Creating meaningful real-world brand experiences

According to the data, internet users are becoming increasingly numb to screen-based advertising. Many are actively seeking ways to opt out. Yet there may be a solution for both brands and consumers. The negative view of screen-based advertising’s influence on the web should be seen as a huge opportunity for brands to forge new and engaging ways of reaching their customers more meaningfully. By directing people to converse on social media with specified hashtags, it is possible to collect and monitor activity and relay that information to drive an effect or outcome in the real world, in real time. By encouraging participation through multiple channels of engagement, brands are extending the frequency and quality of consumer touch points. This is the fundamental idea of a connected real-world experience (CRWE). This article will offer insight from Cramer-Krasselt’s own projects and experiences on how to evaluate whether a CRWE is appropriate for a specific situation, and how to go about conceptually developing the project. It will introduce the tools needed to build, test and deploy both the hardware and the software to make it happen. Finally, the article will discuss methods to measure engagement, and what those outcomes can tell us.