• by Anthony Larrisey , Columnist, January 12, 2018

There’s no denying that we now live in a digital world. The latest findings show U.S. consumers are spending five hours a day on their mobile devices. We often let the digital world engulf the physical one, so much so that people forget they’re walking on busy streets because they’re so deep into their mobile devices. For marketers, this behavior signifies the importance of technology in today’s attention economy. As such, technology should play a critical role in all marketing efforts, including physical experiences. 

Some of the most successful branded events have tackled the conundrum of digital versus physical. These events leverage popular technology to enhance, rather than compete with, the physical surroundings. The importance of the physical space and in-person interaction should not be overlooked. Despite an affinity for the digital realm, experiences remain a top priority for millennials. A Harris poll released last year found that 78% of U.S. millennials would prefer to spend money on an event or an experience than on a tangible product.

Today’s marketer has a range of options to consider as technological supplements for events. With a bit of creativity, these fast-growing, trending technologies can transform an event into a marketing home-run:

Connected Home Devices

Home devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home are making their way into our daily lives. By some accounts, 79% of U.S. consumers already own a connected home device. And the market shows no signs of slowing down. 

Several brands have already announced integrations with Amazon’s Alexa, some with more success than others. Prime Day 2017 is an example of how some brands leveraged this platform to promote an event. Retailers like Best Buy and Kohl’s used Amazon’s Alexa to promote purchases from their websites, allowing for voice ordering in some instances. This approach to combat Prime Day was clever; it leveraged Amazon’s platform and ease of shopping to allow these brick and mortar stores to capture dollars that might have otherwise been spent at Amazon.

Augmented Reality (AR)

AR is popping up in a variety of different brand marketing campaigns, from L’Oreal to FX. The appeal of this technology is two-fold. First, when engaged strategically, AR can create a seamless integration of the physical and digital worlds. Second, the use of this technology provides insightful metrics for marketers. This is particularly helpful for out-of-home campaigns, where tracking engagement and ROI can be quite challenging. 

For example, National Geographic tapped AR technology for its SXSW branded activation this year. The campaign featured a graphic-fueled look into the mind of Albert Einstein, who is the main character in National Geographic’s scripted series, “Genius.” The activation made the brand experience interactive and engaged audiences beyond the show’s content.

Wearables

Wearables are another technology making a big difference in the experiential marketing universe. Brands are already experimenting with wearable integrations, including campaigns from Esurance to Lufthansa. But the possibilities for integration are only just beginning.

What if you could use wearables to better understand what a consumer was thinking or feeling, and customize a message just for them? What if you could use wearables to send push notifications or follow-up emails at just the right time to catch someone’s attention and direct them to your activation at an event? With a bit of ingenuity and strategic guidance, these products can prove an engaging platform for brands.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Finally, there’s recently been a lot of interest in artificial intelligence, and the role it will play in future marketing efforts. AI has infiltrated all aspects of the marketing trade, and its role in event marketing is continually evolving. Unlike other technologies, AI can be used in so many different ways, providing a real opportunity for brands to shine creatively.

One recent adaptation of AI in events is IBM’s integration at Wimbledon, the annual tennis tournament. Wimbledon used IBM’s cognitive and cloud platform to provide audience content and engagement, including real-time match updates, technical insights highlights of key matches and tactics to watch out for during the matches.

The technology allowed Wimbledon to engage with tennis fans both attending the event and those watching from home, on any device. With this added bonus of technology, Wimbledon fans got an enhanced experience and the event organizers got access to a whole range of tangible, and actionable data about their fans.