Capturing first-party data at events has traditionally been a trade-off between value and intrusion. Brands want insight, but guests want a seamless experience. At Impulse, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose. That’s why our platform is built around progressive engagement, a way to build CRM profiles organically through simple communication between the brand and the guest.

What Is Progressive Engagement?

Progressive engagement is the idea that data should be earned gradually through a natural and respectful conversation. With Impulse, it begins as soon as a guest arrives and signs up using basic event registration fields such as their name, phone number, and selfie.

From there, the first message they receive via SMS or WhatsApp asks them to opt in. Once they respond "yes", the journey begins. Each message that follows — whether it's a breakfast invitation, a reminder about an upcoming talk, or a prompt to collect a personalized photo gallery — becomes an opportunity for the guest to engage further.

Every time they reply, they share more information. Sometimes it's direct, like a dietary preference or interest in a product. Sometimes it's inferred, through attendance, click behavior, or responses to timed prompts. Over time, this interaction builds a detailed, usable CRM profile for the client, all without interrupting the flow of the event.

How the Tech Makes It Feel Effortless

What powers this experience is a communication-first platform layered with smart technology. Guests communicate naturally with the brand, but behind the scenes, Impulse is doing much more.

Our facial recognition system connects images to individual guests based on their initial selfie. This allows us to deliver personal photography in real time. It also supports demographic profiling, helping brands understand age, gender presentation, and crowd behavior. Meanwhile, every response on SMS or WhatsApp helps refine each individual profile, deepening the brand’s understanding of its audience.

The process never feels like a data capture form. Instead, it feels like a conversation — personalized, relevant, and tied directly to the experience they’re already having.

Why It Works

It works because it feels natural. There are no forms to fill out on clipboards, no awkward tablets to queue for. Guests are simply responding to helpful or entertaining messages, receiving content they want, and deepening their relationship with the brand in the process.

For the brand, this means higher opt-in rates, richer data, and a CRM system that’s built on real guest behavior and interaction, not assumptions or third-party cookies.

Real-World Example: Meryll Rogge - Paris Fashion Week

At a recent experiential activation for Meryll Rogge, guests received their first message within minutes of checking in. Once they replied "yes", they received reminders about key programming moments, sneak peeks of their personalized galleries, and quick prompts for feedback. Each reply added to their profile, giving the client meaningful insights without ever asking a single guest to fill out a traditional form. The last message was one connecting guests directly to the brand by scheduling appointments in the coming days, to which we had over a 25% positive response rate.

The Future of Data Is Conversational

As privacy expectations shift and traditional digital tracking fades out, brands are looking for ways to gather meaningful data while respecting boundaries. Progressive engagement offers a path forward.

By designing technology around conversation and human behavior, we’ve created a system that not only captures data but builds connection. For the guest, it feels like a thoughtful touchpoint. For the brand, it’s a smart, scalable way to understand their audience more deeply than ever.