Putting the Creativity into Commerce
How 5G and immersive technology will transform the shopping experience
Over the last 2 years the global pandemic has transformed how we live our lives. It’s not only changed how we interact with each another, but how we interact with brands and shop online. Driving record e-commerce sales.
As the world changed before our eyes, we watched businesses pivot rapidly, changing or adjusting their value propositions to survive, as well as finding new ways to engage customers through technology.
It has been truly inspiring to watch brands pivot too, using their own scale to support small businesses who sell their products.
As a result, we have seen a huge amount of innovation in the last 2 years in the e-commerce space. With many brands putting an even greater emphasis on their customers and finding innovative ways to turn transactions into rewarding experiences.
And I think it’s a really exciting time to be in our industry.
If you want to know what the future looks like, you only have to look at the Cannes Grand Prix Winners over the last 3 years, to see the role technology is starting to play across the customer journey.
Before the pandemic we were already starting to see the blurring of lines between digital and physical experiences.with some amazing examples of what is possible when you apply creativity to e-commerce. And turning transactions into innovative encounters that people love to talk about.
Nike Air Max Clouds - Winner of D&AD Graphite pencil. Nike turned the entire sky into a physical store, allowing people to buy Nike Airs from well, thin air. Genius.
Air Max Graffiti store - Winner Cannes Grand Prix 2019. Nike partnered with a Graffiti Street Art Collective in Brazil to update the characters on murals to wear new Air Max shoes. Before inviting fans to the walls, to get the latest drop and unlock purchases.
Burn The Ads 2019 - Grand Prix Winner 2019. ?An innovative use of AR that encouraged people to download the Burger King app and then point their smartphone at rival ads to burn them. In return for a Whopper. Great use of the competitors media spend.
Whopper detour 2019 - Another Grand Prix Winner from 2019. This audacious campaign used geo-fencing to offer discounted Whoppers to anyone who visited their biggest competitors.
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MasterCard Roadside Market - Cannes Gold Winner 2021- A superb campaign from MasterCard in Romania, who partnered with Waze to put roadside vendors on the map, transforming them into real small businesses. Love the case study music on this one.
AB Inbev, Tienda Cerca - Cannes Grand Prix Winner 2021 - Again a great use of technology that helped local shopkeepers to deliver online, when they were forced to close during lockdown. Creating a life-long loyalty in the process I'm sure.
Take outs
Even before the pandemic, Gen Z grew up with technology. It was seamlessly integrated into their lives. And many brands were starting to take advantage of high levels of personalisation to create a seamless online experience.
But since the pandemic, expectations have gone through the roof. And now everyone wants more than just a seamless transaction. They want a digital experience. And to deliver on this, customers shouldn’t just sit at the heart of the marketing strategy they need to sit at the heart of the customer journey.
Technology now means it’s possible to buy pretty much anything from anywhere. And seamless delivery is hygiene.
So, for me, the brands that will get the most attention in the future, will be the ones that create truly innovative encounters and an emotional connection with their audiences across the entire customer journey.
Immersive technology will unlock so many new possibilities for brands to reach and engage their consumers. And we will see new channels emerge.
Allowing people to visual purchases in their own homes, explore holiday destinations before they book. Maybe GAP could even follow in the footsteps of Childish Gambino and launch millions of doorways / walk in wardrobes to a new Summer Collection when they shut their high-street stores.
What’s for certain, the incredible pace of technology is transforming every industry in the world right now.?And with the exciting introduction of 5G over the next few years and Apple set to launch their AR headset in 2022 the stage is set?for commerce and creativity to come together like never before.
Driving huge growth for brands and emotionally rewarding experiences for consumers.
So watch this space. Actually don’t. Interact with it.