When the Covid-19 pandemic pulled the plug on mass gatherings across the globe, the festival community followed consumers into online social spaces. The next stage of digital hangouts en masse will enable people to interact spontaneously with each other, and empower them with creative participation.

Tentpole experiences that celebrate specific fandoms and culture communities activate immediate intimacy through shared affinity – and unlock huge commerce opportunities. As innovative outfits like Ntwrk take exclusive and elaborate events to online audiences, they create the next stage of accessible but unmissable culture moments.

The pandemic has driven a surge of localism that will outlast the end of restrictions. Lockdown measures turned global consumers' focus towards their local communities – from February to May 2020, local groups on Facebook grew by 3.3 times (Facebook, 2020). Brands have to work with these smaller networks at a mass scale to craft authentic connections.

A year into the pandemic, social distancing restrictions have become opportunities for innovation. As consumers get comfortable in virtual spaces, brands are providing online experiences with direct connections into the physical world, blending digital interactions with physical rewards.

The latest in camera lens AR technology and 5G data networks are laying the groundwork for turning the real world into an interface for ultra-localised, hyper-social, phygital activations (see Pop Culture Primer 2021). Brands are enticing consumers' sense of exploration, drawing them into geolocated AR art experiences and second-screen perspectives for multichannel immersion.