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marketing
IRL Events as Customer Acquisition Strategy
Timeframe: 2026 as the inflection year according to industry predictions
What's Changing
Shift from digital-first to in-person experiences for customer acquisition in response to AI saturation
Driving Forces
AI making digital content less authentic
Desire for human connection
Higher engagement rates at physical events
Winners
- Local experience businesses
- Event marketing agencies
- Physical product companies
Losers
- Pure digital marketing services
- Impersonal online brands
- Companies without local presence
How to Position Yourself
1
Create experiential touchpoints
2
Focus on local community building
3
Integrate physical and digital strategies
Early Signals to Watch
Event attendance ratesLocal business revivalInfluencer pivot to offline
Example Implementation
“Bar using safety stickers that naturally generate social media content and word-of-mouth marketing without paid promotion”