Do you speak fluently in culture when it comes to experiential marketing?

Bernhard Schwarz and Syahirah Din Kriukow, co-founders of Fabrik Asia, go unplugged about experiential marketing. Drawing inspiration from their work on the Tiger Soju Infused Lager launch and Boiler Room 2024 in Singapore, they share how nothing can quite beat the magic of a real-time branding experience dipped in culture when it comes to making real connections with people.

We’ve both been to a lot of events – too often, they fail to spark genuine connections, and this highlights the truth: without cultural connectivity, even the most promising event can miss its mark.

We’ve seen first-hand how important cultural fluency is in transforming a brand experience. When it’s missing, it’s like a party without music – awkward and forgettable.

Do we even need real connections?

In an age where reel connections trump real ones, we must remember that people still crave genuine, face-to-face interactions. Humans have a fundamental need for shared identity and belonging, which is essentially what culture is all about.

This is why when we work with brands to create activations, we need to understand the cultural nuances of our target audience. It’s what separates an experience from just another event.

Speaking the cultural language

Today’s consumers gravitate toward brands that align with their own values and beliefs. This is why experiential marketers need to be well-versed not only in a client’s brand ethos, but also what resonates with their consumers.

When brands communicate in the cultural language of their consumers, they create emotional bonds that builds the foundation for trust and positive associations. Brand experiences serve as powerful tools to communicate this understanding, allowing brands to connect with audiences on a personal level, making interactions meaningful and memorable.

Keeping pace with cultural change

Cultural moments can quickly shift consumer behaviours, and brands that can engage thoughtfully during these times will stand out.

Experiential marketers should be the conduits between brands and their audiences seeking genuine engagement; we need to actively participate in social conversations and diverse communities to stay updated on consumer preferences and societal values.

We should be proactive – staying ahead of emerging trends across sectors such as art, music, technology, games, and sports helps maintain relevance. Leveraging technology, particularly social media, can also provide valuable insights into consumer behaviour.

It’s also worth exploring collaborative partnerships with thought leaders and industry experts to enhance the narrative of an experience.

Cultural shifts and industry changes can happen unexpectedly, so the ability to pivot is necessary to not lose connection with a brand’s audience.

The secret to a great experience

There isn’t one. Cultural fluency isn’t a secret.

We tackle a lot of our ideas and strategies at every stage by integrating cultural considerations –from conceptualisation and strategy, end-to-end production, to programming and curation, and the partnerships we establish.

Tiger Soju Infused Lager launch: Asian and K-culture twists

Take the “Twist to the Night x Tiger Soju” experience at Pasir Panjang Power Station in Singapore last year. We celebrated a vibrant collision of Asian cultures by incorporating elements from K-culture and showcasing diverse musical talent through an all-Asian line-up that attracted around 2,800 attendees.

The cultural elements embedded into the event –from the programming to the thematic built and interactive activities, from concocted beverages that can be easily recreated at home to food offerings curated with an Asian twist to complement the Tiger Soju flavours – all the strategies were mapped out to resonate with current trends among the intended Gen Z attendees, allowing them to feel a shared sense of belonging and connection to the brand.

By infusing the cultural significance with these experiences, we engaged attendees in a way that was authentic and relevant, ensuring they left with lasting impressions.

Celebration of music and club culture at Boiler Room Singapore

Another example was Boiler Room Singapore. As an influential brand in music culture, its Singapore iteration continued to unite the global music scene this year, bringing the local club culture and dance floor to the world under an electric all-female line-up that stunned over 3,000 revellers.

The experience was a celebration of talent, music, and togetherness, driving forward Boiler Room’s vision of transcending barriers by driving the underground music scene forward, and bringing people together through their shared love for music.

Experiencing success with cultural fluency

As experiential specialists, we have a great opportunity to help brands connect authentically with their audiences through meaningful events. Incorporating cultural fluency into our mindset can be a game changer for brand activation strategies.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about hitting marketing KPIs or boosting sales numbers, it’s about building understanding and loyalty among consumers for the long haul. When brands get it right, everybody wins.