Offline adventures: The resurgence of IRL experiences among Gen Z

In 60 seconds… 

• Gen Zers are building connections across the world online and then furthering these relationships by meeting IRL
• Experiential marketing allows brands to get their values across, offer personalized experiences, and boost social engagement
• Gen Z expects hybrid experiences from brands — something that they can attend IRL and then post about online

They may be a generation of digital natives, but where does Gen Z stand on IRL marketing and experiences? Are they moving away from traditional offline activities in favor of online interactions? Or is there a resurgence in their desire for new and unique in-person experiences? And how on earth can you manage it all?! 

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. In this blog, we’ll be exploring the evolving attitudes of Gen Z toward IRL experiences, with the help of expert voices Grace Miller (The Diary of a CEO) and Patrick Holly (Upwork).

We’ll be looking at how you can tap into the preferences of this dynamic demographic and, of course, sharing actionable insights into how you can adapt your strategies to secure the spending and loyalty of this generation. 

The current state of IRL among Gen Z

Okay, so, spoiler: Gen Z loves the IRL world. They love any excuse to head to the pub, hit the highstreet, or gather their friends together at a music festival. But they also love the online world. They want notifications, social media content, and TikTok. 

In the words of Gen Z icon Hannah Montana, they want the best of both worlds. 

This generation’s trust in digital marketing is complicated, and they don’t like being directly advertised or sold to (if you think that’s difficult, brace yourself for Gen Zalpha, who can spot marketing from a mile off!). This means that, as a touchpoint between brands and consumers, OOH and experiential marketing make for a refreshing change.  

One thing we speak about a lot when it comes to Gen Z is community: whether online or offline, this generation wants connection. And whilst we see this clearly on platforms like TikTok or Reddit, the world of IRL, of course, perfectly lends itself to communities. Now, Gen Zers are building online connections across the world and then extending these relationships by meeting IRL, bonding over shared projects, passions, and communities. 

We spoke to Grace Miller, Head Failure and Experimentation for Steven Bartlett & The Diary of a CEO, about the power of The Diary of a CEO’s community: “At Steven’s live events, we get to interact with [the community] and meet those names from the screen in-person. 

“The best part about being to see these people at events is you see that … there’s a common denominator: people wanting to better themselves/their lives. There’s nothing common about their looks - it’s all about their emotions and passions.” 

The beauty of the online is its ability to overcome geography when building communities. The joy of the real world is taking these relationships to the next level. 

The power of experiential marketing

It’s fair to say that brick-and-mortar stores aren’t going anywhere anytime soon: these physical spaces where Gen Z can get the unique, immersive experiences they crave (more on this later).

But what about experiential marketing? Those IRL, event-based marketing activities that allow audiences to be immersed in and interact with brands? Well, spoiler: these aren’t going anywhere either. In fact, Gen Z wants more of them. 

“Experiential marketing plays a pivotal role in reaching new and younger audiences”, Patrick Holly, VP of Creative at Upwork, says. “Despite their preference towards hybrid and remote work, Gen Zers really value authentic in-person connection in the right environments, especially after spending their formative years on Zoom screens at the height of the pandemic. 

“Brands have an opportunity to create memorable experiences for young audiences that help them to get ahead of the competition by making memories and building long-term loyalty and affinity.” 

You heard him: loyalty and affinity. Now you’re interested. 

And, because Gen Z wants the best of both worlds, they’re expecting hybrid experiences from brands - something that they can attend IRL and then post about online. Peer-to-peer marketing is the most successful kind when it comes to digital marketing and Gen Z, so your aim should be for shoppers to take to their phones to talk online about your brand’s IRL experiential marketing. 

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So, what does Gen Z want from events?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the main reasons that Gen Z students attend events is for freebies and discounts (89% US, 85% UK). Other popular reasons include discovering new products and services (68% US, 55% UK), networking or learning opportunities (60% US, 48% UK), and spending time with their peers and other students (52% US, 43% UK). 

And, ahead of the back to school season, IRL experiences are more important than ever before: 81% of students in the UK and 86% in the US would like to see more experiential events from brands on their campus or city this year. 

Whether its connecting with young shoppers at a freshers fair or attracting potential customers with your loyalty programs, experiential marketing allows brands to get their values across, offer personalized experiences, and boost social engagement. In turn, this increases brand awareness, builds trust, increases sales, and [builds] a stronger connection between brand and user.

Case studies 

Glossier’s Black Cherry tour

As if Glossier wasn’t popular enough with Gen Z, their recent activation earned them even more brownie points in the eyes of Gen Z.

As part of the launch of its Black Cherry collection, the makeup brand took to the real world with an interactive tour, where fans could treat themselves to freebies, product samples, a photo booth experience, and customizable charms. 

Brand awareness? Tick. 

UGC? Check. 

A conversation starter? 100%. 

Hollister’s student shopping night  

Fashion brand Hollister grew sales by 107% year-on-year and increased footfall by 135% with their IRL campaign — got your attention now… 

The brand wanted to fight through the back to school noise, and knew the best way to do so was with an IRL event. Working with Pion, Hollister ran an in-store student shopping night with DJ sets and an interactive photo booth.

It prioritized experience over products and focused on community and connection — success. 

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How does this impact their shopping experiences?

So, with the IRL and URL worlds continuing to blur, how does Gen Z shop?

For the majority of sectors, the online world remains King when it comes to shopping for Gen Z — after all, nothing quite beats the convenience of Apple Pay, does it? 

But the IRL world is fast catching up. Here’s how Gen Z is shopping right now: 

Clothing and fashion 

• 61% shop in store 
• 82% shop online
  

Beauty and wellness 

• 54% in store 
• 57% online 
  

Travel and vacations 

• 16% in store
• 81% online 
  

Take out

• 44% in store
• 80% online
  

Groceries

• 75% in store
• 48% online
  

Dining out 

• 69% in store 
• 37% online 
  

Tech and mobile 

• 44% in store
• 74% online
  

Household items 

• 67% in store 
• 56% online
  

Media

• 34% in store
• 87% online
  

Health and fitness

• 44% in store
• 52% online
  

Entertainment 

• 41% in store
• 86% online

Top tips for connecting with Gen Z using IRL experiences 

• Focus on the idea of community and bringing people together. Offer your passionate online community additional content that they wouldn’t get in the online world.
• It’s 2025, and your target audience wants marketing campaigns to be an engaging experience. Whether it’s gamification marketing or working with brand ambassadors, setting aside traditional marketing and focusing on the brand experience will truly have a lasting impact on this generation. 
• UGC is the key to success! Leverage platforms like TikTok and Instagram by encouraging consumers to share their IRL experiences online to build that important brand awareness and continue the conversation. 

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