The Human Proximity Marketing Playbook: Building Deep Trust Connections in a Digital Age

Strategies & Tactics For Making Human Proximity Your Moat

Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash

We have entered the AI generated deepfake era of marketing, and its already fatiguing customers. Every channel that was once about reach and efficiency (digital ads, video, content, influencer marketing) is drowning in a sea of noise. I’m already swiping, wondering what’s true and what’s fake.

When trust in digital erodes then something interesting will follow: sales and marketing will go analog again. Specifically where trust matters. We’ll see a return to face-to-face marketing.

Human proximity will become the new moat.

I believe that the good CMOs will stop asking, “How many impressions did we buy?” and start asking, “Where did we show up in person?” Events will shift, too. We’re done with the mega conference center filled with recycled air, stale boxed lunches and devoid of any soul.

This face-to-face stuff worked before, and it’ll work again because we’re humans. And humans want connection. The next generation of brand events will look more like the things we craved before digital, AI and PLG:

• Curated executive dinners where your top 20 prospects sit alongside your top customers and experience the humans behind the brand, not the AI avatars.
• Founder-led salons where a dozen influential customers get a front-row seat to the thinking behind your product (and maybe no slides, heaven forbid!).
• Highly produced, invite-only experiences where people come not for swag bags but for signal over noise: real insights, live demos, honest conversation. Much like the Second Harvest retreats.
• Field-based sales teams deployed strategically. IRL, where relationships can be built face-to-face.
• Coauthored features and content from conversations that speaks to an authentic desire to build something that both you and your customer want.

I’m already seeing this, and I predict we’ll see more brands winning with in-person activities. Winners will be the ones that make you say: “I’ve met them. I trust them. I’d buy from them again.”

Your clever AI-generated video isn’t convincing me to buy from you.

If I were building a marketing or advocacy budget today I’d be doubling down on the channels that AI can’t fake: intimate rooms, casual breakfasts, dinner tables, curated retreats, VIP off-sites, and possibly even simple stuff, like walks with your prospects complete with meaningful conversations.

Some Background

Before 2020, InVision (the now defunct digital design collaboration platform) set the standard for creative, face-to-face marketing and community engagement. They “wrote the playbook” on field marketing by focusing on real human interactions and building deep trust with their audience. I was fortunate to work for InVision in this golden age of field marketing and we used these strategies to grow revenue to over $100M ARR. In an era when AI and automation are on the rise, InVision’s approach is a reminder that nothing can replace the power of human connection in sales and marketing.

But even before InVision, I was running a digital design agency called Fresh Tilled Soil. For 15 profitable years we focused all of our marketing efforts and dollars on field marketing. We ran workshops, summits, and casual meetups throughout the year. It allowed us to skip the line and talk directly to decision makers and buyers. Instead of spending millions of dollars on bottom up marketing, (what is now known in Saas circles as PLG, Product Led Growth) we invested in face-to-face conversations and thought leadership gatherings.

The following playbook distills my experience with running, and attending, hundreds of events and combines InVision’s pre-2020 strategies and tactics, from local events to VIP communities, into guidance for sellers and marketers looking to authentically engage customers in 2025 and beyond. Each section outlines a strategy with examples of how InVision executed it, demonstrating how “alternative-AI” marketing (high-touch, in-person, authentic interactions) can foster loyalty and stand out even in a tech-driven world. I’ll write a separate playbook on VIP retreats specifically.

1. Cultivate Exclusive Communities for VIP Customers

Strategy: Bring your best customers together in intimate forums where they can learn and bond — with your brand subtly facilitating. By hosting invite-only communities (dinners, roundtables, retreats), you position your company as a trusted partner invested in their success, not just another vendor.

Exclusive Leadership Forums: InVision launched a private community for design executives in 2019, creating a space for peer mentorship and candid conversation. It was called the Design Leadership Forum (DLF). Even before 2019 Adam Fry-Pierce and his team organized in-person dinners, meetups, and even off-site retreats for these leaders. This exclusive forum of ~3,000 global design leaders (from companies like Google, IBM, Netflix, etc.) gave members valuable networking and support, while associating InVision’s brand with thought leadership. The tactic here was to identify the industry’s leaders or high-value clients and convene them regularly for closed-door discussions or experiences. The trust formed in these gatherings translates into loyalty. InVision became the platform backing an elite design community so much so that even as the product declined, customers still wanted to pay for access to events, forum membership and exclusive content. By speaking in confidence and sharing industry best practices, members built trust with each other and with InVision. This kind of executive community humanizes your brand and can yield powerful word-of-mouth advocacy.

