The digital advertising landscape is constantly evolving, shaped by shifting consumer habits, emerging technologies, and changing platform dynamics. While Facebook still commands a hefty share of ad dollars, brands are diversifying their strategies—investing more in TikTok and Instagram to tap into their social commerce power and strong connection with younger audiences. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is seeing ad dollars dwindle as marketers chase better performance elsewhere. In fact, according to a report by CNN, approximately 25 percent of marketers plan on decreasing their spending on X this year—the largest drop for any major global ad platform. This statistic is even more alarming considering X’s advertising revenue had already dropped by nearly half (from $4.5 billion to $2.2 billion) between 2002 and 2023, as reported by WARC Media.
For event planners and destinations, staying ahead means embracing a multimedia approach to advertising. From social media strategies and digital wallet passes to programmatic advertising, industry experts are uncovering the most innovative ways to maximize ad impact in the sports and events space.
The power of digital wallet passes
Paul Tomes, co-founder and CEO of PassKit, a software platform that empowers businesses to leverage Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, highlights how digital wallet passes transform how events connect with attendees. “Passes are things, assets like loyalty cards or tickets, that sit within Apple and Google Wallet; they’re not credit cards,” he says. Tomes explains that digital wallet passes are not just a replacement for traditional paper tickets and plastic membership cards; they also provide a direct engagement channel for event organizers.
“Unlike email, wallet passes are dynamic,” Tomes says. “You can update a pass so it can be dynamic, change images, update people on when the latest game is going to take place, and you can even put results on a pass,” he explains. This ability to push real-time updates makes wallet passes a powerful tool, particularly for smaller sports teams and local events that lack the resources for an app or frequent website updates.
Beyond engagement, digital wallet passes also contribute to operational efficiency. “Another benefit a pass has is that if someone has their phone with them, which is basically always, you can also use the pass to check in, to scan, or tap on a terminal which checks in a person,” Tomes notes. This capability allows organizers to track attendance, gather valuable data, and refine their marketing strategies accordingly.
For planners looking to implement digital wallet passes, Tomes advises a phased approach: “Start small. Don’t try to do everything that’s possible with a wallet. The phased approach I think works best is to ask if you give something to your customer, member, or attendees that’s static: something like a piece of paper, plastic, or static email. Replace it with a digital pass. Move to that stage first and get confident with what that wallet channel adds. Then, start engaging by using notifications and updating the pass.”
Leveraging social media and programmatic advertising Bill Lea of rEvolution emphasizes the critical role of social media in event marketing. “Social media is super important for event marketing,” he stresses. “It allows for granularity of targeting and allows brands to spend as little or as much as they want in that space to hit goals.” However, Lea stresses that event organizers should not rely solely on paid social media efforts but should also build their organic presence. “I think what’s really important is making sure that these event marketers are building their own platforms. Having that organic social following, you can reach out to and layer on top paid audiences to amplify beyond paid audience.”
Social media advertising is most effective when combined with a wellplanned multi-platform strategy. “Generally, Facebook and Instagram is where you’ll get the largest reach, but as you tick down the age group, TikTok starts popping, as does Snapchat,” Lea says. “Event planners should make sure they are varying their platform strategies and that they have a presence across all. That’s really going to expand their reach.”
Beyond social media, programmatic advertising has opened new opportunities for event organizers. “Programmatic advertising has really opened up the entire world of digital advertising to these planners,” Lea says. “They can think about things from a very local nature and geotarget a place but still have the entire web at their disposal.” According to Lea, this capability allows planners to align their ads with major sports and news websites or grassroots platforms, ensuring effective placement based on audience interests. “Programmatic advertising really opens up streaming platforms to smaller advertisers, too,” he adds. “You can essentially have a video ad that airs on any streaming type of environment at a pretty efficient rate.”
The rise of multi-touchpoint advertising
The most successful event marketing strategies incorporate multiple advertising touchpoints. “Multi-touch points are extremely important,” Lea says. Every channel, every type of media, has its own KPIs that are designated to it, but they can all, at this point, be layered on top of and build off each other.”
One example of this is the integration of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising with mobile retargeting. “For example, with digital out-of-home, we can understand when a consumer is in a place where they have been exposed to a billboard and retarget that same consumer with a digital ad,” he says. “So that gives two touch points because we know they have seen the digital billboard; the phone is the key.” Similarly, emerging technologies in local digital advertising, such as geo-filters on Snapchat and TikTok, provide additional ways to engage attendees before, during, and after an event. “TikTok and Snapchat give the ability to add locality to it with local filters,” he explains. “That really gives a different element to the local advertising.”
Best practices for event planners
Based on these insights, event planners and destinations can maximize their multimedia advertising efforts by following these best practices:
• Start with the basics—Implement simple digital tools like wallet passes to replace static tickets and membership cards. Gradually expand engagement features such as notifications and real-time updates.
• Invest in organic social growth— Build an audience beyond paid advertising efforts to create a sustainable and engaged community.
• Leverage multiple platforms—To maximize reach, Diversify advertising strategies across social media, programmatic ads, and streaming platforms.
• Make use of data for targeting—Gather analytics from wallet passes, social media, and programmatic ads to refine targeting strategies and improve ROI.
• Integrate multi-touchpoint campaigns—Combine different media channels, such as DOOH and digital ads, to reinforce messaging and maximize engagement.
As digital marketing continues to evolve, event planners who embrace innovative advertising strategies will stay ahead in attracting and engaging audiences. Whether through digital wallet passes, social media advertising, or programmatic campaigns, a strategic multimedia approach is key to successful event promotion.
