Online exhibition platform service REMOTEN puts business networking at your fingertips with the real feel of fashion and beauty events

The spread of COVID-19 has brought about a trend where shows and events that were previously held onstage go online instead. In response to this, Hakuhodo Magnet Inc. has developed the online exhibition service “REMOTEN”, which particularly targets fashion and beauty brands.

Launch events by brands act as a “starting point” for getting to know about their new products. However, with the coming of the pandemic, the spring of 2020 has seen events suffering cancellations and postponements one after the other. This means brands have lost opportunities to convey their visions in real spaces and to seek out trends through encounters with press members and buyers. Not being able to hold these events has had a considerable impact on fashion and beauty brands.

Against this backdrop, recently on June 15, advertising company Hakuhodo Magnet , which has many clients in the fashion and beauty industries, launched REMOTEN, a service for holding exhibitions remotely online. Preparations are all handled remotely via a control screen, and after registration, an exhibition can be held online in around two weeks at the earliest.

Senior Communications Planner of Hakuhodo Magnet’s Integrated Planning Department Yuya Sasaki worked on REMOTEN from the planning stages to development. He says that the company aimed to distinguish the service from existing online event tools that are similar to e-commerce catalogs and concentrated on creating an online service that is easy to use plus — as much as possible — able to recreate the feeling of being at a live event.

On REMOTEN, an event’s top page features a brand area that’s for conveying the brand’s philosophy through video and imagery, and next to that is a communication area.

Sasaki explains that “because during these exhibitions brands need to show off their essence, they’re able to customize the design of each page and for the main visual they can use video as well as static images.”

Networking can be done at a click of a mouse via the “communication area” on a sidebar which features a map that looks down on the ‘space’ and tracks visitors to the site in real-time. If a participant is a member of the press, by hovering your mouse over them you can see their company name and personal name, and as a participant, you’re able to chat with other participants via text or video.

For participants who are buyers, personal names aren’t displayed in consideration of competition and they’re unable to communicate with other participants. However, for representatives of the brand hosting the show, a separate control screen is available that allows them to see a list of all participants and approach particular people they want to talk to.

Of course, participants can see the brand representatives and click on the names of those they want to listen to and connect to the conversation. Brand representatives can talk to up to 16 people at a time, allowing them to handle participants through online communication in a similar way that they would guide and inform visitors on a real show floor. REMOTEN’s interface significantly makes the online experience resemble an exhibition in the real world.

In an effort to take advantage of the convenience that comes from being online, REMOTEN allows participants to book product leases or rentals via a page that lists available products from the brand. There’s also a page that shows and ranks how many times buyers and press members have viewed certain products, so brands are able to see immediately if something has caught their eye.

In addition, although real events are restricted by location and time, a benefit of using REMOTEN is that participation can be more flexible. Videos can be watched and release materials can be downloaded at any time.

On top of this, another merit over real events is the accessibility of other online exhibitions on the REMOTEN platform. After exiting one event, you can go to the REMOTEN top page and take a look at other exhibitions being held at that time. If you find one you’re interested in, you can immediately apply to participate. For brands, this becomes an opportunity to make connections with buyers and press members who they would otherwise not have contact with.

REMOTEN went from concept to launch within roughly 6 weeks. Hakuhodo Magnet managed to launch the service after only a short period of development by using online meeting system V-CUBE as a base, partnering with STANDFOUNDATION Co., Ltd. and IRKA Inc. — firms with high levels of technical prowess — and through harnessing their expertise in digital operations. Currently, interest is strong, and the rate of usage is growing — mainly led by existing clients of Hakuhodo Magnet.

Text: Ching Li Tor
Original text (Japanese): Mina Shimizu