Deepen Relationships with Personal Touches: Keep such groups valuable and intimate. InVision provided top-notch programming and content to DLF members (e.g. exclusive reports and insights summaries) to continually add value. But the key was the face-time: spending time together empowers members to connect and exchange ideas faster and truly forming a community. The tactic here was to host periodic VIP dinners or roundtables in different cities, allowing members to meet face-to-face. These need not be large or lavish , in fact most were inexpensive and casual. The emphasis of the event is on genuine conversation and shared challenges, not peacocking the company’s marketing budget. For almost three decades now, I have witnessed that facilitating peer connections (rather than pitching products) earns deep trust.

2. Create Experiential Events & Roadshows That Inspire

Strategy: Go beyond the trade show booth — produce unique live events that educate and inspire your audience, making your brand the talk of the community. InVision excelled at turning marketing into memorable experiences, from documentary film screenings to product roadshows.

“Design Disruptors” Documentary Tour: Rather than a standard ad campaign, InVision produced a feature-length design documentary and turned its release into a worldwide community tour. They empowered local design leaders and meetup groups to host screenings of Design Disruptors (with InVision providing the film and promo materials). The result was astounding: the film was shown in 100+ cities via a community screening program, which generated over 1,000 screening requests, led to 200+ events, and attracted 17,000+ attendees overall. By getting local design communities involved in the screening events, we mobilized thousands of people around these events. Think TEDx-style events where the community runs the event with your guideance, help and funding. This grass-roots approach not only educated and inspired designers, it also funneled interest back to InVision. The campaign generated nearly 100,000 new leads for the company. The tactic is to create highly relevant shareable content (a film, speaker series, etc.) and allow your community or local reps to host events around it. By trusting fans to run events, InVision scaled face-to-face reach while building goodwill. Attendees experienced something valuable (a film about their craft) without feeling sold to, creating positive brand association. The InVision Films team, lead by the brilliant Ben Goldman and Dan Cohen, created two more films, Squads and Transformation By Design, which each cost about $200K and were shared with 1,000’s of customer companies in private screenings, further reinforcing the thought leadership connection that InVision had with its customers.

Quick note here: There were big plans to roll out the later films to public screenings and even a distribution deal with one of the big streaming services. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic and a product pivot towards a more general audience this campaign was shelved. Imagine if your company could get a documentary onto a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu?!

Product Launch Parties & Roadshows: InVision turned product announcements into buzz worthy in-person events. For example, when unveiling their Studio design tool in 2017, they hosted an exclusive demo night in NYC — complete with an open bar, swag giveaways, and appearances by company leaders. The event drew so much interest that designers waited 45 minutes in a line wrapping around the block to get in. Granted, Studio was a product that never really delivered on it’s promise, but we’re talking marketing and activation here. I’ll save the product conversation for another article. Inside, the venue was packed with hundreds of design enthusiasts, and InVision’s CEO Clark Valberg personally addressed the crowd. By making a software launch feel like a VIP party, InVision generated enormous community excitement and word-of-mouth. The recommended tactic is that if you have a major launch or announcement, consider a roadshow or live demo event in hubs where your users live. Bring in your founders or evangelists to meet attendees, offer free food/drinks, and let people network. These personal touches turn customers into fans — they’ll remember your event as an experience.

Regional Meetups & Conferences: In almost every company I’ve run, worked at or advised, we’ve used this approach to get closer to our customers. InVision also maintained a presence at industry conferences and meetups worldwide. They hired design evangelists and advocates whose job was to attend meetups, speak at conferences, and even host local gatherings for designers. Their team leveraged every opportunity to meet customers in person and talk design. Even their content team got involved — when InVision published popular blog articles or reports, they’d promote them in person at conferences and speaking events, sparking face-to-face conversations around the ideas. The tactic is to augment your marketing team with a “community manager” or evangelist who can travel (or coordinate locals) to represent your brand in the field. Being consistently visible in the real-world community (not just online) helps your company stay top-of-mind and approachable. It shows you’re invested in the same community as your users.

