Maximizing Brand Impact During Live Events: The Power of Location Intelligence and CTV

Live events are no longer just moments in time. From concerts and sporting events to conferences and festivals, today’s live experiences create high-intent audiences that brands can activate across physical and digital touchpoints using location intelligence and Connected TV.

The question for modern marketers isn’t whether to invest in live event advertising,  it’s how to maximize impact before, during, and after the moment. The answer lies in the convergence of location intelligence, Connected TV (CTV), and omnichannel proximity marketing.

The Evolution of Live Event Advertising

Historically, live event marketing meant on-site signage, sponsorships, and experiential activations. While those tactics still matter, they only reach consumers who are physically present and only for a limited window of time.

Today’s technology-driven approach extends the life and scale of live events by:

  • Identifying audiences based on real-world movement and behavior
  • Connecting physical presence to digital activation
  • Delivering personalized messaging across screens, formats, and moments

This shift allows brands to transform a single event into a multi-week, full-funnel campaign.

Why Location Intelligence Changes the Game

Location intelligence enables brands to understand where audiences go, how they move, and what environments influence their decisions. When applied to live events, it unlocks powerful use cases:

1. Pre-Event Audience Building

Marketers can build predictive audiences based on historical attendance patterns. For example, fans who attended last season’s games, frequent concert venues, or regularly visit sports bars can be targeted with CTV, mobile, and display ads leading up to the event.

This creates anticipation and brand familiarity before consumers ever step into the venue.

2. Real-Time Proximity Activation

During the event, geofencing and proximity targeting allow brands to reach attendees while they’re actively engaged and emotionally invested. Messaging can be tailored to:

  • Arrival moments
  • Intermissions or halftime
  • Nearby dining, retail, or transportation hubs

These contextual touchpoints increase relevance and response rates.

3. Post-Event Retargeting

After the crowd disperses, location data allows brands to continue the conversation. Attendees can be retargeted across CTV, social, and digital channels with follow-up offers, product launches, or loyalty campaigns.

The event becomes a starting point, not an endpoint.

The Role of Connected TV in Live Event Strategies

CTV brings premium storytelling and measurable performance together in a way traditional event sponsorships cannot.

When combined with location intelligence, CTV allows brands to:

  • Serve high-impact ads to households tied to event attendees
  • Sequence messaging across devices for consistent brand narratives
  • Measure lift in visitation, consideration, and conversion

Instead of guessing whether a sponsorship drove results, marketers gain visibility into real-world outcomes.

Building an Omnichannel Event Marketing Framework

The most effective live event strategies operate across three phases:

Before: Build Anticipation

  • Target lookalike and historical attendee audiences on CTV and social
  • Promote exclusive offers, experiences, or early access
  • Align messaging with the event’s cultural and emotional drivers
During: Capture the Moment
  • Activate geofenced mobile and DOOH campaigns near the venue
  • Deliver time-sensitive, location-aware creative
  • Reinforce brand presence across multiple screens
After: Extend the Relationship
  • Retarget attendees with sequential CTV and digital campaigns
  • Measure visitation and engagement lift
  • Turn event-goers into long-term customers

This full-funnel approach ensures every dollar invested in a live event delivers sustained brand and performance value.

Measurement: From Impressions to Impact

Modern marketers are moving beyond vanity metrics. Location intelligence and CTV enable brands to measure:

  • Foot traffic lift
  • Store visitation
  • Frequency of return
  • Cross-channel exposure

These insights turn live events into one of the most accountable channels in the media mix.

The Future of Live Event Marketing

As privacy-safe location data, CTV adoption, and real-time analytics continue to mature, live events will become even more central to brand strategy.

The winners will be the brands that treat events not as one-off sponsorships, but as connected ecosystems, where physical presence fuels digital engagement, and digital engagement drives real-world action.

Final Thought

Maximizing brand impact during live events is no longer about being seen, it’s about being connected.

By combining location intelligence, CTV, and omnichannel activation, brands can transform moments of attention into lasting relationships, measurable performance and sustained growth.

Interested in building a proximity-powered live event strategy? Let’s explore how data-driven activation can turn your next event into a full-funnel growth engine.

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