Marketing de Experiência no Shopping Barra: análise de estratégias e práticas

Abstract

This study addresses experiential marketing as a strategy adopted by shopping centers, focusing on the case of Shopping Barra in Salvador, Brazil. It is a qualitative case study that seeks to understand how institutional and promotional practices are structured to create emotional bonds with consumers and promote loyalty. The investigation is based on the understanding that contemporary consumption goes beyond a functional logic, valuing sensory, emotional, and symbolic experiences that integrate cultural, technological, and social elements. The study analyzes how the shopping center combines atmospheres, events, social initiatives, interpersonal communication, and digital presence to build an identity centered on customer experience. The analysis includes direct observation of the environment, evaluation of communication materials, institutional actions carried out in the mall and on social media, as well as spontaneous consumer perceptions expressed in comments on the shopping center’s official Instagram profile. The findings indicate that the combination of institutional and cultural strategies, such as themed events, awards, and artistic interventions, helps to consolidate the mall as a space for social interaction and emotional memory, going beyond immediate consumption. Staff performance, humanized service, functional signage, and the integration of physical and digital channels reinforce this perception. The study also identifies areas of attention related to event infrastructure and the visual consistency of digital media, recognizing that customer experience depends on both operational and symbolic factors. This research contributes to the field of communication by showing how experiential marketing concepts are applied in practice, especially in regional contexts still underexplored in academic literature. It highlights the importance of strategies that are culturally sensitive and aligned with the transformations in contemporary retail. As a development, it recommends further studies through comparative research and complementary methods such as interviews and surveys, to enrich the understanding of how experiential marketing influences consumer behavior. It concludes that the articulation between theory and practice is essential for innovation in retail communication management.