Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Experience This — brand execution software for FMCG and drinks brands.

How do FMCG and drinks brands track ROI of on-trade brand activation campaigns?

Most brands track on-trade activation ROI manually — requesting depletions data from wholesalers, correlating it to activations by hand, and running offline ROI calculators in spreadsheets. Experience This replaces this entire process with automated, always-on ROI measurement — importing sales data via upload or API, automatically correlating it to activation activity, and calculating ROI against editable comparison periods and outlets. Brands get three levels of reporting: overall campaign ROI, performance per outlet, and performance per rep, region and territory. 

Learn how we track sales uplift and ROI →

More effective brand execution and insights with segmentation targeting

How does Experience This improve ROI and market share?

Experience This improves ROI and market share by replacing disconnected spreadsheets and manual processes with one centralised platform that gives brands full visibility and control over every activation. Specifically:

  • Precision targeting — brands can restrict and recommend activations based on customer segmentation and data insights, ensuring spend goes to the highest-value opportunities
  • Consistent execution — deadlines, targets and automated briefing ensure field sales teams activate in the right places, in the right way, at the right time
  • Real-time tracking — live dashboards replace end-of-campaign reporting, so underperforming activations can be course-corrected while they’re still running
  • Sales data integration — connecting activation activity directly to sales uplift closes the loop between marketing spend and commercial return
  • Asset reuse — brands sweat existing assets rather than commissioning new ones, reducing waste and reinvesting savings into more activations

Our clients have seen up to 3.1x ROI improvement and 4.8% market share growth as a result.

Staff Advocacy management platform

How can I give my sales reps one activation system?

Experience This gives field sales and customer marketing teams a single platform to manage all brand activations — from booking and briefing through to execution tracking and feedback capture. It replaces the mix of spreadsheets, email chains and disconnected tools most teams rely on today.

Experience This integrates with your existing tech stack, commonly connecting with CRM systems to surface customer information directly within the platform, and with sales data sources to track uplift against activation activity. This means reps can work from one system rather than switching between tools, and managers get a single source of truth across all activity.

How do I replace POS nomination spreadsheets for on-trade brand marketing?

Experience This replaces manual POS nomination spreadsheets with an automated, data-driven workflow. Reps nominate outlets directly in the platform — with outlet details pre-loaded, recommended and restricted venues flagged, and kit guidelines built in. Allocations can be set at outlet, regional, rep or territory level, with flexible kit options tailored to each outlet’s needs. Digital assets are included in the same flow. The agency receives a clean, consolidated order automatically — no manual collation required.

Read more about replacing POS nomination spreadsheets →

Tailor Kits POS Nominations
Automated execution calendar FMCG

How can brands manage bookings, events and activations in one place?

With a suite of flexible settings to suit any type of activation, Experience This consolidates bookings for events, experiential activations and POS distribution into one centralised platform. Teams get real-time visibility of what’s been activated, where and by whom — with automated updates replacing manual check-ins.

Typically Experience This replaces the following fragmented processes:

  • PowerPoints used to brief and sell in execution to commercial teams
  • Target lists used to provide guidelines and goals for field sales
  • Spreadsheet trackers and calendars used to monitor activation progress
  • ROI calculations and measurement reports compiled manually at the end of campaigns

All of these are consolidated into one platform, reducing admin, improving accuracy and giving leadership real-time visibility rather than end-of-campaign snapshots.

How does Experience This integrate with sales data?

Experience This integrates with sales data in two ways.

Brands can upload their depletions data directly into the platform, or connect via API for a seamless, automated feed from their existing sales data source. Once connected, sales uplift is measured directly against activation activity — closing the loop between field execution and commercial performance, and giving customer marketing teams hard ROI data rather than estimated impact.

For brands where centralised sales data isn’t available, Experience This can capture sales performance directly through automated review forms sent to agencies, sales reps and customers following an activation. This ensures every campaign generates measurable ROI data regardless of the brand’s existing data infrastructure.

Learn how we track sales uplift and ROI →

Experience This brand activation analytics and ROI dashboard
Automated budget approvals FMCG Trade Marketing

How can I replace spreadsheets with automated brand activation management?

Experience This is purpose-built to replace the spreadsheet-based processes that customer marketing and field sales teams rely on today. Rather than a generic workflow tool, the platform was designed from the ground up around the specific manual processes common in FMCG and drinks brand execution:

  • Selling in execution — PowerPoint decks used to brief commercial teams are replaced with digital selling profiles and campaign pages, accessible directly within the platform
  • Target setting — static target list spreadsheets are replaced with dynamic, data-driven recommended and restricted target lists based on customer segmentation, location and opportunity
  • Booking and briefing — manual email chains and calendar management are replaced with automated booking flows, approvals and agency briefs generated directly from activation data
  • Progress tracking — spreadsheet trackers updated manually by reps are replaced with live dashboards showing activation status, deadlines and execution targets in real time
  • ROI and measurement — end-of-campaign reports compiled manually in Excel are replaced with automated feedback capture, sales data integration and always-on ROI reporting

The result is customer marketing teams saving an average of one day per week, with significantly more accurate data and the ability to course-correct activity while campaigns are still live.

