INTERACTIVE MARKETING
Traditional marketing flows in one direction. The company creates an advert etc and wait for it to be seen by enough people so that it leads to an increase in purchases. The problem with this is that it does not lead to proper consumer engagement, and it does not encourage a brand-consumer dialog. In order to make your company better it is important to get feedback from your consumers, and let them play a role in how the company evolves. By allowing them a voice, they are less likely to feel like you are trying to persuade them into buying something.
Interactive marketing can come in many different forms; video game, quiz, contest, app, poll etc. In some cases it can function as a trigger-based tactic, that relies completely on the consumer taking a specific action. For example if a customer orders a bowl of soup, the waiter will ask if they want bread with it. If the customer ordered a cup of tea, the waiter would not ask that question, but the act of ordering soup triggers a push towards adding another product, in this case the bread.
The trigger-based tactic is often used in online shopping. If you go to Amazon and click on a coffee machine, the site then provides you of a list of related items. Amazon knows that if you are going to buy a coffee machine you can be more easily pushed towards buying a frother in the same go. This type of interactive marketing is a form of push marketing, but that does not mean all interactive marketing uses the push technique. Interactive marketing on social media often uses the opposite technique by creating a pull rather than a push.
3 cups
Blueberries
3 cups
Flour
EASY TO NAVIGATE
INTUITIVE
OPTIMAL
DESIGN
CLEAN
Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook can be used to create and post content that users can interact with. Social media is the perfect place to post questions, have polls, and to generally form a more personal connection with your customers. The interesting thing with social media is that your customers interact with your content in the same way they do with the content their friends post; like, comment and share.
With interactive content it is particularly important to have an optimal design so that it does not become confusing. It should be easy to navigate, and be intuitive to use. If the content becomes difficult to use it can feel chaotic and lead to frustration amongst your audience.
CONSUMER COMMUNITIES & FEEDBACK
Another great thing about interactive marketing is that it does not only help your company connect with your customers, it also encourages your customers to connect with each other. By using social networking sites companies can form consumer communities, where people can share their ideas and wishes for the company.
Having a consumer community is therefore extremely valuable for both consumer and company, because the more the consumers talk and discuss a company, the more their feedback will be in the mind of the company. When customers feel like their opinions are being respected and heard, they are more likely to purchase from you again.
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
BENEFITS
COST
Marketing on online platforms are a lot cheaper than paying for advertising time on television, radio etc.
INFORMATION
In addition to this, it leaves behind a lot of information about consumer behavior, preferences that can be used to improve the future marketing strategy.
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
STRATEGIES
SOCIAL MEDIA
Interactive marketing on social media can help you connect with your customers. Use features such as going live, quizzes, polls, surveys, maps, interactive videos, games and contests to create engagement on your social media platform. Content such as quizzes, polls, assessments etc. can help you gain further knowledge into the needs of your customers. This information can then be utilised to improve your business and marketing strategy. To reach a broader audience you can take advantage of your customers social networks and implement it in your interactive marketing. This can be done by for example having a contest where people have to tag three friends in order to win.
CREATE CURIOSITY
Create teasers for an upcoming launch, or release puzzles that if solved can give your customers hints about the newest product. Creating curiosity can make the customer experience more interesting, and promotes engagement that will lead to an increase in actions (more clicks etc).
EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGY
Invest in new technology to increase engagement. Show your audience that you are innovative, modern, exciting and can make your company stand out. Using new technology also attracts a younger audience, as well as lead to the content being more frequently shared on social media.
Examples of new technology :
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Virtual Reality
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Interactive videos
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Gifs
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Interactive infographics
EASY ACCESSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Have a simplified and effective customer service, allowing your customers to interact with you when needed. This can for example be through having a chat box on your website.
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
BMW
In 2016 BMW launched a campaign called Eyes on Gigi, introducing the launch of the first ever BMW M2. This campaign features an advergame (video game that functions as an advert) that is a new twist on the classic three-cup-shuffle game where the ball is Victoria’s Secret model Gigi Hadid and the cups are 365-horsepower BMW M2s. Similar to the BMW films, it was directed by a huge Hollywood director (Marc Forster who directed Quantum of Solace and Finding Neverland). The interactive video experience starts of with Gigi getting into one of three M2s, and as they start driving two other cars are added to the mix making it more difficult to follow. The game is filmed in 360 degrees and the viewer therefore has to rotate around to keep track of the cars. To create this, BMW, director Marc Foster worked together with cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Avatar, Training day, and Stunt Coordinator Eric Norris (who also is a former stock car racing driver).
EYES ON
GIGI
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
RITUALS
VIRTUAL
TREASURE
HUNT
In 2016, Rituals introduced a creative virtual treasure hunt. Rituals created 18 different instagram accounts that would lead users around the different rooms of a house. By following the main Rituals UK account, the users would be presented with an image of a key, which was tagged with another account. Clicking through the new account then took the user to a house made up of 9 images. Each image showed a different room and contained other tagged accounts presenting different products. The more accounts the user clicked through the more the user would be able to examine the product in detail, as well as purchase them through an URL. Rituals stated that the idea was to submerge the consumer into the Rituals lifestyle.
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
NETFLIX
Netflix has very creative and unorthodox ways of promoting its content that often encourges users to interact. One example is launcing a web tool that allows users to create content in the famous font from the Stranger things series, and then share it with friends.
Another example is when Netflix promoted season 3 of the Black Mirror series. In this case Netflix launched an app called Rateme, which is a version of the fictional app featured in one of the episodes, that rates your social standing from a sale of 1 to 5. The users only have provide the app with their handle, and it then generates a rating screen featuring an avatar and score which can be shared on social media. However, it is important to note that the app does not use any information from social media accounts, and the score and avatar is randomized.