3. Host Educational Workshops + Networking Mixers

Strategy: Provide genuine value to your target audience via educational sessions and then use casual networking time to build relationships. The reality is that regardless of your role, title or the era you find yourself in, nobody really knows what we’re doing and we need help. InVision often organized workshops and training events for designers, followed by social mixers that subtly kept the brand at the center of the community.

DesignBetter Workshops and Design+Drinks: Under its DesignBetter brand which included books and podcasts, InVision sponsored masterclasses with renowned design experts. For example, they ran a workshop on design systems with expert Brad Frost. After the hands-on class, InVision invited attendees to stick around for a “Design+Drinks” happy hour, a networking event where designers could mingle over cocktails. The first hour of the mixer was exclusive to workshop participants and VIP guests (ensuring an intimate setting), then it often opened up to a broader community. This combination of learning plus networking created a one-two punch: attendees gained skills and also formed personal connections (with peers and with InVision’s team on-site). This tactic is simple, host half-day seminars or training sessions on topics your customers care about, and cap it off with a small social event. We do this at Knapsack too. Half day events in major cities for VIPs, which we call Patterns, followed by cocktails and conversation. Based on recent analytics, these events have a 700% ROI. By helping people improve at their jobs (education) and then facilitating fun interaction, you build positive sentiment and trust. When you effectively made your company the hub of learning your customers naturally associated those good experiences with the brand.

Conference Workshops & Sponsorships: InVision frequently participated in design conferences by hosting workshop tracks, panels, or off-site meetups. The key was interactivity rather than just plastering logos, they engaged people with something useful or enjoyable. For instance, at some events they offered interactive demos and hands-on sessions with InVision tools, giving potential customers a chance to try the product live with experts around to help. This aligns with a core benefit of face-to-face marketing: people can get immediate feedback and personal guidance, which fast-tracks trust. Our tactic here was to leverage industry events to run breakouts (tutorials, live demos, “ask the expert” labs) where your team can directly help attendees. It’s a soft-sell approach — by the time they leave, people feel positively about your expertise and support. It’s always surprising to me that companies don’t understood that an interactive experience is far more memorable than a pamphlet; it turns prospects into partners in a shared learning journey.

4. Thought Leadership &Community Storytelling

Strategy: Position your brand as a thought leader and platform for your customers’ voices. Put another way, make your customers look good in front of the people they care about. InVision’s marketing wasn’t only about events. It also built deep trust through content and storytelling, often spotlighting the community itself but many of these stories started with an in-person event or interview on the podcast. My first introduction to this was when I was still CEO of the digital design company Fresh Tilled Soil. Aarron Walter, host of the DesignBetter podcast invited me onto the podcast as a guest. That led to a conversation about working together on a book, which InVision published. This relationship eventually resulted in me appearing in one of the InVision movies as a thought leader. By amplifying the ideas and passions of their customers and primary users, InVision nurtured a loyal following that felt personally connected to the brand (me included).

Community-Driven Content: As it was with Fresh Tilled Soil, InVision’s content marketing was itself a community effort. Inviting people in the industry (many of them users) to contribute articles to their blog and co-created publications that felt more like magazines than marketing. Contributors received editorial support from InVision (the hardest part of writing), reducing friction and ensuring high quality, and in return InVision promoted their work widely, including in newsletters to millions of subscribers and even mentioning popular posts during in-person events. This approach served a dual purpose: it gave local experts and customers recognition (building goodwill) and provided InVision with a stream of authentic, relevant content. Treating your customers as partners in your content is a win:win tactic. Feature their success stories, invite them to write or speak, and celebrate their expertise. InVision’s “Inside Design” blog became a respected resource in the industry, which earned the trust of readers — who then trust the company behind it. This kind of thought leadership content primes the audience before any in-person meeting ever occurs, making face-to-face interactions warmer (“I loved your recent article!” is a great conversation starter).

