Digital Marketing Trends | 2019

Digital
Marketing
Trends | 2019
White Paper

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Contents
Context 3
Purpose-driven Marketing (Empathy & Authenticity) 8
Video content 17
Omnichannel and Interactive 28
Personalization 38
Experiential Marketing (Branded Experiences) 48
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Context
In 2019 there will be an increase in sustainable
marketing for good as more brands state their purpose
in the world.
People will support, buy, and promote brands that align
with their own values. In return, consumers expect even
more relevant and personal experiences as brands use
data in smarter ways.
＞ Accountable brands
＞ Authentic and personalized brand relationship
＞ Data-driven creativity
＞ Immediate (inter)action
＞ Predictive analysis
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Accountable brands
Brands that seek to be relevant have to see the bigger picture. Today, more than ever,
consumers are concerned with issues that humanity is facing and are expecting solutions
from everyone, including brands, corporations, and small businesses. They want their money
to be well spent and be assured on the impact they will have on local or larger communities.
Consumers are connected and informed. They discuss political issues, they educate
themselves about the products they use and call out inappropriate behaviours. They want
to make the world a better place and expect everyone to join them, including their
favourite brands.
As the political situation erods, people take the matters in their own hands and push their
agenda in the public sphere by convenient means, such as their purchase power. Brands will
be held accountable for their (in)actions.
Younger generation - Millennials and Gen Z - are the ones shaping this type of consumer
behaviour.
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Authentic and personalized brand relationship
Consumers are looking for authenticity. Being bombarded with huge amount of data
everyday, intrusive ads and irrelevant content, people learn to avoid them. Instead, they
expect personalized ads, relevant content and inspiration from the influencers they are
following. They seek legitimate trust and genuine relationships.
In the current climate, content is everything. You already know that you need to entice your
audience: inspire them, provoke their thoughts, excite them or appeal to their emotions.
Marketers who can deliver the ideal blend of online and offline experiences with creativity
at the center will win the hearts and minds of customers for years to come.
Data-driven creativity
Your brand customers switch from content consumers into content creators. They like to
interact with brand companies, to adhere to their values and they enjoy showing it. People
share moments, post pictures and livestream their meaningful interaction with the brand.
Data-driven creativity will be a strategic differentiator in customer experience. Winning
brands will be those that create new opportunities for their community to share
experiences.
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Immediate (inter)action
Having answers at their fingertips, consumers expect immediacy in every interaction. When
shopping, they want access to customer service 24/7. Automation is here to help marketers
to meet consumers’ needs for instant counseling.
Time is important to people and brands that understand this will win all the way.
Voice search and voice activated gadgets are on the rise as it saves users’ time and lets them
focus on creating more meaningful experiences within their lives.
Saving time means also receiving personalized recommendations, relevant products that
stick to their preferences.
Brands that will work with predictive analysis will be one step ahead of their competitors
and even customers.
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Predictive analysis
Consumers live in micro-moments and have liquid expectations. They will be loyal to those
brands which know them best, predicting their desires. Big data and AI play a great role in
predictive analysis, therefore keep an eye on their development.
Consumers value products and services that help them become a better version version of
themselves.
From gadgets that track their health to apps that let them establish new better habits,
people use it to improve their mental and physical state.
Helpfulness and authenticity will revive relationships lost through tech and automation.
Adding a personal note to communication is reassuring to consumers, while they stay
longer and spend more money.
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Purpose-driven Marketing
(Empathy & Authenticity)
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Brands are made for people, addressing their needs and wants. Nowadays consumers have a
conscious behavior and more selective in their choices. In order for brands to receive
recognition, they have to resonate more strongly with their audiences. And as society
becomes more diverse, companies’ approaches for building relationships diversify as well.
People are putting more trust in others they know and reliable content, and less on ads.
Reaching out to people who are more likely to be interested in the brand is not only more
cost-efficient, it is also more sustainable and less time-consuming.
Consumers expect companies to communicate with them in the ways they like. This is the
reason why it is so important for marketers to be aware of their customers’ communication
preferences.
Although automation might cover basic tasks, it is important to add a personal touch or
offer direct help when possible. We, at MKOR Consulting, are in constantly digital touch
with our clients, but we still made it a rule to visit the clients in person once every year. This
maintains a personal connection and we seek to be helpful and improve the relationship
and get to know the people better.
