We attended an interesting presentation  the other day. It was very much about the retail context, but there are still aspects applicable to other contexts as well. The other hand the basics are very simple, still hard to to achieve, but it's very much about rewarding and optimizing the retail experience. Both pragmatically, time wise, and emotionally by enhancing the experience with value adding services. 

And to go back from the retail environment, to an even more holistic perspective it's increasingly more about being relevant. Relevancy is more becoming the 'New King'. As you're very well aware of, the flow of information is so intense, so if you want anyone to interact with your brand, product or content its about being relevant. To create value by enhancing the (shopping) experience, by offering additional services for a more effective experience and top that with some rewards. This is the way to create a relation with the customer and take it forward to brand loyalty and increased market shares.

The experience - offer your users or consumers some rewards. Not necesarily  by giving away an object, but just by helping them out to solve their problem. Create a digital 'Product Finder' to show that you value the customers time. A good experience is the seed for a good relation between brand and consumer. 

As the digital arena is moving faster and being more technically and economically available for loads more companies - this is where you should start.

Tags: yooba, digital skyltning, digital marketing, signage, digital services,

Wireds Chris Anderson recently declared the web being dead. Browsers are replaced by 'apps' as we're moving  towards a 'post-HTML enviroment'. Obviously there's been opposition, where Michael Arrington from Techcrunch maintain the web browser as the ultimate application. I won't go there, having any opinions on the statements, somehow I believe they're both on to something (it really depends on the context you're applying these thoughts on).

However, from a marketing perspective it's really useful to apply Anderson's theories as marketeers really need to start looking at delivering smart communication solutions. Look at iPhone apps, now the first craze has calmed down. Sure. there are probably more apps being created than ever, but now you need to start thinking about delivering the smart ideas and functionalities. Otherwise your app won't cut through. This is just the beginning, verifying Anderson's ideas, where 'apps' can be delivered through other plattforms where web-marketing goes to app-marketing.

From our perspective it's all about having your interactvie and functionality driven objects or 'apps' created in a platform where you actually can re-use and update content yourself. Now we're talking realtime marketing and ROI.

Tags: wired, techcrunch, apps, digital marketing, technology, yooba

The old days of passive consuming are slowly passing by. To keep up with the new media consumption habits, where people actively interact with media or content, brands needs to enable that. Basically it's about making users of your customers. A user is per definition actively doing something, the opposite is passively consuming. That's the key point - Give your customers reasons to interact with your brand.
By constantly offering valuable* content brands build a natural interplay with customers.

Certainly easier said than done. Not necessarily digital, but it's certainly the easiest way to execute interactive ideas.

*Meaningful, entertaining, useful, non-interuptive etc.

Tags: interaction, signage, yooba, digital media, touch screen

We like the ideas that PFSK are presenting in this slide from their recent report on the future of retailing. There are many great aspects on how to enhance the user experience, and seeing the 'world as a retail experience'. The main reason to bring it up here is that we see it applicable to quite a few other segments than retail. Especially in times when borders between'on line' and 'off-line' are getting more and more blurred. I can't see why any business should thrive for improving the brand experience and business driven digital communications.

Some key points to convey to other businesses:

• The world as a retail experience - Give access to background information through other platforms than the physical store - Through various communication platforms in new contexts
• Integrate additional devices for promotions through new channels - mobiles
• Provide real time information based on customers needs
• Take the opportunity to tell a background story on external devices
• Create holistic brand experiences
• Provide additional reasons to interact with your brand

Tags: retail, digital marketing, interactive signage displays, integrated marketing solutions

We've used this video on some presentations before, but it's about time to take it out here as well. This is what the essence of future communications should be about. Telling stories, getting ideas and information out there by using new technology.
This is very much deployable to the marcoms, and what most of us should aim for - branded utility. 

Tags: branding, interactive communications, marcoms, wired, tablet

I've seen this quote here and there. Obviously how simple it may sound from Nike's perspective, it don't necessarily (or completely) apply to every company. On the other hand - it should. I mean the digital bit. So here's for everyone to take along in your daily communicational work.

Just as a reminder.

Tags: nike, digital marcoms, interactivity

March is always a dead busy month for us. Especially when it comes to events we're appearing at. On the 23-24th of March we're going to be att Webbdagarna in Stockholm, organized by the Internetworld magazine. We've done it a few times now, and it's certainly one of the essential shows when it comes to Internet and business use.

We're very excited for this one, where we're going to present some major updates on the platform. Now with the possibility to distribute content through additional carriers of interactive content. Get in touch if you want to book a meeting, and we'll hope to see you there.

Tags: webbdagarna, yooba, content management, digital media, interactive communication

We're not in the same context, and not working on exactly same things, but we're certainly on the same wavelength.

Created by Sidekick Studios.

Tags: interaction, internet, technology, marketing,

Ok, this is very much an Ogilvy ad*. But also very much worth sharing. This is very relevant, and very fundamental for any future communication. How to create values for your customers? Through your communications. This is what your brand should aim for, at least in the digital arena.

As you may know, even the simplest ideas such as a banal game or whatever can create values for some users. It can also be a very specific application solving a real problem. But that's not the issue for now, it's more about the fundamental idea about how your brand can be the sender of meaningful content. 

*At a first glimpse yes - but also a great formation of branded utility. Thanks Ogilvy! 
From Giles Rhys Jones

Tags: ogilvy, branded utility, digital marketing, interactivity