Summer is in full swing, and our FLOW-ers have been busy bringing brands to life through cultural festivals, community events and experiential activations across the country. From McDonald’s FIFA programming to Kingsford’s Greek Picnic activations, Illinois Lottery events and community initiatives with the Chicago Department of Public Health, our teams are helping brands show up where culture is happening

 As our teams continue to activate across the country, we’re seeing firsthand that experiential marketing is about far more than creating memorable moments—it’s about building trust, fostering authentic connections and creating a lasting sense of belonging within multicultural communities.

This month, we’re exploring how experiential marketing helps brands move beyond awareness to build meaningful relationships with the communities they serve.

Showing Up and Being Present

Experiential marketing is an effective way for brands to connect with multicultural audiences because it creates more than just exposure; it creates meaningful interaction. A 2024 report from Subscribed.FYI found that 69% of consumers feel a stronger connection to brands that actively engage with and support local communities through experiential marketing efforts.

FCG has practiced this for 35 years. Whether supporting the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Me & Nic Broke Up campaign, helping Aetna engage local communities, or activating alongside McDonald’s owner/operator organizations, our teams create opportunities for meaningful interactions that extend far beyond the screen.

Beyond strengthening consumer relationships, experiential marketing also delivers measurable business impact. The same study found that brands investing in experiential marketing outperform those relying primarily on traditional advertising.

Creating an interactive experience opens the space for deeper relationships, allowing barriers between the brand and consumers to come down.  It opens the door for authentic conversations, meaningful engagement, and trust that can’t be built through advertising alone.

More Than an Activation

When experiences are tied to cultural pride and centered on an authentic moment, consumers don’t remember the logo — they reflect on their cultural identity, values, and traditions. This makes the brand feel more personal and memorable, like part of their community.

This kind of connection strengthens trust, engagement, and long-term brand loyalty among diverse audiences. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Sciences by researchers at Shenzhen University found that cultural involvement with a brand significantly increases consumers’ pride and likelihood of supporting the brand.

At FCG, this is at the heart of the connections we build for our clients. We don’t treat cultural moments as a checkbox on a campaign calendar. We help brands identify where their story genuinely intersects with a community’s culture, then build experiences that honor that intersection rather than borrow from it.

Our FCG Asian McDonald’s Operators Association (AMOA) team creates lasting connections in Chicago’s Asian communities not only during heritage month celebrations but also all summer long. In June, our team activated at the Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, and in July at Chinatown fairs and in Uptown Dim Sum race celebrations. Showing up, bringing fun, interactive, and engaging brand experiences that enhance and build alongside the community as a thoughtful partner.  That’s the difference between an activation that feels like marketing and one that feels like it belongs.

Now more than ever, audiences are looking to brands that take the time to truly understand who they are culturally and show up for key cultural moments. According to PRWeek, 40% of consumers say they could see themselves switching to a brand that demonstrates an understanding of how they identify culturally—another point FCG has put into practice over our 35 years of championing multicultural consumers and the brands who serve them.

Key Takeaways:

• As we move forward, understanding when brands reflect multicultural consumers’ identities and lived experiences increases the likelihood that brands drive relevance, purchase intent, and loyalty, and that’s the work we help our clients get right.
• Stay present and look for experiential marketing initiatives that go beyond just a stand or booth experience. Truly build relationships, connect, and create a common space.
• Understand the importance of values and cultural identity in these activations and how it’ll strengthen brand loyalty and commitment to mission.
• Find ways beyond the usual to be part of multicultural consumers’ key moments.

Multicultural consumers are constantly watching the brands behind these initiatives; it is now on clients to stay in the moment and find ways to foster real relationships. Show up as a partner rather than a spectator; that’s how experiential activations remain successful and authentic to multicultural consumers.