningful connections that benefit all.”
Numerous Marketing Possibilities
Sheehan acknowledges that the experiential marketing world is constantly evolving. He understands that as brands, retailers, and consumer behaviors shift, there’s always room for improvement in building these connections. This awareness fuels his excitement for the future, as he sees experiential marketing not as a static solution but as a dynamic perspective that adapts to the market’s changing needs.
Sheehan’s vision is rooted in creating meaningful, face-to-face engagements that resonate with consumers while providing value to both brands and retailers. This mindset drives Old City Media’s enthusiasm to organize more pop-ups, partner with new retailers, and collaborate with diverse brands. His goal is to elevate the modern shopping experience by integrating creativity and innovation into retail spaces.
Whether through the GIFT Program or other groundbreaking initiatives, Old City Media is determined to make sure that every interaction leaves a lasting impression, making shopping a transaction and an experience worth remembering.