Purpose-driven Marketing
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Grabbing millenials’ attention is still important for companies, but the real challenge comes
with Generation Z. As kids born in the late 90’s and 2000’s are starting to become adults and
make purchasing decisions, brands want to understand how to reach them.
Generation Z is connected to social problems and they feel that they can address them and
change the world. They have participatory features and expect the same from their political
representatives and other actors. Moreover, not only they will hold politicians accountable
for their actions, but brands as well.
Younger people expect organizations to see and engage with them as individuals. As
consumers increasingly crave products and services that feel tailored to their wants and
needs, people will become less tolerant of those that only partly fulfill their needs and don’t
solve an issue.
Generation Z activism
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Humanified is a mobile app that enables users to
connect and engage with non-profits, social causes
and social activism. Users can complete challenges,
use a geo-locator to help find causes in their area
and message each other.
As social activism continues to become more
popular amongst younger generations, there would
be more digital solutions that target this market.1
Gen Z considers providing good value for a fair price a socially responsible behavior that delivers a
greater good. Beyond that, studies have shown that Gen Z is interested in racial, gender and income
equality, as well as environmental issues. Standing up for these values is becoming a differentiator
for brands.
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The stationery brand Yoobi appeals to the imagination
of Canadian students. The color-rich and engaging
company began a steady promotion of a unique and
playful product that "looks good and does good."
Yoobi partnered with the Love of Reading Foundation,
an initiative run by Indigogo, that makes books
accessible to Canadian children. For each purchase of a
stationery product, Yoobi donates an item to a child
from "a classroom in need."2
In celebration of Pride Week, Disney debuts a
rainbow-nuanced LGBTQ collection. The LGBTQ
collection is dubbed 'The Rainbow Mickey' and for
it, Disney has designed a minimalist logo - a
rainbow-colored outline of its popular cartoon
mouse.
In addition, the company promised to donate 10%
of each online sale to GLSEN, a not-for-profit
organization, that supports the drive for
LGBTQ-inclusive school systems.3
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Consumers are looking for authentic, trustworthy companies committed to deliver
paramount value, convenience, and personalization.
“Brands and consumers will work more closely to make the world a better place. Not only
will consumers be more demanding of brands to make a positive impact, but brands will
facilitate connections and interactions with consumers and the world, stimulating
imaginations on what is possible and encouraging them to build it together.”4
Lisa
Matthews, Retail Strategy Director & Head Of Jack, Frost Collective
Brand marketing strategies oriented towards authenticity using both traditional and digital
means, will be successful. Consumer loyalty is driven by authentic branded diversity and
ethics, ecological and social responsibility.
Belief-driven buyers make up a consistent part of all consumers in mostly every market: 1 in
2 people are belief-driven buyers; they choose switch, avoid or boycott a brand based on its
stand on societal issues. According to a recent study, of belief-driven buyers, 67% bought a
brand for the first time because of its position on a controversial issue, while 65% will not
buy a brand because it stayed silent on an issue it had an obligation to address.5
Proactive CSR and brand values
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In this context, brands will solidify their corporate values and settle on which issues they will take a
stand on. The risk of alienating some customers is always present, but managing to resonate with
consumers’ values will deepen brand-customer relationships on an emotional level.6
As Romanians are expected to cast their vote in 4 elections until 2020, elefant.ro - a
Romanian online store - chose to focus on encouraging civic participation.
They partnered with local civic NGOs and launched a call for proposals of creative ideas
that will increase active citizenship. They will reward the winners with books that focus
on relevant topics: democracy, critical thinking and leadership.7
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Feminism as a brand value
In the light of #MeToo movement that itself established as a brand, companies take a stand
on feminist issues and address topics such as toxic masculinity and gender equality. Brands
respond to consumers who are seeking to align their purchasing decisions with the values
they cater for.
Pixar took a stand on toxic masculinity at
workplace. Their new short animation shows
women struggles to fit in a men culture at the
office. The core message of the short film is “Each
time a woman stands up for herself, she stands
up for all women.”
