“Hands Free Touch Screen” – boggles your mind doesn’t it? Sitting in the audience at the Dubai Lynx Festival, 2012, I too wondered what Mr. Tom Eslinger, Creative Directive at Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, had in store for us as he pulled up his presentation titled “Hands Free Touch Screen”. What he spoke about from thereon was undoubtedly one of the most intriguing things I’d ever come across.
There is no doubt there has been a move from Analog to Mobile to Digital in the Marketing world. With the increased use of smart phones and the Internet, marketers have had to think beyond traditional advertising. Targeted text messaging and emails, advertising over Google, and of course, social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube are some of the means that have become popular over the past few years. “Hands Free Touch Screen” however, went beyond these ideas, and discussed Social Robotics, Enhanced Gaming and Interactive Sensors, as the many technologies that are today transforming ways in which brands engage their customers. The seminar discussed how technology like these, might soon render mediums such as Mobile outdated, thus suggesting the idea of “Hands Free Technology”. Through innovative real life examples, Mr. Eslinger marveled the audience with technologies that are changing the face of Branding & Advertising today.
Think of your to-do-list. Checking off things on a to-do-list is something most of us put off till the very last. Now imagine having your to-do-list made a challenge. For every task that you complete you are awarded points, and you advance to higher levels. Sounds like a game, doesn’t it? That is exactly what the application ‘Epic Win’ is. By digitalizing and gamifying chores, this app makes completing a to-do-list fun. The app has different characters that one can unlock only upon successful completion of their tasks for the day. By making people the centre of the experience, this app manages to engage them.
A company that successfully integrated technology in its marketing is P&G. Last year the company realized that a product category such as detergent involved very low consumer engagement. For its brand Ariel, the company thus launched “Ariel Fashion Shoot” – a campaign that combined robotics and social media to fuel consumer engagement with the brand. For one week, a customized industrial robot was set up in a glass display at the Stockholm Central Station. The robot squirted ketchup, jam and chocolate syrup on clothes revolving on a washing line. As a gaming experience, visitors of Ariel’s Sweden FaceBook page controlled this robot. With designer garments as their targets, the challenge was to hit them as they swished in front of the robot. The rules were simple: aim, stain and win. The stained garment would then be sent in the post after being washed on-site with Ariel. Again, by engaging consumers in the experience, P&G managed capturing their attention and promoting Ariel.
One can say with conviction that the above examples demonstrate how technology is improving rapidly everyday. With consumers being bombarded with so many ads, marketers need to think outside the box. Going digital is definitely one tool that can help with that. It may seem different, and difficult but in Mr. Eslinger’s words, “Keep it simple, and keep your viewer at the centre of experience”. Dare to be different, and you’ll be equipped to take over the world!
