THE TSUNAMI OF CULTURAL REVOLUTION AND YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF IT.
In 1971, the visionary social scientist Herbert Simon observed, "What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."
In the decades that followed, the barrage of information that has bombarded us, has now compelled us to look at information in a more holistic way. Hence, personalization, on-demand, mindfulness, experiential, are some of the key words that congest the current genre of communication.
When talking about the far-reaching transformations that is going on in customer engagement, Howard Tullman, CEO of 1871 explains, how every single thing, big and small, competes for your attention, mind share, focus, and engagement. Even, Tic-Tacs change flavor as you suck on it.
THIS MAKES TIME AND CONTEXT REMARKABLY CONSEQUENTIAL
Technology has radically changed the rules of climate, culture and commerce. It allows us to radically delight, deliver and disrupt. In this context, we bring some tangible trends that will deliver delight to your audience and disrupt the way you do business (as usual).
HERE ARE some neoteric TRENDS that will ENRICH your booth design with excessive elan and WILL rejuvenate your face-to- face marketing with a winning formula.
AROMATIC COMMUNICATIONSSmell is 10,000 times as sensitive as taste with 400,000 identifiable odors. "Our cerebral hemispheres were originally buds from the olfactory stalks." Now, with advances in the science of smell, such as OPhone/Laboratoire which lets you send "smell SMS" from a menu of 365 scents contained in "OChips", olfactory technology is in the forefront of innovation, giving rise to explosive aromatic communications. Design your marketing medium with this trend in mind. While serving coffee is a great way to drive traffic to your booth, you can go a bit further if you know how to use this olfactory technology in your space and in your products. Learn more about the sense language of smell and how you can reap the benefits in your marketing campaigns. |
Watch this video. Be on the forefront of this technology and know how you can use this technology to layer your marketing messages.
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VIRTUAL REALITY AND 3D PROJECTION Virtual reality and 3D projection technology has come of age. With great leaps in this technology, now you can entertain your attendees to go places, explore sites or transport your audience inside the mechanics of your product — a view that is sure to generate media buzz and increase booth traffic. With devices like Samsung Gear VR and Facebook’s Oculus Rift hitting stores, it’s estimated more than 12 million VR headsets will be sold by 2016. This fresh channel for content creation will give B2B marketers new opportunities to explore personalized interactions. In the 2015 edition of SingaPlural, the anchor event for Singapore Design Week, Airbnb takes guests on a virtual tour of four properties – all of which are available for hire on the company’s website. Set inside a barrel-roofed pavilion, visitors are greeted with a stark white room containing a bed, a television, a couch and a small table. Using 3D projection mapping, the unadorned space is transformed as guests are shown the interiors of different listings from across the globe. |
Experience the View-Master from your childhood with 2016 capabilities. The new and improved View-Master VR Experience Packs.
Learn more about VR here. |
COLOR EXPRESSIONS Pantone set the tone for 2016. Dynamic times call for dynamic changes — Rose Quartz and Serenity are the embracing twins for 2016. And, that is a first in it's history. “This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumer’s increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage.” Refresh your brand with trending neutrals and pastels that signals relaxation and peace. Spice up your booth space with silver or hot brights for more splash and sparkle. “We live in an anything-goes world where it’s okay to mix high with low, mid-century with minimalist modern, colors, patterns, and everything in between. The best trend I’m seeing is people forgetting about the ‘rules’ and loving what they love unapologetically. “ —Jonathan Adler, potter, designer, and author If you own a Skyline trade show exhibit, talk to us how we may help you to be the trend setter in your industry. |
TYPOGRAPHIC NEUROSCIENCE This multidisciplinary (typography and cognitive neuroscience) study examines how the brain processes typographic information. Serif, san-serif, script, grunge just to name a few, impacts our sensory perception. Brain imaging studies reveal that multiple areas of the brain become activated from typography. When you are designing your exhibit, be hyper alert about font communication. Every font communicates certain attributes on both a conscious and subconscious level. To learn more about specific types of typefaces, check out Anatomy of Type. As a requirement for all marketers, designers and product managers read New York Times bestseller, Drunk Tank Pink. In this book, Adam Alter shows us that so many of our thoughts and decisions are deeply influenced by forces that escape our attention and elude our control. |
IMAGE ASMR ['BRAINGASM']ASMR, (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is often reported as an extremely relaxing and calming feeling usually associated with a tingling or euphoric feeling in the brain. “To modernize the Dove Chocolate ads typically used in China, BBDO Beijing created films to trigger ASMR, which it describes as “a physical sensation characterized by a pleasurable tingling that typically begins in the head and scape, and often moves down the spine and through the limbs.” "It is the first time globally any brand has tapped into this growing genre of video content."With over, 8 million YouTube views, listening to "Sounds that Feel Good" is a trend that marketers cannot ignore in 2016. Try outfitting your exhibit design with ASMR techniques and provide your visitors a place to "hang out and feel good" as they are interacting with your brand. Read more about #ASMR |
Watch a cardistry championship in action. Now, imagine how you may integrate this action in your booth space that will amplify your brand attributes. |
THE ART OF LETTERS"A letter should be regarded not merely as a medium for the communication of intelligence, but also as a work of art." You would think that fine handwriting would be a lost art with keyboards, voice recognition and touch screens. On the contrary, we are seeing growing culture of penmanship and handwriting as an expression of art. The internet is booming with YouTube 'how to' videos, blog spot talking about mastering up stokes, down strokes, hooks, slants and flourishes. Delightfully, this trend is on a definite rise and is expected to continue to do so in 2016. For your booth activity, you might want to hire an artist, who will artfully draw the keywords of your presentation through out the day. After the show, use this piece of art work for follow up with your leads. This will act as a memory bridge and help you reach out to your audience in significant ways. |
Take a moment from and watch the confluence of calligraphy and classical music. Now, imagine how you would make this work for your special event.
