Innovation Through Technology - Multiscreen Communication

This week I attended the annual CIM Mike Warne Lecture on marketing communications, which had speakers from Headstream and Microsoft.

Headstream spoke about developments of multiscreen and how close future technologies would increase the consumer’s involvement and experiences. As mentioned in the first post, second screen already exists with applications available to corresponding television programmes and adverts. It was brought to our attention that soon technology would recognise us through the technology of smart TV’s building profiles of household members and providing adverts during breaks that would appeal to them. And through recognition of sound of these adverts, consumers handheld devices would automatically bring up corresponding content.

Below shows a previous Red Bull and Shazam collaboration for a second screen advertisement:

Perhaps more exciting and shocking, though, was the video shown by Microsoft (below) of an interactive household, with displays across the walls, surfaces and appliances across their home and offices. Developments in this technology will allow brands to weave their story into not just the consumers activity on devices such as mobile phones, but also part of the consumers every day life; perhaps part of the family...

Brand Effectiveness in Media Landscape & Content Marketing

‘Increasing smartphone and tablet ownership means consumers are accessing brands across multiple platforms.’ (Davidi 2013a) Combined with the constant increase in online social platforms, this means brands are able to extend their storytelling to consumers beyond traditional methods - maximising awareness and enhancing their image.

The evolution of the digital landscape means brands have a better path to their consumers, however this path is also unveiled to other brands. ‘Consumers expect to find brands in the digital space.’ To succeed in the online social sphere ‘the challenge is [for brands to be] part of the conversation.’ (Davidi 2013b) For this to happen effective content marketing is crucial.

 ‘Content is, of course, one of the most powerful ways to engage with and influence anyone. It has been a key tool for marketers since anyone tried to sell anything to anyone. It’s nothing new. Only the hype is.’ (Pearse 2013) Although not a new concept, the opportunities for content marketing have expanded through digital.

It means ‘Providing valuable or intriguing content that either educates the end-user or entertains them, but in a way that indirectly promotes your brand.’ (Hafez 2013) Examples of content marketing below; ‘Bing is for doing’ Flashmob, Innocent smoothie’s blog. One a video intended to go viral – marriage proposal not related directly to Bing and the blog is unrelated to the Innocent product but continues to interest readers enhancing brand image.

References

Davidi, A., 2013a. The Future of Branding - Live Discussion. The Guardian, 11 February 2013. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/feb/11/branding-future-consumers-product-live-discussion [Accessed 28 February 2013].

Davidi, A., 2013b. What is the Future of Branding in the Digital Landscape?. The Guardian, 25 February 2013. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/feb/25/brands-digital-future-media [Accessed 28 February 2013].

Hafez, A., 2012. 30 Awesome Content Marketing Examples. Celcius. June 2012. Available from: http://raadafyouni.tumblr.com/post/19952759278/30-awesome-content-marketing-examples#_=_ [Accessed 29 February 2013].

Pearse, J., 2013. Why Brands Need to Avoid the Hype Surrounded Content Marketing. The Guardian,  5 March 2013. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/mar/05/brands-hype-content-marketing [Accessed 5 March 2013].

Online/Offline Campaigns and Augmented Reality

With the enormous amount of time spent by consumers online, whether via laptop, tablet or Smartphone, it seems crucial for brands to utilize the digital world in their marketing campaigns to succeed. Research company Forrester highlight the importance of digital, predicting ‘digital marketing will lose it’s prefix in 2013’. (O’Reilly 2013)

Online campaigns have advantages in the shape of: wide geographical spread, speed of information, perhaps lower cost, can be updated in real time and can be interactive.

Although these advantages exist, offline campaigning has not been discarded. Online and offline campaigns can be complimentary to one another and increase a brand’s impact, maximizing the consumer’s involvement in the non-digital and digital world.

This consumer interaction should enhance engagement and relationships.

Regarding television, consumers are able to interact through the use of ‘second screens’ (other digital devices; laptop, tablet, Smartphone) with other viewers through social media, for example the Twitter ‘hashtag’. A report from Millward Brown (2013) predicts, however, that in the coming year 'It will not be enough to simply broadcast a hashtag'. 

Augmented reality (AR) campaigns allow the consumer to interact even more so with the brand rather than observe traditional marketing. Brands such as TicTac, Stella Artois and Airwalk have created AR campaigns combining the real world with the digital via consumers devices  – revealing games, directions to products and ‘invisible’ pop-up stores.

Examples are shown in the accompanying videos.

(Business Insider 2013)

However even these examples are slightly dated as the below quote reveals whats next for augmented reality:

                "There is ongoing research to show data on your contact lenses, perhaps eliminating the exclusive need of handheld devices and screens entirely. Imagine having reminders of your meetings for the day display on your windshield, glasses or contact lenses when you walk into your office. This is the promise of augmented reality."                                             (Lancaster 2013)

Example below:

References

Business Insider., 2013. 15 Clever Augmented Reality Campaigns. Business Insider. Available from: http://www.businessinsider.com/augmented-reality-campaigns-2013-2 [Accessed 18 February 2013].

Lancaster, L., 2013. Point, Click, Tap, Swipe, Wave and Speak. 2013 Digital Trends. Available from: http://trends.clickhere.com/point-click-tap-swipe-wave-and-speak/

Millward Brown., 2013. Digital & Media Predictions 2013. Millward Brown. Available from: http://www.millwardbrown.com/ChangingChannels/2012/Predictions/#dp2013-01-header [Accessed 14 February 2013].

O'Reilly. L., 2013. 'Digital Marketing' to become just 'Marketing' in 2013. Marketing Week. Available from: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/digital-marketing-to-become-just-marketing-in-2013/4005302.article [Accessed 14 February 2013].

Introduction

Hello Bloggers,

Welcome to my blog, each week I will post content relevent to discussions we have had in class each week. These posts will refer to the evolving digital world and the companies and consumers that live in it.