Compromise vs Balance & Virtual vs Physical
According to JWT Intelligence, one of the things to watch in 2012 is the "Objectifying Objects."
As objects got replaced by virtual counterparts, people started longing for the return of the tactile and physical experience. Consumers want to see more items accompanying digital property which would increase the perception of value and satisfy the need for tangibility.
One of the most recent Virtual-Physical examples I have encountered is the way Uniform, London-based brand communications agency, rewards its employees every time the team gets a new follower. By giving them a sweet. Uniform Sweet Tweet Every time the Uniform's twitter account gets a follower, a hacked clock releases a gum ball which weaves its way to the desk of one of the employees. Each new follower then receives a link to the film that the agency made, explaining the project. A great way not only to bring the virtual into physical form but also to boost your followers. Sweet Tweet is a so-called "physical app." And this is precisely what many of the brands will increasingly be relying on to create more engaging real-world experiences.
M&M's find Red Campaign is an example of a brand experience that successfully combines, in equal doses, the virtual with the real. The campaign is an online treasure hunt based in Google View where people are required to find clues seeded on M&M's Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, and Facebook pages. In the real world there were QR posters which helped people unlock additional clues. Package GPC codes were turned into clues through Stickybits, connecting the digital and physical worlds. By virtue of its innovativeness, campaign of this nature not only gets people to spend significant amount of time on the company's site and generates positive PR but also engages the audience on multiple levels, across the physical and the virtual. The conclusion is that now that companies have reached the peak of virtual experiences and prizes, they need to start re-incorporating physical and tangible elements to their strategies so that consumers can satisfy their needs for real experiences.
As objects got replaced by virtual counterparts, people started longing for the return of the tactile and physical experience. Consumers want to see more items accompanying digital property which would increase the perception of value and satisfy the need for tangibility.
One of the most recent Virtual-Physical examples I have encountered is the way Uniform, London-based brand communications agency, rewards its employees every time the team gets a new follower. By giving them a sweet. Uniform Sweet Tweet Every time the Uniform's twitter account gets a follower, a hacked clock releases a gum ball which weaves its way to the desk of one of the employees. Each new follower then receives a link to the film that the agency made, explaining the project. A great way not only to bring the virtual into physical form but also to boost your followers. Sweet Tweet is a so-called "physical app." And this is precisely what many of the brands will increasingly be relying on to create more engaging real-world experiences.
M&M's find Red Campaign is an example of a brand experience that successfully combines, in equal doses, the virtual with the real. The campaign is an online treasure hunt based in Google View where people are required to find clues seeded on M&M's Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, and Facebook pages. In the real world there were QR posters which helped people unlock additional clues. Package GPC codes were turned into clues through Stickybits, connecting the digital and physical worlds. By virtue of its innovativeness, campaign of this nature not only gets people to spend significant amount of time on the company's site and generates positive PR but also engages the audience on multiple levels, across the physical and the virtual. The conclusion is that now that companies have reached the peak of virtual experiences and prizes, they need to start re-incorporating physical and tangible elements to their strategies so that consumers can satisfy their needs for real experiences.
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