During the fall of my junior year, in CNSR SCI 561: Consumer Engagement Strategies, I analyzed a real-world experiential marketing initiative using Sephora’s “Store of the Future” as a case study to understand how brands design immersive, phygital customer experiences that drive engagement beyond the transaction.

The project culminated in an exhibition-style presentation that combined research, insights, and strategic recommendations grounded in course concepts such as the Experience Economy, emotional design, and co-creation. I examined Sephora’s positioning within prestige beauty and its shift toward experiential, education-driven retail environments.

My analysis focused on how intentional emotional design, such as lighting, store flow, and tester systems, can reduce beauty anxiety and build consumer confidence during product exploration. As part of the concept development, I co-created the Beauty Passport, a gamified loyalty mechanic that rewards hands-on engagement through activities like skin scans, micro-classes, and in-store discovery.

I also helped design the Sephora Playground micro-class model, featuring 15–20 minute sessions and QR-enabled routine saving to seamlessly connect in-store learning with digital follow-up. A key insight from the project was that the redesign is rooted in empathy and consumer psychology, not just technology, highlighting the importance of education, reassurance, and multi-sensory touchpoints.

After reflecting on initial assumptions versus research findings, I recommended segment-specific micro-journeys and needs-based differentiation to better tailor the experience to different shopper motivations.

This project strengthened my ability to evaluate experiential marketing strategies, apply consumer psychology to retail design, and translate engagement theory into actionable, human-centered brand experiences.