Many women have already taken to Twitter to
share how much the film resonated with them. "I
feel so seen by this Pixar 'Purl' short about
diversity! I even have girly desk decorations too,
and it took me years to feel comfortable putting
them out. Purl could be any woman in tech, we
all know that feeling of trying to fit in with the
boys," one wrote.8
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Nike chose to share its believes in gender equality by letting Serena
Williams introduce an ad at the Oscars 2019 gala.
The spot features angry sportswomen, including Serena Williams and
Simona Halep, but also pioneers in sports and activists that made it
possible for women today to achieve performance in any sport they
enjoy.
The core message of Nike’s spot - “It’s only crazy until you do it. Just
do it.” - was narrated by Williams, saying that throughout history,
strong, independent and successful women have been put down as
'crazy' or 'hysterical' or typecast as 'angry' if they are stern and weird if
they are extraordinary.9
Gillette made many headlines with its new stand on toxic
masculinity and abuse. Although, the company confronted
with backlash after the spot was released, the message was
well-received as a whole.
The film, called We Believe: the Best Men Can Be,
immediately went viral with more than 4m views on
YouTube in 48 hours and generated both lavish praise and
angry criticism.10
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Video Content
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Video becomes more popular as it became easier to film, even at high-quality.
Video is a big trend online that continues to grow, as platform like like Netflix, YouTube,
Amazon Prime Video, Facebook Live rely on filmed content.
Content that was previously available only on TV, today is at the touch of consumers’
fingertips.
According to Cisco, 82% of internet traffic will be through video by 2021.11
People love
consuming video content.
Video Content
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Video marketing is in trend for years now. Videos are increasingly present on websites,
social media and blogs.
Nowadays vlogging is trending more than any other digital platform.
Interactive videos give the opportunity to viewers to tap the screen and immerse in the
action at 360-degree. The idea behind interactive videos is to increase engagement.
Audiences are 66% more likely to interact with a 360-degree video, while 70% of marketers
report a boost for the business.12
Interactive videos
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These types of recordings are especially helpful
apparatuses for those in the movement and the travel
industry, but not only, as Ted Baker creatively brings
together storytelling and VR in a 360-degree video.
‘Keeping up with the Bakers’ tells the story of the
Baker family as they move into a new house. The
brand also created a 360 degree version of the video,
which allows viewers to further interact and explore
the Bakers’ world. The interactive video was produced
to reduce the steps that a customer takes in its
journey. Each item that had been clicked is
automatically added to the shopping basket.
Keeping Up with the Bakers feel less sales-driven, but
still gave viewers the time and space to consider
browsing or buying.13
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Oreo created a marketing campaign for its new cupcakes by offering their consumers a journey
inside the cupcake. That’s right, the video is a interactive journey in a land of cocoa, milk rivers
and giant Oreos.
The experience is felt at its best with the Google’s Cardboard headset.
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Social Media platforms are increasingly replacing the old fashioned TV programs with more
authentic experiences. Live videos are also live stories. Not only do these live videos capture
the best moments of a day – they disappear after a set time. This creates FOMO
(Fear-Of-Missing-Out) that draws users to catch-up with the brand due to fear of missing
the opportunity.
Live streaming, as it is called, is especially big for digital marketing when combined with
influencer marketing. In order to create traction, Facebook invested over $50 million to get
content creators and media companies to create videos for Facebook Live.14
In May 2018
Facebook Stories hit 150 million users.15
Influencers may come from different backgrounds, each of them having a target audience.
The point of having a live stream with an influencer is to interact with the audience in the
comment section. Influencers provide spontaneity and interactivity to live videos.
Live videos are a good option for brands and content creators struggling to figure out how
to get more engagement in the face of Facebook’s algorithm changes. YouTube, Periscope,
and plenty of newer live streaming apps give brands unlimited potential to use live video.
Live Video
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Sephora is one of the brands that have truly managed to engage their
online community through live streaming. Participating in most social
media channels, their live videos and stories constantly receive the
attention of hundreds of thousands of beauty addicts.
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Streamlist is a livestream shopping app that uses video to
connect buyers and sellers. The app introduces consumers to
shop in a multi-dimensional, interactive way.
The app gives consumers the opportunity to ask questions and
instantly receive answers, thus helping them to make an
informed purchasing decision. The app also gives sellers the
chance to present products in a more dynamic way than most
static web pages allow.
