Why IRL is the new feed
We think the most underrated social channel right now is a room full of people. Here's why live activations are one of the most efficient ways to grow on social, plus the checklist we use to get them right.
You scroll, you scroll, you forget
Every brand is posting. All the time. Same formats, same trends, same ads. We're a social agency, so we know.
Then something gives you a reason to stop. An invitation. Suddenly you're part of it. You meet someone. You post it. A friend shares it. "When's the next one?" you ask. More and more of the brands people actually talk about right now got people in a room together.
Why IRL is happening now
79% of 18-35s plan to go to more events this year
46% of Gen Z are actively cutting their screen time
AI made content cheap. Now everyone has it. New tools make good-looking content easy to produce, so the feed fills up fast. What still stands out is real people in a real place, with a reason to be there. That part you have to build.
People want out of the scroll. 74% say in-person experiences matter more to them than digital ones.
People want each other. A generation grew up with the feed as their main meeting place. Today a quarter of 18–29-year-olds feel lonely, and 89% want events that connect them to their community.
Brands are following. Fewer than one in ten will cut events this year, and content for live experiences is the biggest area of new investment.
A live activation is a content machine
Done right, one evening gives you brand content, guest content, creator posts, live coverage and press. Enough to feed your channels for weeks. It works in three steps.
Before: build anticipation Teasers, invites, the queue. This is where you build FOMO.
During: create the moment Every guest becomes a broadcaster.
After: keep it alive Edits, recaps and guest posts keep running for weeks.
Our take: the room and the feed belong in one plan
Most brands brief event and social separately. Different partners, different timelines, different KPIs. Social gets called in a week before. Then everyone wonders why the event didn't travel. We plan them as one, from the first idea. The experience gives social something real to film. Social builds the hype before and takes the night way beyond the guest list after.
Create a world worth stepping into. Give it a moment nobody saw coming. An artist's studio, open for one night. A listening party for an album that doesn't exist yet. A new colour that takes over an entire room.
Take it with you
The live activation checklist for CMOs
12 decisions before, during and after. The same list we use ourselves. Tick them off as you go.
