BRAND EXPERIENCE: THE DIGITAL PARADIGM
When we brand experience designers talk about brand experience, the tendency of people thinking about space and environment is almost inevitable. In the minds of some brand owners, the concept of an experience is usually limited to their physical environment. Thinking of an experience in the intangible terms is somewhat far-fetched. But designing a brand experience is not just about the look and feel of a space.
In as much as creating intriguing design spaces is key for brands and their stakeholders, the major factors that such experiences ride on are intangible. If a shoe brand wants to showcase its new line ups and creates an event for it, the memories from the event are what really sticks and stays with the customer. The visual, sound, smell and taste elements of such events are the ultimate takeout. This clearly shows that creating an experience is not limited to our physical space.
THE TITANIC EXPERIENCE
One of the world’s highest grossing movies of all time, Titanic, still leaves me with goose bumps when images of Jack, half immersed in the sea beside Rose, runs through my mind. I am nowhere close to a Hollywood filmmaker where I could have been on set the production of that movie and besides, I saw that movie as a kid, but still get this goose bumps experience from my memory. This is no magic but a perfect example of how an experience is created. The goose bumps experience I feel is transmitted through visuals my mind can translate from other experiences I encounter on a daily basis. I encounter cold water every time I take a cold bath or a glass of cold water. These daily experiences trigger how I feel whenever my mind runs through the Titanic scene.
Why so much talk about a movie when I’m discussing branding? We are in the digital era where communication is done without people having to see themselves physically. How well have brands leveraged on this opportunity to create lasting and remarkable experiences? I’m not talking about posting on social media and having a website. I’m talking about being immersive on these platforms, in terms of being meaningful and memorable among their target audience.
How can brands create the Titanic experience without physical contact with their target audience just by leveraging digital?
THE WAY OUT…
The pace at which data is exchanged digitally can be overwhelming and sometimes just flat out intimidating. The attention span among users is reducing rapidly. This is scary for some brand owners, so they just give up. Yet with all of these huddles, the demand for digital has never been more. The truth is this: the future is digital and brands that can’t effectively leverage on digital in creating experiences, will become obsolete in due time. If your brand will maintain relevance in the future, then digital is the way to go.
If you want to create lasting digital experiences, here are three tips that will help you kick start your digital experience journey:
- PERSONALIZED SERVICES
With the heavy exchange rate of data digitally, nobody wants to be lost in that fog. The expectations from brands by their target audience has never been more. Slack a little bit and the audience will have another performer (your competitor). The audience expects the brand to know them intimately and to communicate with them at every moment they want.
An example of how a brand can create personalized digital experience is through chat/messenger bots. For more details on chat bots click here
- CONNECTIVITY
Again, nobody wants to be lost in the fog. One of the common traits among people in the digital era is the need to belong to a community. Creating a website is not enough and having a social media platform does not cut it. As a brand in this era, you must maintain a meaningful relationship with your audience. They must feel like they are part of your brand and not like onlookers.
Let’s take a look at Nike Run Club (NRC). The NRC is an online platform where people who want to keep fit can find inspiration and guidance. It helps connect people who want to keep fit and gives them access to fitness resources as well. This type of digital user experience makes the brands’ target audience part of the brand.
- IMMERSIVE CONTENT
Just recently I was on the Rolls Royce website for some research purposes. Before I could further the purpose of why I had visited the platform, I was stuck for a few minutes. Immediately the landing page came, I was hooked for a few minutes. Why? It was a cinematic experience. It felt like I was staring at a cinema screen. I understand that some brands will not be able to use such an approach because of the sector they play in but certainly, there is magic for everyone.
In all of these, one key thing to bear in mind is the fact that a brand must first be user centered. A brand that has not made its audience the hero will always miss it. Great brands are human centered. Who are they here for by the way?
The future is digital and we just got into a new decade. Is your brand well positioned for the next decade?
For your digital strategies, kindly leave a comment below. My colleagues and I at Futuresoft will be very excited to be of service to you.
