A simple plan for driving revenue and igniting new loyalists
Consumer demand for tangible (in-person) experiences packed with enchantment has significantly increased since the pandemic drove us indoors and away from our normal purchase habits and experiences. A large part of their attraction is the ability to truly immerse ourselves in the sights, sounds, and feels of old stories told in new environments.
But what does it mean to be ‘truly immersive’? Truly immersive experiences engage all five senses in both physical and digital spaces, completely enveloping consumers in unique storytelling and sensory experiences – experiences that evoke emotion and imagination by transporting them to a new physical reality (oh hey, VR).
One of the best in-person experiences I attended earlier this year was the exhibit dedicated to the life and works of Tupac Shakur, Wake Me When I’m Free. Created in collaboration with the Shakur Estate, the exhibit layered various sound and visual technologies with contemporary art, and never before seen artifacts from Tupac’s personal archives. As a fan of his music, I left the exhibit in awe of the massive impact he made as an artist and activist, I learned he had a profound passion for not only music but poetry and was proud the production team delivered on their promise to ‘enlighten attendees through a labyrinth of emotions, as we took this journey through his extraordinary life.
By engaging some or all of the senses, advertisers can evoke a strong emotional reaction from consumers (Deloitte). By then elevating consumers from spectator to participant, the attendee actively engaging with the experience is centered within the brand story or narrative, triggering emotional signals and driving brand affinity. This is what we want, right? Kinda.
If I could wave a magic wand I would have leveraged digital technology with augmented reality filters via augmented reality QR codes inserted at key points in the event space. Imagine how many roses growing from concrete might have been shared across social when a user scanned a cleverly placed QR code? Imagine how many rose-laden t-shirts might have been purchased by people who saw the experience online tethered to a Shopify store. How about people who couldn’t get to LA but love Tupac the world over? Might they have waited up to immerse themselves in Tupac’s digital experience hub, a virtual twin of the event space designed to duplicate some, but not all elements of the event activation?
This is the internal struggle brands are having justifying spending six and seven figures on a potentially underwhelming unknown, aka metaverse. Rather than defining an experience that speaks to their customers, marketing teams are overthinking the process, hoping to outperform competitors who have already launched their metaverse builds. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Don’t let the terminology get you caught up. Try swapping the term ‘metaverse’ with ‘experience hub’ and this could help you devise a clearer strategy for execution.
Immersive + Experiential = Impactful.
Immersive: Light years ahead of a website visit, the emotional and intelligible intensity of an immersive digital experience hub is powerful. Brands can transform their digital campaign outcomes with dynamic ad creative featuring Augmented Reality A which will act as a prelude to the experience. Consumers want to feel excited, this is the entire point of immersion in the first place. Don’t lose sight of their wants, needs, and buying experience. Build anticipation with high-fidelity visuals you can capitalize on.
Experiential: Programming the space is essential to driving interactions from users. An immersive digital venue, or twin, can use a blend of visuals, sound, and technology for consumers to shop and experience a retailer from anywhere in the world. By establishing a presence for each user within the environment, mobile and web app-based experiences (a combination of AI, AR, and VR) will convert event attendees into retail shoppers experiencing excitement in a new way. And don’t even get me started on how After Pay will be a huge monetizer of digital experience merchandise.
Impactful: By iterating the experience to each user’s purchase intellect and intent, placing users directly inside an unforgettable and engaging virtual world of fun and entertainment, means you delivered a space without borders that invite your most loyal fans and community to watch, play, host, celebrate and catch a vibe from anywhere on Earth.
When a brand has established a reputation for entertainment and fun, building a designed-to-connect digital experience hub modeled after these attributes will trend customer loyalty and revenue upward to new heights. If you have questions, I want to answer them. Schedule a call with me today.
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which I work and extend my deep respects.
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Askia Underwood is the first-ever U.S. Business Director of the award-winning, global digital product development studio Miroma Project Factory (MPF). Askia brings more than 16 years of experience in strategic omnichannel campaign planning, development, and execution to MPF. Her expertise in digital strategy and content monetization lends to campaigns designed to motivate consumers to take action online.
A Certified Metaverse Expert and cultural illuminator, Askia’s focus includes innovating at the intersection of where shoppers connect, consider, and purchase online, and the development of advanced format immersive, experiential, and impactful digital content, products, and brand experiences.
Her past work includes migrating more than twenty-five million dollars from traditional advertising mediums to higher-performing digital, social, and search platforms working with clients in the consumer, automotive, retail, sports, pet product, beauty, and non-profit categories. Priding herself on actively driving consumer behavior, Askia is often tapped to curate experiential brand moments that motivate consumers to act (watch, share, buy or donate) online.
Expertise: Digital Strategy and Content Monetization
