"Industry Innovators 2022: 10 Brands Shaping the Future of Event Marketing" is sponsored by Hubilo, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform built to drive engagement, with clients including Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Amazon Web Services and more.
The Basics: From digital try-ons to makeup classes, a visit to a brick-and-mortar Sephora location is inherently experiential. But the multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products continues to experiment with consumer-friendly activations and events beyond the storefront.
For example, to celebrate the launch of Sephora at Kohl’s across the U.S., the brand hosted a mobile-first activation in the form of an outdoor beauty maze, marking Sephora’s first in-person event since the pandemic. The outdoor maze featured different QR code-generated experiences, which allowed guests to engage with both brands, discover products and participate in shareable experiences.
In the "Family Room," the brand hosted a roundtable discussion with former Accelerate brand founders. The Accelerate brand incubator program gives up-and-coming brands access to Sephora’s network of mentors, merchandising support, potential funding and investor connections.Photo: Courtesy of Sephora
To celebrate the launch of Sephora at Kohl’s in more than 200 stores across the U.S., the beauty retailer hosted a mobile-first activation in the form of an outdoor beauty maze.Photo: Ben Hider
Lessons Learned in 2021: As for the virtual format, Kate Biancamano, director of event and experiential marketing at Sephora, said that “it allowed us to connect with attendees from all over the country who previously may have not been able to travel to attend an event in person. The majority of our digital events consist of live programming; however, we also gather additional prerecorded content from our participating brands and talent, which help enhance virtual experiences by offering even more content for attendees to explore during and post events.”
She added that for SEPHORiA, the company wanted to ensure that the virtual experience had some of the same perks of an in-person SEPHORiA, including offering registered attendees curated kits as an add-on. “We also learned that when it comes to in-person events post-COVID, consumers want touchless experiences they can navigate via their mobile phones,” Biancamano said. “As a result, we focused on creating interactive and innovative omni-channel retail experiences for our customers such as our two-day Sephora @ Kohl’s pop-up event that allowed us to cater to their personal preferences by offering a mobile-first outdoor experience coupled with safe gamified components and shopping in store.”
Event Philosophy: “Sephora’s event philosophy is to provide thrilling and innovative content and experiences to inspire attendees and remind them that they belong to something beautiful,” Biancamano said. “Whether in-person or virtual, Sephora’s focus is on creating high-impact beauty experiences that are accessible and easy for clients to navigate in a safe, inclusive environment that champions all beauty.“
At the "Home Theater," attendees could check out new exclusive products and brands, along with masterclasses and tutorials by brand founders and global artists.Photo: Courtesy of Sephora
The outdoor maze featured different QR code-generated experiences that allowed attendees to interact with product displays, make their own shareable content and even request songs from the live DJ.Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Sephora at Kohl's
To drive attendees inside the Kohl's store after completing the maze outside, attendees were tasked with finding brand and product touchpoints where they could scan and "collect" QR codes, then redeem them for spin-the-wheel prizes in the store.Photo: Ben Hider