In addition to offering live video and live chat features,
Streamlist also uses notifications, a scheduling system and
one-click purchase tools to streamline the process of buying
goods.
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Old Spice is a brand well-known for its unconventional and bold marketing approach. Recently
they have invited their community to join and interact with a livestream board meeting.
The "Boardroom LIVE" event was wrapped with retro computer graphics and even an on-screen
animated character in the form of a clip who resembled "Clippy" from Microsoft Word.
During the livestream, the team followed an agenda to touch on everything from small talk to
"big talk," as well as charts, graphs and marketing strategy. The team even brought on a social
media influencer for a chat.
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IGTV is a standalone app owned and operated by Instagram. The app similar to Youtube was
launched in June 2018 and was specifically made for mobile devices.
One of the major differences is that all of the videos are vertical since they are made for
phones. Another notable feature of IGTV is its support for full-screen, vertically-oriented
videos that are up to an hour long.
Video content plays as soon as you open the app, similarly to the way a video would be
playing when turning on a TV.16
Instagram TV
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Nike debuted on IGTV with campaign titled "My Crazy Dream" aiming at
putting into spotlight the average consumer and appealing to a younger
generation.
The platform is used to share motivational short clips with everyday fitness
characters. For a company well-known for its partnerships with celebrities, Nike
makes a bold move using regular people as brand ambassadors, thus boosting
engagement among its viewers.
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Omnichannel
& Interactive
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Omnichannel marketing is customer-centric and focuses on the right mix of integrative
technology, solutions, and expertise. Prospect customers can be converted easier when
interacting with the brand through different channels. In turn, customers and prospects will
be impressed by the attention to the details about previous interactions.
Research by Accenture Insights show that adopting an omnichannel strategy can help
business improve its year-on-year customer retention rate by 91% compared to businesses
that don’t use omnichannel.17
As consumers use social media to interact with brands, to get support and to make buying
decisions, it is important for brands to incorporate social into their strategy.
The shopping experience should follow the consumer journey that freely moves between
channels and increasingly expects businesses to keep up with them. 81% of consumers
admit to becoming frustrated when companies do not make it easier to do business with
them.18
Omnichannel & Interactive
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Widespread access to technology also means access to rich online experiences. Tech gives
consumers a sense of control and empowers them to make better decisions.
On average, millennials check their mobile phones 150 times per day.19
These are brief
interactions that fracture the traditional purchase journey. Brands need to be there, in
consumer’s micro-moments, seize them and meet their expectations.
Micro-moments happen when people are looking for answers, discovering new things, and
making decisions. These consumer actions signal the intent and context in which brands
need to be relevant, so understanding them is essential. Google distinguishes four separate
needs:20
Micro-moments
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1. I-want-to-know moments: when someone is looking for information, rather
than making a purchase.
2. I-want-to-go moments: when someone is looking for products near them.
3. I-want-to-do moments: when someone needs help completing tasks.
4. I-want-to-buy moments: when someone is decided to make a purchase and
need help doing so.

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L'Oréal Canada was tasked with re-introducing its Shu
Uemura makeup brand to North American consumers. With
no physical point of purchase in the U.S. and limited
distribution in Canada, L'Oréal turned to digital to lead
prospects down the purchase path.
Shu Uemura's e-commerce team set out to reach women,
ages 25 to 30, who had previously purchased high-end
cosmetics online. They were shown different creative ads,
depending on where they were in their purchase journeys.
The strategy was a success, as the revenue doubled.
Businesses are challenged by consumers’ spanned interaction and can only get to win their hearts
by showing consistency in content and by providing a seamless experience across all devices. Being
omnipresent and consistent is now easily obtained by marketers with the help of chatbots, AI and
big data.
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Social media made it easier for customers to reach a brand, which means that the
expectations about the response time are increasing. Fortunately AI is right in time for
businesses to meet their customers’ inquiries with instant bot messaging.
More brands invest in programming the bots in a way that they seem as authentic as
possible. Irrespective of their approach, giving them their own character or predicting
customer questions, businesses made a leap forward in both tech and customer support
experience.
Chatbots are a specialized form of software that acts as a virtual customer support center,
communicating and assisting them in their purchasing journey. Chatbots interact with
humans in a natural way, primarily through the use of real-time text messaging, but voice
communication is also a viable option.