Learn how we replaced spreadsheets for a client →

Customer marketing campaign management dashboard

Is Experience This built for FMCG and drinks brands specifically?

Yes — Experience This was purpose-built for the complexity of FMCG (also known as CPG (consumer packaged goods) brands), and drinks customer marketing programmes, with over 12 years of experience in the sector. The platform has been developed from the ground up based on direct feedback from the brands that use it, including Diageo, Guinness, Smirnoff, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan — meaning every feature reflects the real-world challenges of FMCG activation teams, not generic workflow software adapted for the category.

The result is a platform designed around the specific activation types, commercial structures and field sales processes common in the sector — from on-trade experiential and POS distribution through to staff advocacy and digital promotions.

Learn how our FMCG / CPG platform compares vs others →

How does Experience This track real-time uplift from customer marketing activations?

Experience This tracks real-time uplift from customer marketing activations by connecting activation activity directly to sales data — either through depletions data upload, API integration, or automated review forms sent to agencies, sales reps and customers post-activation.

Live dashboards give customer marketing and commercial teams visibility of performance against targets while campaigns are still running, rather than waiting for end-of-campaign reports. Editable campaign settings make it easy to adjust targeting and execution guidelines in line with live learnings, continuously optimising for ROI. For example:

  • If an experiential marketing programme is clearly performing better in a certain customer segment, targeting can be updated to encourage or restrict bookings based on those learnings
  • If a staff advocacy programme only pays back in multiple retail groups, targeting can be restricted to exclude independent venues
  • If a POS kit performs better when activated with certain items, execution guidelines can be updated to ensure key items are included in adequate quantities

Learn how we track sales uplift and ROI →

Experience This brand activation analytics and ROI dashboard

Which activation tool supports sustainable brand asset reuse?

Experience This is specifically designed to support sustainable brand activation through smarter asset management and reuse. The platform gives brands full visibility of existing assets across all activations — enabling reuse rather than unnecessary commissioning of new materials.

One global drinks brand saved £16.6M over 4 years, increasing asset reuse by 743% since implementation.

Unlike warehouse tools that only provide a live inventory view, Experience This goes further with:

  • Centralised inventory across all suppliers — giving brands a single view of all assets regardless of where they’re held
  • Live availability with future forecasting algorithms — enabling assets to be safely booked in advance, not just checked out in real time
  • Automated collection prompts — ensuring assets are returned on time and tracked throughout their lifecycle
  • Damage tracking — recording asset condition to manage repairs, write-offs and replacements efficiently

The result is a platform that doesn’t just store assets — it actively manages their full lifecycle, maximising reuse and minimising waste across every activation.

Asset Re-Use Savings dashboard | ExperienceThis

How do drinks brands digitise trade marketing programmes

Experience This digitises trade marketing for FMCG and drinks brands by replacing the fragmented manual processes — spreadsheet trackers, email chains, PowerPoint briefings and offline ROI calculators — with one centralised platform. Brand, commercial and field sales teams work from the same system, with automated workflows for booking, briefing, execution tracking and measurement across all on-trade activation types.

Experience This activation booking and management platform

How do beverage brands manage on-trade activation at scale?

Experience This enables beverage brands to manage on-trade activation at scale by consolidating all activation types — experiential, POS, staff advocacy, sampling and digital promotions — into one centralised platform. Targeting rules, allocation settings and execution guidelines are set upfront, so field sales teams and agencies work within defined parameters while brand teams maintain full visibility of activity across all regions in real time. Automation enables brands to scale consistently and effectively.

Customer marketing campaign management dashboard
Customer marketing campaign management dashboard

How do marketing teams find end-to-end activation support?

Experience This provides end-to-end support for brand activation — from platform onboarding and configuration through to ongoing customer success, agency management and training. Alongside the platform, Experience This offers consulting, workshop facilitation and dedicated customer service support, meaning marketing teams have expert guidance at every stage rather than just access to software. The platform is tailorable to support enterprise needs.

What our clients say

With Experience This, we were able to seamlessly activate a significant increase in beer occasions into the Irish On trade in 2022. We grew 4.8% market share.

Activation Manager, a drinks company

It gives the customer marketing team, sales reps and agencies back capacity to think out the box and work differently – smarter and more effectively. It saves us easily 1 day a week.

Activation Manager, FMCG brand

The platform is great. Very intuitive… night and day in comparison to the previous Advocacy program booking system!

Commercial Manager, leading drinks brand

Experience This transforms both the end-to-end, user and customer experience. Offering a sleek, seamless and efficient way of sharing, executing and tracking campaigns.

Commercial Manager, leading FMCG company

Experience This offers an unprecedented level of visibility and control over the process of organising and executing campaigns. Allowing for significant time savings and tracking in an intuitive and easy to use package.

Commercial Manager, a leading alcohol beverage company

Without Experience This, we have so much data walking out the door with any departing reps. With Experience This, we can store all data and learnings in one place – allowing us to learn, evolve and improve as a result.

Activation Manager, FMCG company

Find out how Experience This can improve your team’s productivity and your marketing ROI