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HYPER PERSONALIZATION Amazon and Netflix have set the standard. Starbucks is not too far behind. The coffee giant is able to personalize its interactions with its growing customer base and create deeper customer loyalty than its competition. 2016 will see the merger of extreme personalization and neuroscience. Here is one way you can transform your exhibit design in a personalized space for your audience. UMood is a wearable head gear that tracks brainwaves as you sit in front of a large screen with a slide show ranging from puppies, people lying in hammocks, storm clouds and others. The device collects data about your interest level, stress, concentration etc. According to neurological reactions, UMood’s algorithm matches four T-shirts that are the best fit, among 600 different designs available from Uniqlo. This is just one example. You can partner with companies who are in the business of personalization and provide an unique experience that gives you the opportunity to provide a great booth activity as well. You can also create a personalized experience for every attendee without extra effort. A mobile event app by CrowdCompass takes the mystery out of personalization. Powered by smart content, your mobile app automatically tailors content to each attendee based on how they interact with the app. Check out their demo here. |
Brands are continually seeking new methods of gaining attention, one way to enhance engagement and interaction is through mood-boosting, inspiring campaigns that involves their audience. Learn more. And, for fun download this app and check you mood meter.
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EXOTIC MATERIALS Georgia Institute of Technology and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has invented something that is called 4D Technology. Short of talking back to you, materials with smart shape memory polymers (SMPs) can move, walk and fold itself when exposed to light, sound, heat or touch. Shape-memory materials is a huge technological breakthrough and might finally pave the way for widespread usage of the futuristic materials that could be used for every day utilities and creating creating structures in space. How does it matter to you? If you get some prototype done with these futuristic materials, you are bound to create a lot of commotion around your booth space by letting your visitors play with it. Specially, if you are touting your brand as "innovative" and "cutting edge", you might as well introduce some elements in your booth space that communicates you are "in the know". Stay tuned. We are watching this technology and we will bring updates to you. |
PRODUCT AUGMENTATIONBrands are busy these days bridging the online and offline experience. Too often, integrating digital into the physical world means simply bringing smartphone capabilities and social media triggers such as “Like us on Facebook” stickers in the 3D space. However, now we see a new, growing trend. In their effort to garner attention from their consumers, brands are pairing physical objects with music and videos. In other words the physical is being coupled with digital. Cup Noodles in Japan offers a video companion for "virtual dates" to dine with solo noodle eaters. This trend of layering products with digital content is a rising one; with new waves of "product/content mashup" to be experienced in the coming years. As an exhibitor, now you can design a booth activity that encourages your visitors to generate ideas for digital layering for your physical product. Take it a step further, generate hashtags from these ideas and hold a contest. Then, start designing giveaways based on the user generated #hashtag. |
Today, product marketing is more than clever copy and exceptional packaging. It is all about how you augment the product with an offline and online experience. Read here on how you can aggregate the content and insight that you have developed for online and put that back into the hands of your sales people, to create even more seamless experiences. |
FUN GIVEAWAYs WITH FUNKY SOCKS"spread happiness by turning an everyday essential into a colorful design piece with a rigid standard of ultimate quality, craftsmanship and creativity."If you have noticed, funky socks is all the rave this winter. Perhaps it got a headstart in 2008, when Happy Socks decided to spread some happiness around with this every day wear Rest is history. Now other brands are popping up with their creative collection. Funky socks are useable and memorable giveaways at trade shows and special events. Pick a design or motif that ties with you brand messaging. Spend a bit extra for customized messaging and you are all set to lure your audience in particpating in a contest, which could sound something like 'funny moments in your funny socks'. This light hearted creative trend is definitely here to stay in 2016. |
Art of Inspiration collection, “aims to encourage and explore creativity and artistic expression” …through socks. If socks can be use as a creative platform for exploration, imagine the depths you can go with your product!
