The Future Is Experiential: SOON, The Taboo Group and SoHo Unpack Global Report at SXSW 2025

CB Exclusive – Australia’s cultural foresight and brand experience sector took centre stage at SXSW 2025, as SOON Future Studies and The Taboo Group, in partnership with New York’s SoHo Experiential, launched a globally anticipated report—The Future of Brand Experience Design—to a packed room in Austin, Texas.

Led by Reece Hobbins (SOON) and John Millward (SoHo), the SXSW keynote session delivered an energising exploration of how brands will be lived, felt, and shared in the coming decade. The report has since been downloaded in over 50 countries, cementing its status as a pivotal reference for marketers and experience designers.

Says Hobbins: “We crave the new, we bond over the unexpected, and we remember the extraordinary,” said Hobbins. “This report is about designing for memory—so that brands don’t just speak to people, they stay with them.”

The SXSW session, titled “The Future of Brand Experience Design: How Brands Will Be Lived, Felt and Shared”, became one of the most talked-about events of the festival. The interactive talk explored how memory, culture, and technology intersect in experience design—and challenged attendees to rethink how brand interactions can create lasting emotional resonance. From algorithmic “joy prisons” to nostalgia loops and multisensory design, the session offered bold ideas, supported by a visually rich presentation and global case studies.

The report itself is a hybrid of deep research and real-world relevance—combining cultural foresight, psychology, and industry expertise. Drawing on the neuroscience of memory and human emotion, it maps five macro-trends that will define how people connect with brands over the next decade. Each chapter is anchored in one of the four types of human memory—episodic, sensory, explicit and implicit—offering brands a practical framework for crafting immersive, resonant experiences across categories.

Voices from across hospitality, finance, sport and spirits inform the report’s insights, including:
● Kelly Knowlen – VP, Sales Engagement & Special Events, Hilton
● Ian Fettinger – SVP, Experiential Marketing, Citi
● Allison Varone – VP, Channel & Customer Marketing, Campari Group
● Peter Jack – Head of Precincts, Tennis Australia (contributor)
● Rick Riley – Founding Partner, SoHo Experiential

Says Andrew Mackinnon, Managing Director of The Taboo Group: “We are at a juncture where we draw as much inspiration from the past as the future. Understanding this balance is crucial to creating brand interactions that feel both familiar and excitingly new.”

By highlighting signals of change—from AI-led stadium experiences to hyper-local sustainability and “manual luxury”—the report helps brands not only track trends, but shape the next era of cultural engagement. It speaks directly to marketers, strategists, designers and CMOs looking to build experiences that stick—not just in feeds, but in memories.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE
LISTEN AND VIEW THE SXSW SESSION HERE