From throne rooms to mobile vending machines: how brands create experiences to reach customers in new places
Which brand activation event would you most likely expect to find on Instagram:
A 10x10 pop-up tent with tall banners and informational pamphlets being handed out by smiling workers in matching polos?
Or
If you chose the second image, then you’re thinking in the direction of the American Red Cross, which recently partnered with HBO to recreate an iconic set from the award-winning series, Game of Thrones, at the 2019 South By Southwest (SXSW) convention in Austin, Texas. The “Bleed for the Throne” campaign had fans lining up for the chance to donate blood while sitting beneath the famed “Iron Throne.”
While the Red Cross could’ve just as easily chosen to reach new donors through traditional means, the brand realized that it could leverage the power of influencers and social media by creating an experience worthy of sharing.
Here’s what brands are now realizing…
With so many brands competing for the increasingly limited attention of users in a market already saturated with tech use, the American Red Cross and HBO aren’t the only brands creating memorable and shareable experiences to connect with customers outside living rooms and department stores.
Here’s what brands are up to
Amazon, which also recreated aspects of its own TV series, “Good Omens,” at SXSW, took a different approach towards experience creation at the 2019 Coachella music festival. Rather than create a whole set piece as they did at SXSW, Amazon used its existing mobile shopping and locker technology to merely enhance the user experience of festival goers at Coachella.
Here’s how Amazon leverages its strengths
Through a single click on their smartphone’s Amazon shopping app, a Coachella attendee can order and pay for items such as sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, hats, and phone chargers and have them delivered, within the hour, to a safe and secure Amazon locker on festival grounds.
As soon as the item delivers, Amazon sends an email to the customer that notifies them of the arrival of their purchase. The email also contains a unique barcode that allows the customer to retrieve their purchase from a designated locker. In case complications arise throughout the process, Amazon support staff stands at the ready to provide customer service.
Does it sound like Amazon is just doing what it does best already?
Absolutely.
For Amazon, Coachella provides a natural fit for a place to flex its existing muscles. Without developing anything new beyond a microsite, Amazon found a way to become a noteworthy part of a weekend-long experience for many tech-savvy and affluent digital influencers.
And, with today’s customers comfortable using mobile technology in everything from purchasing a car to renting a taxi, companies are bringing digital shopping experiences into places they haven’t ever been before.
Lessons from the world’s largest taxi company & a chocolate producer
Having found success in selling chocolate on the shopping aisles of grocery and department stores, Hershey recently partnered with Uber to sell chocolate where it never has before — the cars of Uber drivers. Far from being a total shot in the dark, Hershey’s partnership with Uber allows Uber customers to purchase chocolate in ways they’re familiar with already — by using their smartphone.
Since Uber requires its customers to use their smartphones to access the company’s services, it’s not much of a stretch for an Uber customer to use their phone to purchase chocolate from a small vending machine once inside of their hired vehicle.
For Hershey, selling chocolate in Uber vehicles gives the company a chance to sell to a captive audience. True. But, the opportunity also gives Hershey and Uber a way to elevate the user experience of the Uber customer during their journey. Uber, like a lot of other things, is much better with chocolate.
After hiring a taxi and buying chocolate from it using their smartphone, it only takes a few more clicks for the customer to post the experience to Instagram or Snapchat. For the customer, that’s a unique experience worth sharing. For Uber and Hershey, that’s free publicity.
So, How Do Companies Create Unique Brand Experiences & Reach Customers?
Start by asking the following Qs:
- How can the existing core value of your brand extend to reach new consumers?
- Is there a place of congregation you can find to integrate directly into?
- What partners can you look to in order to make an experience possible?
Want to learn more? Feel free to reach out at any time. We would love to chat!
The above piece was written by Connor Beck in collaboration with Carter Jensen and the Latitude research team.
Resources and original reporting of the above points covered by the following publications — Mobile Marketer, Amazon, Coachella, CNBC, Latitude, American Red Cross
More about Latitude
At Latitude, we love taking incredible brands of all sizes and elevating them through tech-fueled experiences that add true value. From pop-up retail to permanent build-outs, our team brings brand stories and modern-day commerce together to truly stand out. Want to learn more? See our case studies. Give us a shout.
Additional Resources
Want to learn more? Our 2019 retail report is now available and includes a long list of case studies and insights from Shopify, Dollar Shave Club, and much more.
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