001 The Essential Ingredient to Engage Audiences, with Johan Holm Thornhammar

Experiential Destinations - the science, stories and innovation behind the unforgettable

We connect with visionary leaders who craft remarkable experiences that leave long-lasting impressions on their audiences. Each episode takes you on a journey through the creative minds and innovative approaches of our guests, revealing valuable insights into navigating and excelling in today’s digitally saturated landscape.

From the science of engagement to the art of storytelling, join us in exploring the transformative power of Experiential Destinations and their profound impact on people and brands.

For our very first episode, we speak with Johan Holm Thornhammar, the head of H&M’s Global Studio unit - on a mission to define their new store concept.

Key Takeaways:

• Creating tangible experiences is essential in retail marketing to engage and connect with customers.
• Balancing innovation within the guardrails of brand guidelines is crucial to maintain the brand promise while pushing boundaries.
• Holistic experiences that consider the full customer journey and connect with the brand are more impactful.
• Commissioning experiential projects can be challenging, with difficulties in implementation and external factors like supply chain issues. Stakeholder management is crucial in experiential retail, requiring buy-in and support from various teams and departments.
• Both micro moments and bigger experiences have a role to play in creating impactful brand experiences.
• Measuring the success of experiential retail can involve short-term metrics specific to the challenge being addressed, as well as long-term metrics related to brand health and performance.
• The future of experiential retail involves integrating experiences into store design and marketing programs, focusing on scalability and long-lasting impact.
• Trends to watch out for include the use of light, kinetic elements, and technology such as NFC and RFID.
• Emerging designers and professionals interested in experiential retail should focus on understanding the problem or challenge they are trying to solve and clearly conveying the relevance of their solution.

Thank you for enjoying Experiential Destinations with us!

You can find Johan Holm Thornhammar here.
You can find Hirsch & Mann on LinkedIn, on the web, on X (twitter), Instagram and TikTok.
You can find Daniel Hirschmann here.
You can also watch the episode on YouTube!
Credits:
Video: Hirsch & Mann
Audio: Transition by Six Umbrellas, Free Music Archive, CC BY-SA.

Thank you and have a spectacular day or night wherever and whenever you are!