With Gen Z’s social engagement and interactions being centered around niche fandoms and tight-knit communities, brands are seeking ways to connect with them and bring their interests to life in the event marketing space.
The cultural landscape is always shifting and what’s trending one week can be an “ick” the next. From Girl Math to Brat Summer to Labubus, some trends fizzle fast, while others stick. Over the past few months, I’ve been a resident of MAS learning the ins and outs of the experiential industry. As a Gen Zer and social strategist, I was particularly drawn to uncovering how IRL experiences can attract online communities. Here are 5 key takeaways.
1. Enter the Chat…..
An obvious one, but immerse yourself into the online spaces your audience resides in. Explore the subreddits, TikToks, and other social spaces your audience interacts with on a daily basis to understand their behaviors and the relationship they have with your brand. WcDonald’s Dine In experience did a great job attracting a niche community within their fanbase by building off of existing conversations online. McDonald’s noticed the ongoing inside joke, WcDonald’s in online anime communities such as r/sudohbucks that shares knock-off brands in films and saw the value in reaching this through a dine-in experience. They also collaborated with manga artist Acky Bright, who is well-known in the anime community to illustrate the packaging and design. Playing into the “silly” online culture and bringing it offline helped McDonald’s reach anime fans who weren’t drawn by traditional offers and showed the power of creating cultural relevancy to niche audiences.
2. Create Exclusive Perks For The Internet’s Biggest Oversharers
What better way to target niche communities than to create incentives for free exclusive and customized swag? A few months ago, I remember seeing hundreds of people wait for a few hours outside West Hollywood for Patrick Ta’s pop up in LA on #beautytok. Retail brands like Rare Beauty and Patrick Ta have unlocked this code by making pop-ups a part of their marketing strategy using it as an opportunity to bring their fanbase IRL. Patrick Ta teased his pop-up event on social using a fan audio and announced a free giveaway for his whole makeup collection in an Away Luggage. Fans are the biggest oversharer.. Exclusive drops harness that and turn your most devoted customers into a volunteer marketing force that creates the kind of authentic content money can’t buy.
3. Build a Transformative Experience
Bringing digitally-native stories into IRL environments can create a bridge between online communities and the physical world, making the experience feel more personal and unforgettable. More than half of consumers are craving experiences that allow them to be a part of their favorite fictional worlds (Eventbrite Report 2025) and have an engaging storyline (IEN Report 2024). Netflix created a range of real-life Squid Games experiences where fans could participate in the games they’ve seen on screen; including the iconic "Red Light, Green Light" under robotic doll Young-hee’s watchful eye and an interactive maze made up of tasks designed to test fans' capabilities to become a pink guard. Letting consumers step into the story extends your IP beyond the screen and keeps shows culturally relevant long after the finale instead of losing momentum between seasons.
4. Host the Space, Earn the Love
With third spaces dwindling, brands have the opportunity to step in and create meaningful spaces that cultivate community. Nike After Dark Tour is a great example of how a brand can spread awareness and drive affinity by tapping into the behaviors of the community it supports. Nike Run hosted a half-marathon for women in LA, complete with race gear and a post-race performance by Doechii. They extended the tour by bringing a pop-up truck to UCLA and partnered with a female weight-lifting club on campus, @lagirlgans, to host the run and provide exclusive giveaways. Brands that bring people together with shared interests through uplifting activities can spark authentic connection and earn lasting advocacy and affinity.
5. Leverage Cultural Moments to Expand Into Emerging Fandoms
Lastly, showing up to big moments in culture such as Coachella, March Madness, F1 races, and New York Fashion Week is a good way to gain more exposure and reach a wider fanbase. With a 170% increase in viewership (WNBA 2024), the WNBA fanbase has been rapidly expanding and attracting fans from diverse backgrounds and niche interests. During the WNBA All-Star Weekend, Google Pixel created an experience that allowed fans to design custom tunnel fits for WNBA players. In partnership with the brand consultancy firm Robot, fans took an interactive Google Search Trends quiz, got recruited to a WNBA team, and received an All-Access Pass to collect their digital keepsakes throughout the experience. Activating during cultural moments helps brands tap into emerging fandoms and their niche interests, like the growing WNBA fashion community.