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BYOB COLORING"Yoga, Zumba and CrossFit weren’t enough to calm us down. Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga may have helped for a while, but they are part of the electronic-device world, with its upsetting emails and Facebook rants. So, seeking solace in a scary world, some adults are heading back to kindergarten." Believe it or not, this has become quite a trend with adult coloring booking flying off the shelves. Hopping onto this trend Oreo cookies introduced "Colorfilled" Oreo packs for sale at a new Oreo site. How you can jump on this trend? Yes, coloring books will be great giveaways for your booth visitors who are seeking for creative unplugged play. You can also have an artist in your booth with coloring skills to gain attention from the people walking in the isle. And, as they stand by to appreciate moments in color, strike up a conversation, get their attention with open-ended questions and find a connective chord between your product, your message and the awe inspiring colors. |
DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT
In a 24 hour connected world, think of other activities that inspires creativity and mindful relaxation. Targeted events catering to focus groups are on the rise. These retreats are great to form fan tribe and foster fan activisim. |
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
On January 7, 2015, two attackers burst into the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and began shooting. As the news broke, people sought answers through search. Soon interest in the hashtag #jesuischarlie spiked as many showed solidarity toward the French people and freedom of speech. In response to this sadness, people were passionately driven to take action.
And, that is exactly what Fan Activisim is.
Fan Activism can be strategised, such, that you channel the passion for your brand to make postive changes. The Harry Potter Alliance turns fans into heroes.
"We're changing the world by making activism accessible through the power of story."
Fan groups have also had a long history of lending their support to the favorite causes of popular performers and producers, or more generally working in support of charity. - See more at: http://henryjenkins.org/2012/07/fandom_is_built_on_psychologic.html#sthash.W7sm2jXB.dpuf
Fan groups have had a long history of lending their support to the favorite causes of popular performers and producers, in support of a bigger cause, usually charity of some sorts. However, in the 21st century, fans have rallied to challenge attempts, to regulate the Internet, restrict their deployment of intellectual property, or censor their content.
2016 will see a more concereted effort on the part of the brands to mobilize their brand adocates for an overarching cause.
The quesiton to ask yourself: How do you mobilize your customers and transform them into fan activist to drive bigger causes.
INITIATE YOUR REVOLUTION:
Today, we are living in a world of continuous connectivity. We cannot help but look in our hand help devices over 160 times a day (on average). We drive vehicles that are increasingly becoming media and connectivity hubs. Like it or not, with every swipe and every click, we are creating data and marketers are in a mad rush to personalize this data to cater to your wants and needs.
Imagine this:
The Imagineers (a combination of imagination and engineering, connecting the dots between science and fantasy to create believable make-believe worlds) at Disneyland has created Magic Bands that you can wear in the park, make purchases with, unlock your hotel door, and many other capabilities. "These bands can also tell Mickey, Goofy, and the characters around Disney the name of your kids, where they’re from, and what they like merely seconds before asking for an autograph."
Incredible and Contextual!
That is what we are heading towards. And, we are doing it at incredible speed. The result: the birth Contextual Commerce. Tullman explains that contextual commerce is someone saying, “You have to reach me, the message must change my attitude, and ultimately change my behavior.”
The architect Eero Saarinen puts it best: "Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context -- a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan."
More Explorations
http://www.sparksandhoney.com/
http://www.briansolis.com/2015/01/25-disruptive-technology-trends-2015-2016/
http://coolmompicks.com/blog/2015/08/24/cool-coloring-books-for-adults/
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/essential-social-media-feeds/
http://henryjenkins.org/2012/07/fandom_is_built_on_psychologic.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/predictions/culture/12053563/culture-trends-in-2016.html
http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/11/10-tech-trends-changing-business-2016/
http://www.bing.com/trends/2015/us/paris?ref=webdesignernews.com
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/how-to-spark-emotion-through-social-media/?mc_cid=ce9cd8e3dd&mc_eid=77a19885d9
http://www.hugeinc.com/ideas/report/bringing-content-marketing-in-store