Virtual conversation with an artificial assistant drives conversions. Live chat makes it three
times more likely that your customers will complete the purchase process. Live chats
generate a 20% increase in conversions and a 305% increase in ROI.21
Chatbots
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With fewer people downloading and using traditional
mobile apps, travel companies are now exploring other
opportunities to communicate with consumers. A travel
bot help save users’ time, plan their trip or provide
travel recommendations and all this is available on their
favourite messaging app such as Facebook Messenger
or Whatsapp, with no need to download any new apps.
“The Travel Professor” asks 5 questions and based on
the given answers provides travel destination ideas.
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In this context, the good news is that consumers see chatbots as being able to provide that
real-time, on-demand experience that they are searching for. In a recent research the most
common potential benefit of chatbots that consumers pointed to was the ability to get
24-hour service (64%).22
Chatbots are the perfect tool to ease the pain-points of a customer journey and personalize
it at the highest level.

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Mall of America took its customers to the next level, providing
a seamless, personalized experience with America's Shopping
Hologram Concierge. The hologram took the form of a charming
elf named Ellie, who can answer questions, help shoppers
navigate the mall and suggest gifts by category.
The AI hologram helps consumers who do not know what to
purchase or where to find the right product during the stressful
shopping holiday period.
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Technology has evolved and voice recognition has improved, smart speakers increasingly
getting more popular. Google Home has 95% word level accuracy. Voice search will have a
direct impact on ecommerce sales. As of January 2018, voice search was conducted 1 billion
times a month.23
Voice search is easier and safer for people who are on the move, speaking being preferred over
typing. Moreover, voice search is faster, as people can talk faster than they can type.
Performing a voice search is different from typing one, particularly in the results. A text based
search returns a page that contains multiple results, while a voice search asks a device to
verbally reply. The device offers a few choices at most, and frequently, it goes with just one
choice. Most people perform voice searches like they are talking to someone else, therefore it is
important to make websites’ content conversational.
For marketers this means a different approach in their strategy, preparing it to voice searches
that no longer can be ignored as people rely on it more often. For example, writing
meta-descriptions of websites might need to be optimized for speech so that it "reads better"
out loud, when being spoken, rather than the drier style used for a strictly text-based search
approach.24
Voice Marketing
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Besides its practical use in helping with everyday
errands, Touch Scape found a new appliance for
Amazon Alexa, offering parents a new option for
guided play. The Creative Touch Studio is an
immersive playscape that augments children’s
imagination with natural sound.
The toy brings children’s world to life with paper
digitally enabled. The play is customizable and screen
free.
Voice activated commands are used as well to ease day-to-day people’s lives, from controlling
indoor lights, making a call while driving and assisting grocery shopping. Smart homes and smart
cars rely on voice control technology.
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”Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” is no longer only an unanswered fairytale
tagline.
HiMirror has introduced in its portfolio of interactive smart mirrors a new model that has
adjusting LED lights and which is also an entertainment center compatible with social media,
Spotify and Amazon Alexa.
With Google Assistant conversation actions, users will be able to execute voice commands to
pull data for skin, body and hydration reports and personalized skin care tips.
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Personalization
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People upload a vast amount of information each day, becoming easier for marketers to
gather insights and information about the people sitting behind the screen.
This translates into an opportunity to enhance personalization and, in addition, customers
expect it too. Marketers can now create content, products and email by paying attention to
the consumer’s purchase history, clicked links, social media posts, and other behavior.
Netflix offers shows to watch based on user’s taste, Amazon and eMag show products
similar to the ones they have bought before.
This is before even considering Google and Facebook that know them inside and out, and
use this information to make their experience personalized.
Personalization
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Social commerce is on the rise and brands that want to be at the meeting point of social
media and commerce requires swiftness and agility. Marketers have to develop ”living
strategies” that can can sense, respond, and even predict in real time to ensure relevancy for
consumers and value for brands.
In 2019, the technology will make recommendations better and more accurate than ever
before. Consumers are willing to share personal data if they can benefit from a more
personalized experience. Younger generations are much more accepting of this technology
than older ones.
