Future of Media – a new kind of reality to build brand experiences

With the introduction of increasingly immersive platforms such as virtual reality and tools like programmatic buying and gamification, the media landscape is becoming an ever more complex space for brands and marketers to navigate. But, by the same token, it also offers greater opportunities for brands to create memorable experiences with their customers.

“Virtual reality is a way to share ideas and experiences – and is the final frontier of storytelling,” said Barbarossa Media CEO Hendri Lategan at the Future of Media conference in Johannesburg last week.

Global travel brand Contiki is using virtual reality as a tool to connect young travellers with experiences and add value in a cluttered market where consumers are always looking for more. Speaking at the Future of Media conference, Contiki South Africa GM Kelly Jackson said the brand had employed virtual reality as an innovation tool. Its Virtually Unlimited campaign, for example, was used as an April Fool’s joke about virtual travel replacing real trips, and helped bring the brand to life.

Contiki has partnered with GoPro to create engaging content – bringing to life experiences such as jumping off the cliffs of the Italian Amalfi coast with influencer Devin Supertramp, or taking a walking tour around the Grand Canyon. “For brands looking for new ways to engage with consumers, virtual reality can be used to improve content,” said Jackson.  She added that brands should not get too caught up in the gimmick of virtual reality but should rather be focusing on using it to enhance a brand’s storytelling to drive engagement.

Gamification is another way of creating memorable content and experiences. According to Glenn Gillis, CEO of Sea Monster, gamification – the use of psychological techniques taken from game design to create engaging and immersive experiences – is an effective way of building meaningful connections with consumers. This is mainly achieved through extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation, he explained, grabs attention and is useful for short-term engagement – Pick n Pay’s Super Animals campaign is a good example of this – while intrinsic motivation focuses more long-term and on consumers’ sense of community, creativity and curiosity. Online financial educational tool Moneyversity by Old Mutual is an example of intrinsic motivation as it uses gamification to get consumers excited about insurance, which is generally regarded as a grudge purchase.

“What is key in gamification is balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation – when used correctly, gamification increases customer loyalty and drives engagement,” Gillis said.

Programmatic buying too is a growing trend and can be used by brands to connect the right message with the right audience because of the in-depth customer insights it offers, explained Popimedia co-founder Gil Sperling. “The user data is critical to get to know a brand’s audience and how best to cater to them.”

The continued rise of big data also plays a critical role in providing consumer insights. The true value of the data lies in how brands use it to create relationships with their customers. “It’s not the size of the data that counts, it’s what brands do with the insights and analytics that emerge to build meaningful relationships,” said Britehouse’s Chris Wiggett.

The big take-out: Developments in areas such as virtual reality, gamification, programmatic buying and big data have opened up opportunities for brands to create immersive and engaging experiences for consumers. Brands like Contiki and Pick n Pay are making the most of these opportunities to create content and campaigns that pull consumers in.