There’s no better way to emotionally connect with people than through events, and brand events are most effective when integrated with content and streaming.
Whether an experience is physical or digital, finding the sweet spot between these two worlds allows brands to deliver engaging campaigns both locally and at scale. In the last decade, mobile data consumption has increased by a staggering 504%, putting marketing at the tipping point of a new experience era due to the potential of 5G connectivity.
People still want physical touchpoints
Professor Scott Galloway summed it up in his book ‘The Four’, where he explained that humans are social creatures with have a higher chance of experiencing depression, mental illness and a shortened lifespan when removed from family and friends.
Consumption patterns evolve at rapidly increasing speed - and the use of technology to engage and consume content has also evolved. Technology has proven itself as a saviour during the Coronavirus pandemic and it’s never been clearer how reliant we have become on it as a society. We find ourselves in a fascinating place - propelled into a more connected world while never being more physically isolated. More content isn’t the answer – instead, tech needs to occupy a central role in creating live campaigns that resonate emotionally while enhancing audience engagement.
Within months, society seems to have jumped a decade in digital adoption. But despite the best efforts of the great minds in technology, the fundamentals of human behaviour have yet to be effectively replicated, with eye contact, personal touch and empathy still irreplaceable components.
What does this mean for marketers?
Being responsive and connected is a key consumer expectation from brands adopting a live marketing approach. Marketers have learned they need to put their customers at the forefront of their messaging to win over the growing number of disparate groups. But there is another revolution upon us. We’ve begun to question the efficiency of digital media as consumers are stalked and bombarded with messaging that flicker across their screens so fast that they barely notice them.
When people are overwhelmed by digital choice, they reach for the brands they know. That’s why experiential is on the rise. It cuts through the noise because it’s outside it. However, we believe this step change needs a new definition and a clearer explanation and this is why we call it ‘Live Marketing’.
When it comes to making a sale - or communicating a message - nothing beats live interaction and marketers need to leverage their skills in that space and combine them with powerful storytelling and reinvent the live experience. With so much choice, we know that audiences don’t look at the brand anymore. They look at the message and the product, so this is where we need to focus.
Creativity needs to be more than placing a product into an exotic location and arranging a photo shoot. It can deliver social, environmental and cultural benefits (what we call ‘marketing for good’) and with tech connecting us all, there are opportunities to drive these messages locally and more widely.
The leap forwards
None of this was supposed to happen so quickly, and we have so many opportunities to increase local and global awareness via current technologies. Physical and digital marketing will stay but marketers will always look for the most effective, cutting-edge strategies.
We’re starting a new era of integrated live marketing mixing the best physical and digital communications. We’re all fighting to keep up and hold consumer attention - but we’re doing this in the best possible environment to be creative and competitive. Let the rise of live campaigns begin.
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