By Olivia Roehm, Account Executive
How can you cut through the noise? This becomes the ultimate question after you’ve asked yourself who is your target audience, what challenge of theirs are we solving, and what investment can we put behind it. Digital is integrated as part of our lives, so cutting through what we’re used to seeing on mobile is becoming more difficult.
This is why brands need to focus on the latest and greatest technologies in digital marketing to create unique experiences for audiences. People remember things that are out of the ordinary, so what digital experiences can help your brand pop out amongst the chaos?
1. In-Store Digital Experience
Imagine walking down an aisle in a department store and getting a notification on your phone to get a great offer – you swipe and are encouraged to find the product on the shelf to engage with it. Once a product is scanned, a unique engagement moment is shared with you in which you can learn more about the product or brand right there in the aisle. This opportunity is hitting shoppers right when they are making purchase decisions. A unique engagement moment can initiate product trial, a coveted opportunity for many innovative products that need to increase awareness and purchase intent through trial. It’s only a matter of time before digital integrates into our physical shopping experiences, so benefit your brand by getting ahead of the curve.
2. Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality is becoming more of a reality (see what I did there?) every day. L’Oreal has been a great example of how successful this technology can be in the retail space; in makeup, the only question that consumers want answered is “at the end of the day, what will the product really look like on me?” But this question can be revised to fit almost any retail product to start exploring the possibilities of AR for your brand. For example, when making a furniture purchase, we want to see what the couch looks like in our living room.
These kinds of augmented reality may require some app and technology development, and if that concerns you, there are plenty of other ways to start incorporating AR. Ads can extend into AR experiences, creating that unique moment your consumer will remember.
3. New Popular Platforms
When trying to engage with younger generations, we as brands need to be present on the platforms they use constantly. Almost all brands now have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, but new platforms are rising in popularity. TikTok is one of those, and it is now looking to improve its advertising offerings with interest-based advertising. Now could be the time to put that wildly fun campaign idea you’ve had for a while to the test!
Gaming platforms are also becoming a must for advertisers to consider. Hershey recently partnered with top gamers on Twitch, a live streaming game site, to bring a new Hershey and Reese’s Pieces bar to popularity among the gaming community. Twitch’s advertising platform combines and leverages two powerful elements of display advertising and influencer marketing: visual branding and personalization appeal.
These are only three of the things you should be considering when planning new digital experiences for your audience in the next year. Newer technologies and exciting experiences are always on the horizon, so keeping up to date with trends as they come is a must!