Industry Podcasts, Panels, and Talks: Pre-2020, InVision also launched podcasts and speaker series where they interviewed industry experts. In fact, the DesignBetter podcast continues today long after the company has gone and is the most downloaded design podcast on Apple’s platform. A testament to the longevity of this concept. The hosts, Aarron Walter and Eli Woolery, often took these content efforts on the road: hosting live podcast recordings at events or sending their design leaders to speak on panels. By sharing valuable insights rather than product pitches, they established credibility. The practical tactic here is to align your brand with the big ideas in your field. Whether through publishing or public speaking, contribute knowledge freely. Several of InVision’s evangelists and design specialists traveled globally to give keynote talks about the future of design (not just about InVision). This reinforced that the company is in tune with the community’s interests. When audience members later interact with your team at a meetup or sales call, they already see you as a trusted advisor, not just a seller.

Emphasize Authenticity and Human Voice: A common thread in InVision’s marketing was authenticity. Communications often came from real names (e.g. emails from “Clark from InVision”), and events felt by designers, for designers. This humanized approach resonates strongly in an AI-saturated world — people crave genuine connection. Tactically, you must ask how you’re letting your team’s personality show and engage in two-way conversations. For instance, InVision’s team would stay after events to talk one-on-one with attendees, gathering feedback and swapping stories. Such interactions convey that you truly care about customer needs and feedback, which builds trust faster than any automated campaign. Remember, personal interactions build trust and consumers are more likely to believe in a brand that invests time in understanding their needs.

5. Delight with Meaningful Swag & Gestures

Strategy: Little touches can leave a lasting impression. InVision understood that swag and gifts shouldn’t be generic logo items, but rather symbols of shared values that customers actually love. By giving out creative, high-quality swag tied to a meaningful message, they turned customers into proud evangelists.

Mission-Driven Swag: One famous example is InVision’s “Design Makes Everything Possible” t-shirt. Rather than just slapping a logo on a shirt, they printed an inspirational slogan that reflected their users’ identity as world-changing designers. This resonated deeply: prospects and customers saw their own values on the shirt and wore it proudly. The shirt became “something of a mantra” for the design community and was a massive success as swag . InVision gifted these shirts to contest winners, event attendees, and top customers, effectively turning them into walking ambassadors for both design and the InVision brand. Tactic: Give swag that carries an emotional or aspirational message aligned with your audience’s self-image. When people feel proud to use or wear your swag, it reinforces their bond with your brand. Other InVision gestures included sending thank-you kits to community organizers and providing free design books/resources to event participants. These thoughtful extras show you value your community’s passion.

Design Makes Everything Possible tees.

“Surprise & Delight” Moments: InVision often surprised event attendees with things like on-site screen-printing stations (to make custom shirts or posters), or pop-up swag giveaways announced spontaneously. They kept the excitement high. The tactic here is to always be looking for opportunities to unexpectedly delight your audience in person. For example, at the end of a workshop, you might hand out a free month of your service or a signed book from the speaker. InVision’s budget for these items paid back in goodwill many times over. Such gestures get people talking (and posting on social media) about the great experience. The goal is to make your audience feel valued and part of an insider “club.” When done sincerely, this feeling translates into long-term loyalty.

6. Embracing Human-Centric Marketing in 2025 and Beyond

Strategic Guidance: The principles that we championed at Fresh Tilled Soil and InVision— community, authenticity, personal engagement — are even more valuable in 2025’s AI-centric marketing landscape. As automation and AI handle more routine outreach, human-centered field marketing becomes a key differentiator. Marketers should need to steal these ideas and create a playbook that blend’s the best of technology with the deep need for personal touch:

Prioritize Face-to-Face for Trust: Use digital channels and AI tools for efficiency (e.g. to identify where your users are concentrated, or to personalize event invites), but funnel that into real-world interactions. I’ve worked with companies that have proved time and time again that shaking someone’s hand, sharing a meal, or hosting them at an event creates a bond no automated campaign can match. These interactions convey authenticity and care, which modern consumers crave. Make it a goal in your 2025 plans to increase live touch points — whether it’s small group meetings, user conferences, or hybrid events where remote participants are given ways to join local meetups.

