As we drive towards net zero in a post-pandemic world, it is more important than ever for marketing decision makers to deliver strategies that create meaningful connections between their brand and customers.
With net zero featuring high in the agenda of leading organisations, finding new and innovative ways to successfully engage with customers and wider stakeholders around sustainability and ESG can be challenging. How to best tell the ‘sustainability’ story is one thing, but should the focus be more on face-to-face engagement or new innovative channels such as the Metaverse?
We think that it should be a healthy balance between the two. Moreover, we believe that the most successful customer engagement tools in 2022 will be those that incorporate people-focused technology at their core with brand activations that streamline the communication from brands to customers through interactive and exciting experiences that leave lasting impressions.
Real world brand activations VS virtual world brand activations
Are real-world brand activations and engagement more effective than those held in the virtual world? To help answer this, we are taking a look at how marketing agencies and brands are using marketing channels and technologies in both worlds to improve customer engagement around sustainability.
Real World: Footsteps that power engagement
Pavegen has harnessed one of the best engagement tools around, people. Directly connecting people to brands and businesses through innovative technology; successfully powering meaningful interactions with consumers around sustainability. Pavegen harnesses the clean energy generated from a footstep to power and promote sustainability and ESG with fun and memorable brand experiences.
Pavegen integrates game theory and physical technology to boost engagement. At the Dubai Expo 2020, 4 Pavegen activations were launched to educate and inspire younger minds on sustainability and planet saving technologies. Gamification has proven to boost engagement by 48% and incorporated with innovative technology, Pavegen is using it to build fun experiences with lasting impressions.
Pavegen have used similar approaches with brands such as Google and Siemens to create impactful experiences between people and brands. The new Pavegen GO ENGAGE mobile app is merging the physical and digital to deliver meaningful and memorable engagement with social impact. Through a combination of footstep technology, the reach of mobile technology, gamification, and behavioural economics, GO ENGAGE is capturing measurable data whilst fostering valuable relationships between brands and their stakeholders.
Virtual World - Digital: Step into the metaverse
Metaverse users are on the rise. With an expected 1.7 billion augmented reality (AR) users by 2024 worldwide. The market for brands in the metaverse is just beginning to open and is already seeing positive results from users.
Heineken recently launched their first virtual beer, Heineken Silver, in Decentraland. Building a digital pub and branded experience for users to enjoy from the comfort of their own AR homes. The move from the alcohol giant received positive results and strengthened their messaging to customers while also reaching new consumers.
Marketing Group WPP is taking bold new steps into the metaverse with Group creative agencies delivering metaverse projects for clients such as Pfizer, Duracell, Pizza Hut, and Wendy’s - to name a few. They are setting up The Metaverse Foundry, with a team of 700 creatives challenged with designing and executing brand experiences in the metaverse.
Another industry player stepping into the metaverse, Sir Martin Sorrell, is setting up major venture capital opportunities worth £110 million in AdTech. The battle is on to be the first agency to gain significant ground in this new virtual reality.
The metaverse is the latest shiny, new tool for marketers to sink their teeth into with fun and engaging interactions where customers are in control of their experiences. Major projects across the advertising industry are being launched across metaverse platforms such as Decentraland, Meta’s Horizon World’s as well as gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox.
Real World - Digital: Talk the Talk
A highly effective method of engaging with customers is through good old fashioned digital connections such as podcasts, blogs, and webinars. The pandemic has shifted the way both customers consume content and how they want to converse and connect with brands.
An easy way to start the conversation and shape the messaging is to kick-start an open platform. Whether this is a blog or podcast, a place where customers can engage with brands in an informal and relaxed setting is vital for connectivity.
This may be a less ‘flashy’ route for brands but is great for online engagement whether through social media, podcast platforms or direct from your website. A forum for your customers to share values and conversation transforms your business into a safe space for innovative thought and and has the potential to win the heart and mind of stakeholders.
Virtual World - Digital: AI
Building meaningful relationships through engagement can take time, but customers don’t want to waste theirs. That’s why marketing teams are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve customer experience. By automating and personalising the customer experience, AI can help in many ways to improve brand loyalty, retention and engagement.
Great customer engagement consists of ongoing interactions between businesses and their customers. Maintaining these interactions and automating them for the best results is one of the easiest ways to assure that each customer is being accounted for and given the right amount of attention in marketing plans.
Using AI in these engagement plans allows companies to save on time while reaching wider audiences. It isn’t a replacement for human interaction but can help to improve efficiency and retention through faster response times as well as understanding the drivers of customer behaviour in real-time.
conclusion
Overall, customer demands are constantly changing. But one thing we do know is that customers want businesses to offer more personalised and fun activations in their marketing. People are drawn to the creative and human, which is why it is important to integrate this into new technologies.
Following the path of digital expansion and growth, marketing agencies and brands can now find fresh and exciting ways to connect. Whether through the power of a footstep, or in a completely new digital world – the time for unforgettable face-to-face experiences using technology, is now.
Pavegen’s award-winning technology creates highly engaging experiences, by using the renewable energy of a footstep, to educate and engage customers and stakeholders alike.
Using ‘people power’, Pavegen is helping businesses around the world to align with sustainable branding. Generating positive change and inspiring more conscientious thinking around our planet.
To discuss what Pavegen can do for you contact us today here.