How Going Offline Is Driving Buzz Online in 2025

It seems like 2025 is pop up summer. Seriously, they are everywhere … and I’m not complaining. 

Hands on time with a brand through events or activations has been something reserved for influencers for as long as I can remember. However, I believe the tide is starting to turn. In the last week alone I’ve seen UGC covering Billie’s Diner at her O2 shows, the 196 pop up at Clapham Common, Blank Street’s ice cream sandwich giveaways and Sabrina Carpenter's merch store in Shoreditch. 

I think it's no coincidence that the brands dominating the most conversation online are the ones who place a lot of focus on giving communities a chance to interact with them offline. 

Ofc we all remember the Refy brand trip last year where they invited some of their top customers over influencers to thank them for their loyalty. Yes they might not have hit the same amount of impressions as using influencers, however, the bold move did generate really interesting, positive commentary across socials. I even saw a few pieces of content go viral from attendees - which in my opinion is arguably more valuable than influencer content which we’ve all become slightly fatigued by.

There are so many activations happening in London right now targeting the regular joe. I literally feel like everyday I’m seeing new content - however, there’s two examples I keep seeing time and time again - run clubs, and the last-minute event.

The rise of run clubs is a thing in itself. It seems every other brand has its own run club including those who don’t have an obvious link to it. For example, acai bowl brand Oakberry have become somewhat notorious for partnering with running groups - OTR and Hot Girls Run Club to name a couple. Another example of this Tinder! I feel like dating apps are such a Marmite thing, everyone on them but hates them. The rise of run clubs, and specifically the Puresport run club, generated so much chatter about it being the best (or maybe worse) place to find a date. Tinder tapped into this conversation by hosting a run club with Runna last year. Now it could be argued that this works against what they’re trying to achieve - by encouraging people to pursue finding a connection offline. However I think it shows the opposite, they are aware of public opinion and are committed to helping their customers find connections - wherever it is. 

Whether you think run clubs are trendy or timeless - one thing is undeniable, they are very popular amongst young Londoners right now. Leveraging this popularity by hosting a run club is a clever way for brands to diversify the way customers interact with them. I just mentioned Puresport, who have hosted run clubs for a while but they’ve recently taken their run club on tour to launch its new electrolytes. Hosting regional run clubs allows existing non London based customers the chance to have customers hands-on time with them as a brand but it also works to attract new customers - they might just come for the run and to meet people but I’d hedge my bets on them becoming a customer in future. The same sentiment works for Oakberry and Tinder - tapping into this market and trend is such a clever way to strengthen reach and build brand image offline, and eventually online.

Moving on, spontaneity is such a thing in the UK during summer. Everyone wants to do something fun, and this summer especially I’ve seen artists start to tap into this. I like to call this the Ed Sheeran impact. We all know he's pretty notorious for picking up the guitar at his local pub but I’m enjoying seeing other artists pick up this approach. 

The two that come to mind straight away are Royel Otis and Mumford and Sons - who both dropped day of announcements for small, free, intimate gigs in pubs. The result - packed venues and huge amounts of UGC sharing up close and personal footage of the gigs. I think audiences crave that close connection with their favourite artists, Spotify Wrapped speaks to this - therefore its no surprise this footage immediately trended. Obviously performing gigs like this gives fans an amazing experience, but I think that atmosphere is also seen through a screen. It makes everyone feel seen - and generates a buzz to want to go to the next event. It helps everyone feel seen - in the same way pop up activations have for brands. 

In summary, investing in your community offline through IRL activations helps audiences feel seen - and will translate into invaluable earned conversations online.