If you're a food or drink brand, you already know the HFSS landscape: no multibuys, no pre-watershed TV, no paid digital campaigns. The rules are changing fast, but so is the opportunity.
Because while channels close, one route remains wide open: direct, human connection through experiential marketing. Done right, experiential builds brand love, drives trial, and navigates HFSS restrictions with ease, while complying.
Retailers like Tesco are actively encouraging in-store sampling post-HFSS.
Why? Because responsible sampling does what no multibuy sticker ever could:
When promotions are stripped back and advertising is restricted, real-world experiences become even more valuable.
How Smart Brands Are Reframing Experiential
Bite-sized sampling isn't just a compliance box ticked; it's a way to create intentional, memorable experiences.
Less “grab and go”; more “taste, connect, remember.”
The best experiential activations weave brand storytelling into the encounter:
Without multibuy promotions to lean on, brands can finally focus on the value of experience itself:
Forget dull table drops. Forward-thinking brands are using experiential theatre (live cooking demos, creative sampling stands, even mobile tasting pop-ups) to elevate HFSS-compliant experiences into must-visit moments.
By October 2025, experiential will be one of the last major consumer touchpoints left standing for HFSS products:
But yes to sampling, within clear, manageable guidelines.
That’s not a loophole. That’s a lifeline.
And the brands that capitalise on it early, with smart, creative, responsible experiences, will take a disproportionate share of voice, shelf, and shopper loyalty.
HFSS doesn’t signal the death of indulgent food and drink marketing. It signals the rebirth of genuine brand connection.
Experiential offers brands a compliant, credible, and compelling way to stay visible, stay relevant, and stay loved.
The future belongs to brands that realise the most powerful promotion isn't a price slash. It's a personal experience.
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Want to see how we help brands like yours turn HFSS regulations into real-world opportunities for brand impact? Let’s Talk or Explore Our Work
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Taste at Tesco CAP Code & HFSS Guidelines, March 2025
UK Government HFSS Implementation Updates (gov.uk)
Kantar Shopper and Consumer Trends Reports 2024