Build Communities, Not Just Campaigns: Rather than one-off “events,” think in terms of ongoing communities. For example, you might start a regional user group that meets quarterly, or a customer advisory council that gets together for special gatherings. This sustained approach yields a network of advocates. Technology can support this (through community platforms, Slack groups, etc.), but ensure there are regular face-to-face touchpoints to deepen the relationships. Remember that relationships built on trust lead to loyalty, and loyalty translates to sustainable success. As my first sales manager would say to me, “People buy from people they like and trust. They do this in good times, but also in bad times.”

Be the Facilitator, Not the Star: A crucial lesson from the idea I’ve shared is that they put the customers or industry at center stage (not the product). They facilitated conversations about design, provided stages for design experts, and fostered peer connections. In your strategy, approach field marketing as a service to your audience. Host discussions on challenges your customers face, shine a light on their achievements, and listen intently. By being the connector and supporter, your brand gains deep respect and association with positive experiences. This “anti–hard sell” mentality actually drives sales in the long run, because people prefer to do business with brands they trust and feel aligned with.

Hybrid and High-Touch: Not every interaction will be fully in-person — but you can still apply the high-touch ethos in virtual or hybrid formats. For instance, InVision seamlessly pivoted the DLF community to online when needed, without losing the personal feel. In this current market, you might want to plan hybrid events where a virtual component feeds into local watch parties or follow-up meetups. Use AI-driven insights to personalize follow-ups after events (e.g. send a note referencing a conversation from the meetup). The key is to use technology to augment the human connection, not replace it .

Conclusion: High touch, deep trust marketing and activation demonstrates that investing in people-centric strategies pays off enormously. Building an army of enthusiastic users by showing up in person, fostering genuine communities, and delivering value before expecting anything in return. The “playbook” they wrote is ultimately about authenticity: treating marketing not as a series of transactions, but as an ongoing relationship. As we move further into the AI age, those marketers who embrace the enduring power of human connection will stand out from the automated crowd. By following these strategies — building communities, creating memorable experiences, and always prioritizing face-to-face trust — you can engage customers on a deeper level and drive long-term growth, just as InVision so masterfully did.

Key Takeaways

AI-driven marketing is eroding trust

• We are entering a deepfake era of marketing — digital channels (ads, video, influencer) are saturated with synthetic content.
• Customers are fatigued and skeptical: they crave authenticity and human connection again.

Face-to-face marketing will become the new moat

• Sales & marketing will go analog again, especially in trust-critical buying journeys.
• Winners will be brands that customers say: “I’ve met them. I trust them. I’d buy from them again.”

Key in-person tactics that work (InVision/Fresh Tilled Soil examples)

• Build invite-only peer groups → e.g. InVision’s DLF (Design Leadership Forum).
• Trust formed in small, off-the-record groups creates long-term loyalty.
• Go beyond booths → deliver content & experience
• Community-run events scale trust faster than paid marketing.
• Provide real learning first, then facilitate casual connection.
• Thought Leadership & Community Storytelling
• Let customers shine → feature their voices in your content (podcasts, panels, articles).
• This approach seeds trust before the sales conversation even starts .
• Don’t send logo junk — offer swag that reflects shared values.
• Use surprise & delight moments to make experiences memorable.

Principles for Marketing in 2025 & Beyond

• Prioritize Face-to-Face → use digital tools for efficiency, but drive toward real-world touch points.
• Build Communities, Not Campaigns → think sustained, peer-based networks (not one-off events).
• Be the Facilitator, Not the Star → elevate customer stories, lead with service to the community.
• Embrace Hybrid + High-Touch → leverage tech to enhance, not replace, human connection .

In short:

→ Field marketing is back.

→ Community beats campaigns.

→ Trust is built in rooms, not clicks.

Note on Sources: Many of these insights were drawn from documented examples of InVision’s marketing (2015–2019) and industry analyses. Key references include InVision’s own community initiatives, interviews with their marketing leaders, and commentary on the value of human-centric marketing in an AI-driven era, among others. While I served as both a customer evangelist while writing a book for InVision and speaking at their events, it was my time as VP, Design Transformation that gave me a front row seat to these tactics. I was directly responsible for the DLF, the InVision Films division and for the Design Maturity Assessment. Each strategy above is backed by real tactics that both Fresh Tilled Soil and InVision used. I hope these can serve as a proven model for a modern marketing playbook grounded in human connection.