The spark - Engaging Experience

The spark - Engaging Experience

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  the spark. engaging experiences. lifeis just one big adventure.
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  WOW! Money might makethe world go round. But people that’s amazing! As the online and offline worlds converge, and the are increasingly looking for different ways to make ‘internet of things’ gets closer to reality, there are life richer. all manner of opportunities for brands to create deeply involving experiences. Interaction is now It’s all about life experiences; and brands that possible across multiple platforms and in multiple can move beyond passive communication into time-frames, allowing brands to interact with truly immersive adventures will thrive in this consumers in incredibly engaging ways. environment. We’ve been talking about ‘return on interest’ for a while now. But imagine if that In the examples we’ve brought together here, you’ll can manifest itself in reactions as diverse as joy, see that it’s not about your brand. It’s about the reflection, agitation, anticipation and hairs-up-on- experiences you can bring to life. the-back-of-the-neck exhilaration. Leave people exhilarated, perplexed, animated, stimulated, breathless or with any other reaction you can imagine. But most of all leave them with a story that makes their own life that little bit richer.
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  comfort IKEA builds into the lives of Parisian commuters. We love some of IKEA’s activities. They have managed to integrate themselves naturally into everyday lives with genuine wit and charm. Here’s just one example… “Parisians waiting to catch the bus could wait in comfort as IKEA had decked out 12 of the most crowded stops with comfy sofas, shelves, lighting and decorations. The campaign, promoting IKEA’s Winter range, brought welcome respite to the daily grind.” Source: Trendwatching.com Allowing your message to find its way into everyday lives is one iteration of the new integration (more on that if you want to chat, but we digress). For brands with services rather than products, activating sponsorships with a little imagination is one way into this world. What kind of experiences does your own brand have license to invent?
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  Ralph Lauren clothesbuildings in extrAvAgANce. Exquisite design is one of the driving forces of modern culture. It runs through everything from computers to corkscrews. We loved this example of how to turn the ordinary into something really extraordinary… “US luxury label Ralph Lauren showcased a four dimensional display on the facade of its stores in New York and London to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ralphlauren.com. Montages of Ralph Lauren imagery and film were projected onto the brickwork and the audiences could ‘feel’ the images floating in space towards them. The whole performance was swept along by a beautiful music track and the air was redolent of Ralph Lauren’s unique fragrance.” Source: Trendwatching.com. As the squeeze on budgets gets tighter, there has been a natural tendency towards the rational and measuring every pound spent. But emotional reactions can have far longer term business benefits. Never mind what you say, how would you like your consumers to feel?
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  Geronimo gives womenlicense to take a selfish hour. Radox was perceived as a little one-dimensional; It became the narrative to a story that unfolded good for soothing aches and pains away in the across lots of different platforms and culminated bath. It was saturated in brand equity but needed in the creation of a Touring Selfish Sanctuary. We a serious shot of modern day relevance. literally took selfishness on the road and allowed women to enjoy the indulgence they deserve, The insight that sparked our campaign was a pampering them with manicures, pedicures and quote that every mum will recognise, “I spend all manner of soothing treatments. all my time looking after other people and never take time for myself.” This wasn’t about trialling the Radox product. It was about a temporary respite from one of life’s Our creative platform: Take a Selfish Hour. great and unfair truths. Bliss.
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  restaurant Yellow Pages opensa in the trees. It’s always worth keeping an eye on activity down under. In this case, it’s the New Zealand Yellow Pages. In the virtual world, sometimes the best place to start creating meaningful content is the real world… “Rather than taking the usual path to recruiting new advertisers in the Yellow Pages, these Kiwis laid down the following challenge: Build a treetop restaurant in four months, using only companies that are in the Yellow Pages. The campaign kicked off with a job ad seeking an energetic project manager with great presentation and people skills. A dedicated website and blog followed the project’s rollercoaster ride from A classic example of lighting a small fire crazy idea to real-life sensation. which was fanned by deploying the It caught the public’s imagination, was featured activity across different channels: blogs, in 10,000 online articles, got huge TV coverage interviews, inviting ideas and simply and became the model for future Yellow Pages asking for help. But more than that, initiatives – all for the cost of placing a recruitment it left a visible and tangible legacy. ad.” Source: Trendwatching.com. How can your own brand get behind something that both invites co-creation and leaves behind a beautiful footprint?
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  bigger. MINIAdventures just keep getting
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  the same storycan have lots of different chapters, but just stick to the script. What’s the DNA for experiences across all your brand touchpoints? What are the assets you can amplify to provoke the emotional reaction you are seeking? ‘MINI Adventures’ is one of the great ongoing brand stories. This time they have taken it into their showrooms… “It began when MINI opened a tiny showroom in Tokyo. The showroom, called MINI GINZA, hosted different events such as parties and art installations. This little building, full of big events, was also transparent, allowing those outside to see what was going on inside.” Source: Trendwatching.com.
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  Red Bull isthe daddy when it comes to on-brand experiences. This particular activity has been going on for a while but still captures the essence of what we are trying to say here: Create experiences where people are immersed in your ethos and come away with fantastic stories to tell. “Red Bull Flugtag: Ask people to build their own flying machines and then get them to jump off a pier. This hilarious event first took place in Vienna in 1991. Since then, more than 35 Flugtags have been held around the world, from Ireland to San Francisco, attracting up to 300,000 spectators. But the real secret to their success is the resulting TV coverage, and of course the hours of user-generated video content now online.” Source: Trendwatching.com. can’t fly. You’ll believe a man Why rely on someone else to create the events, when you can come up with your own? red Bull have always been out there, but Orange is in the running too – ‘owning’ cinemas on Wednesdays with their own sponsorship programme. Where can you weave fun into your consumers’ lives? How could localised activity make your brand more salient?
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  Newlands House, 40Berners Street, London W1T 3NA 020 7467 9589 / [email protected]