Why Do We Invest in Experiential Marketing for Customers - But Not Employees?

The External vs. Internal Experience Gap

Refy turned heads last year when they re-defined influencer marketing. Instead of hosting a lavish event for the usual big-name influencers, they invited their most loyal customers on an exclusive community trip to Mallorca. These were real people who used the products daily, embodying the brand’s ethos.

The result? A 250% increase in engagement on their Instagram, deeper brand loyalty, and a genuine, two-way connection between the brand and its biggest supporters.

Dior took a similar approach with its pop-up cafés and immersive retail spaces, giving people a reason to interact with the brand beyond just purchasing a product. The experience wasn’t just about selling - it was about creating an emotional connection that lasted beyond a single transaction.

And then there’s KitKat’s "Free No WiFi Zone", a campaign that aligned perfectly with their "Have a Break" messaging. The brand set up designated no-WiFi benches across Amsterdam, encouraging people to disconnect and enjoy a moment without distraction.

These brands don’t just tell their audience about their values - they create experiences that make people feel them.

So why don’t we apply the same thinking internally? Why do we expect employees to engage with generic emails, uninspiring slide decks, and forgettable all-hands calls when we know what works externally?

Experiential Marketing, But for Employees

The principles behind these campaigns; exclusivity, emotional connection, and participation, apply just as much to internal communications and engagement. Yet too often, organisations default to passive communication and expect employees to care.

Over the years, I’ve led low-cost, high-impact experiential experiences that have transformed internal comms from "just another announcement" to something people actually engage with:

1. Turning Product Launches into an Internal Exclusive

Rather than just circulating a PDF about a new campaign, we implemented an office take-over, with campaign assets used throughout the offices - window and mirror stickers, desktop takeover that gave employees first access to the upcoming external ad campaign before it went live and creating quizzes and team experiences to help bring key messages of the campaign to life. This made employees feel involved, informed, and excited, turning them into brand advocates with talking points they could use with customers.

2. Boosting Intranet Engagement with Gamification

When employees weren’t using our intranet, we turned it into an interactive challenge. We hid a pair of Taylor Swift tickets somewhere on the platform and turned the site into a treasure hunt. These were tickets we’d just giveaway to employees as part of our partnership deal but instead, we thought we’d make our colleagues work for them. Engagement soared, and employees became excited to use the platform, rather than seeing it as another "must-use" tool.

3. Bringing Organisational Change to Life

Instead of forcing employees to sit through another "strategic vision" PowerPoint, we created an immersive event where employees physically walked through different scenarios of how teams would work together in the future. By experiencing the change, rather than just reading about it, teams understood how it would impact them and where they fit in.

4. Making Tone of Voice Training Fun and Practical

We ditched traditional, dry writing workshops and instead ran tone of voice sessions using famous personalities. By bringing real-world examples to life, employees could see the difference in communication styles. They also walked away with practical, easy-to-use guides they could start to use and apply to their writing immediately - with drop-in sessions they could attend after so we not only could we provide support and guidance long after the training took place but they formed their own buddying network to share writing tips and reviews too.

This Isn’t About Big Budgets

It’s easy to assume that making internal comms more engaging means spending more money. But the truth is, it’s not about budget, it’s about intent.

This ISN’T about:

• Booking expensive venues for company-wide events

• Creating costly, one-off stunts

• Throwing money at engagement initiatives that don’t drive impact

This IS about:

• Thinking differently about how we communicate

• Giving employees a reason to care about what they’re being told

• Creating moments that feel relevant, exciting, and human

Final Thought: If It Works Externally, Why Not Internally?

The best external marketing campaigns make people feel seen, valued, and excited to be part of something bigger.

Employees deserve the same experience.

If we truly want employees to engage, we need to do more than inform - we need to involve.

Want to talk about how to make internal comms more impactful? Get in touch and let’s chat!