With extensive experience in analytics, performance optimization, and lead generation, Milena Traikovich helps businesses drive effective campaigns that nurture high-quality leads. As a seasoned Demand Gen expert, she understands what it takes to move beyond simple brand awareness and create activations that truly resonate. In this interview, we explore the nuances of modern experiential marketing, touching on the strategic use of nostalgia to disarm skepticism, the creative process behind crafting bespoke brand integrations that avoid the dreaded “logo soup,” and the art of taking calculated risks to create bold, unforgettable moments. We also delve into the metrics behind influencer-led events and the delicate balance of using humor to foster genuine community connection.
Victoria Lozano and John Kelly both used nostalgia, citing color’s emotional trigger and a ’90s video store theme. How do you measure the ROI on such an emotion-driven strategy, and what steps ensure the nostalgic theme genuinely connects without feeling forced on your target demographic?
Measuring the ROI on an emotion like nostalgia goes far beyond simple sales data. It’s about tracking a shift in brand perception and breaking down consumer barriers. For a brand like Daiya, the primary challenge was skepticism about their dairy-free cheese. By creating a ’90s video rental store, they weren’t just selling a product; they were creating an environment that puts people at ease, making them more receptive to the “tasting is believing” moment. The key to making it feel genuine is authenticity. It can’t just be a random trend. You have to connect it to a core human truth, as Crayola did by recognizing that our biggest life moments are often tied to a specific color. That deep, personal connection is what makes the experience feel authentic rather than forced. We measure success through social listening to gauge sentiment, tracking user-generated content that shares personal memories sparked by the event, and looking at long-term brand affinity metrics.
Ryan Dickerson mentioned avoiding a “cookie-cutter approach” with Sonic’s X Games activation, like placing a branded cup in the skate park. Could you walk us through the internal process of pitching and executing a truly bespoke idea versus a standard sponsorship package?
The process for a truly bespoke idea begins by throwing out the standard sponsorship deck. Instead of asking, “Where can we place our logo?” the conversation starts with, “How can we become a memorable part of the story?” An idea like placing a giant Cherry Limeade cup in the middle of the X Games skate park doesn’t come from a checklist; it comes from a deep, creative brainstorm about the culture of the event itself. Internally, the pitch for this would focus on the immense potential for organic social sharing and earned media. You have to demonstrate that one iconic, integrated element will generate far more buzz and genuine engagement than being one of twenty brands in a “logo soup.” Execution then becomes a true partnership with the event organizers. It’s a collaborative effort to figure out the logistics and safety, ensuring the brand element enhances the spectacle for fans and athletes, not just serves as an ad. It’s about creating a moment so unique that it becomes part of the event’s highlight reel.
Celsius is a “socially led” brand that used an ambassador at the MLS All-Star Game for “radiation across social media.” Beyond engagement metrics, how do you track the direct impact of these live influencer activations on brand perception, and what is your criteria for choosing the right partners?
Beyond simple likes and shares, we track the quality of that “radiation across social media.” This means analyzing the sentiment of the comments, tracking how many people use the brand’s specific hashtags in their own posts, and monitoring for a halo effect, like a spike in our own channel’s followers during and after the activation. The goal is to see if the influencer is truly transferring their credibility and audience excitement over to the brand. The criteria for choosing the right partner is all about authentic alignment. With Celsius, bringing in an ex-soccer player and brand ambassador like Ben Black to an MLS event is a perfect fit. He has inherent credibility in that space, so when he’s hosting or leading warm-ups, it feels like a natural and valuable part of the experience. The audience sees someone who genuinely belongs there, which makes the product integration feel seamless and trustworthy, not like a forced celebrity endorsement.
Jenn Garbach described PNC’s bold challenger brand move of turning a branch into a “hockey hair” barber shop. What does that internal ideation and approval process look like, and what key data points help convince leadership to move forward with such a non-traditional concept?
For a challenger brand like PNC, the internal process has to be built on a culture that, as Jenn Garbach said, “elicits creativity.” The ideation starts by identifying a unique cultural insight—in this case, the beloved tradition of “hockey hair” with the Dallas Stars. The pitch to leadership for turning a bank branch into a barber shop wouldn’t just be a wild idea; it would be a strategic proposal. You’d present data on the team’s fan engagement, the social media currency of hockey culture, and the projected earned media value from local and even national press covering such a unique stunt. You convince leadership by framing it not as an expense, but as a bold investment in building a distinctive brand identity in a crowded market. The key is showing that the element of intrigue and the opportunity for a direct, joyful experience will create a far more powerful and lasting brand association than any traditional ad campaign could.
Lidor Bar David from Openigloo used rent-themed humor on signs at the NYC Marathon to engage the community. When using humor in a public space, how do you balance being funny and relevant with ensuring the message positively reflects your brand’s core values to a diverse audience?
The key to balancing humor in a public space is ensuring it stems from a place of genuine community understanding and support. Openigloo’s signs worked because the whole spirit was to encourage the runners. The rent-themed jokes landed because they tapped into a shared, relatable struggle for nearly every New Yorker, creating an “if you know, you know” connection. To maintain a positive reflection of the brand, the humor must be inclusive and uplifting, not cynical or divisive. Before executing, you have to stress-test the concept: Does this joke punch up, not down? Does it add to the positive energy of the event? For Openigloo, the humor was directly tied to their brand purpose—navigating the NYC rental market—but it was delivered in a way that served the marathon community first, making the brand feel like a clever and supportive neighbor rather than an advertiser.
What is your forecast for the future of experiential marketing?
The future of experiential marketing is about creating deeper, more authentic integrations into people’s lives. We’re moving away from one-off, spectacular pop-ups and toward sustained, community-centric engagement. Brands will need to behave less like sponsors and more like cultural contributors, much like Sonic did at the X Games by becoming part of the visual landscape. The most successful strategies will be those that tap into fundamental human emotions, like the powerful nostalgia Crayola evoked, to build genuine connections that transcend a single event. It’s no longer enough to just show up; brands have to show up with a purpose, whether it’s with disarming humor like Openigloo or bold creativity like PNC. Ultimately, the focus will be on creating lasting memories, because in a saturated market, how a brand makes you feel will be the most powerful differentiator of all.
