In today’s belt-tightening economy, every marketing dollar is under scrutiny. And while experiential activations like events, festivals, and trade shows have long been great for buzz, they’ve struggled to deliver what the CFO wants: hard ROI.

That may finally be changing.

Spiro, a global leader in experiential marketing, is previewing new research that directly links live brand experiences to purchase intent—making the case that experiential is more than just engagement theater. It’s a bottom-line booster.

The Spiro Experiential Marketing Impact (EMI) Report, teased during the Cannes Lions Festival, is built to arm marketers with the data they need to justify spend—and potentially unlock a strategic shift in how live experiences are valued.

“Marketers don’t need more hype,” says Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray, Spiro’s global CMO. “They need quantifiable evidence.”

The Numbers That Turn Heads—and Budgets

The EMI study isn’t a vanity project. It’s a rigorously conducted analysis developed in partnership with an independent research firm. Spiro collected feedback from over 1,000 vetted attendees who interacted with major brands at in-person events within the past six months.

And the results are eye-opening:

• 93% of participants made a purchase from the brand after the event

• 264% higher purchase intent was observed among attendees who reported a boost in brand trust post-event

• Tangible uplift in engagement, trust, amplification, and conversion—all central to what Spiro calls “brand gravity”

This last point is important. “Brand gravity” refers to the kind of intangible pull that makes a customer loyal beyond the logic of price or convenience. It’s the emotional superglue that binds brands to buyers—and Spiro now has the data to prove that experiential marketing strengthens that bond.

“This study demonstrates the relationship between experiential design and real-world business outcomes,” says Dane Aloe, EVP of Strategy & Measurement at Spiro.

Why This Changes the Game for Marketers

The industry has long embraced events as brand-building moments—but rarely could anyone draw a straight line from booth to purchase. Until now.

Spiro’s report comes at a time when:

• Budgets are shrinking

• Bold creative risks are harder to justify (51% of brands say they struggle to take them, per the Lions State of Creativity Report)

• And CMOs are under constant pressure to prove that every touchpoint counts

What this research does is transform live events from nice-to-haves into ROI-justified line items. It also empowers marketers to argue for more scale, better targeting, and tighter integration between experiential design and performance marketing.

Smarter Strategy, Sharper Design

For Spiro, the takeaway isn’t just “events work”—it’s how they work.

By isolating specific design elements, behavioral cues, and emotional triggers within events, Spiro is now able to optimize experiences for business impact. From booth layout to post-event follow-up, every element can be tuned for performance, not just perception.

And that means brands can stop guessing and start engineering moments that actually move the sales needle.

Setting the Stage at Cannes Lions

Spiro isn’t keeping this data behind a download wall. At Cannes Lions, the agency is previewing insights during activations with Brand Innovators and Café Society, as well as hosting a panel discussion with Pinterest and Spotify on the power of experiential.

The full EMI Report is slated for release soon, but marketers can already register for early access. And for those looking to future-proof their event strategies, it may be the most ROI-positive download of the year.

“We can now draw a line from experiential marketing to revenue,” Faircloth-Kilmurray added. “That’s a game-changer.”

Why This Matters

• Experiential marketing is finally measurable—and effective.

• Live events don’t just boost awareness—they drive actual purchase behavior.

• In a risk-averse marketing climate, Spiro offers data-driven reasons to keep events in the mix.

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