According to Quicksprout, one of the best ways to use predictive analysis is to prequalify
the leads. Algorithms and software provide enough information to create a score and rank
them. By prioritizing leads and identifying top prospective customers, businesses will be
able to generate more conversions.25
Predictive Analysis
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The music-streaming company Pandora extended its services to offer podcasts. In this sense,
they developed a tool called the “Podcast Genome Project” that categorizes podcasts and based
on certain features makes recommendations to listeners.
Besides analyzing over 1,500 attributes of podcasts, the 'Podcast Genom Project' will also take
user feedback into consideration. This includes like/ dislike ratings, skips and replays. This data is
then observed by machine learning analysis and natural language processing to accurately predict
user preferences.
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The mission of all all these different algorithms is to help users (consumers) find the most
relevant content. Algorithms personalize user experience based on what they engage most
often, on search history and patterns. The more brands meet the needs of their customers,
the less likely they will worry about social algorithms.
AI is driving customer segmentation, retargeting, push notifications, click tracking in any
considerate mix. The latest upgrades in AI allow it to even create content.
AI continuously analyzes the dynamic relationship between consumers’ product
interactions, previous brand engagement, and latest customer activity across multiple
channels. As each campaign runs, AI selects the most relevant content for each customer
based on their current context, crafting individualized messages for each of them without
your having to lift a finger.
According to Blueshift, AI Marketing increases engagement up to 5.7x:
”With predictive recommendations, marketers can listen to customers’ needs, reply with the
relevant, actionable content customers seek, and stop wasting critical opportunities to
connect.” 26
AI & Big Data
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Data can be pulled out to generate a personalized experience. Saatchi & Saatchi sparked
storytelling by creating personalized advertising content for Toyota.
Using an internal AI dashboard, the agency matched audiences based on 1,000 interests
uploaded to their database, with different approaches of the same campaign. As a result, Toyota
is able to deliver spots that share some aspects while also addressing the interests of the viewer
with customized content based on their Facebook history.
”From a writing and production standpoint, we shot 100 scenes in one day to develop 100
interchangeable clips to get to the total 100,000 ads.” (Mr. Pierantozzi, Cloneless Media)27
With AI automating and aggregating data collection from consumers, marketing teams could
deep dive into insights that may otherwise have gone unnoticed if treated manually, while
telling the same brand story in a more personal way, on the individual level.
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The Mars Agency’s Smart Aisle platform has
been created to assist shoppers with product
selection, and offer information and educational
tools at the point of purchase. The platform
combines a voice-activated interface, artificial
intelligence and LED shelf lights.
Smart Aisle will ask shoppers questions about
their whisky preferences and then filter the
assortment down to three recommended
bottles, reading out names and descriptions.
Shelf lights highlight the locations of the
recommended bottles.
Shoppers can also ask the platform about a
specific whisky or brand and receive a
recommendation with a similar taste profile.28
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Consumers of products are increasingly consumers of digital content, enriching their digital
lives. Consumers are aware of the power that their personal data beholds and are willing to
share it in exchange for better products, services and experiences. They are placing greater
value on personal privacy and that is what brands should do too.
In Europe, the introduction of the GDPR requests business to ask for explicit consent or to
provide transparency and adequate privacy protection. Similar legislation is under
development around the world and will continue to be advanced as digital transformation
marches forward.
Consumers will use their new privacy rights to make themselves harder to track, leaving
marketers struggling to keep personalization alive.29
However, the challenge of gaining the trust of consumers is by ensuring the data privacy
and by delivering personalized experiences that consumers expect from brands:
„Experience has shown that individuals are more than happy to surrender their data, so long
as they are confident that it is going to be used in an intelligent way.” says Sachiko
Scheuing, European Privacy Officer at Acxiom.30
Data Privacy
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Wearables and smart home appliances are getting their way in people’s lives and
households.
IoT (Internet of Things) is teaching people to connect the different aspects of their daily
experiences, like sleep, fitness, diet, and more.
Marketers must follow the changes and shift their focus from how to fit customers into
categories to how they can improve people’s lives.
Furthermore, consumers are more connected than ever and they started to use
nontraditional items capable of processing payments. This presents unique opportunities for
marketers to improve the consumer journey in deeply personalized ways.
IoT
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Smart household appliances include smart laundry basket,
voice-activated faucets, recipe-displaying speakers or
voice-controlled beds.
IoT technology deepens its use in retail furthermore. This
Caper smart shopping cart has AI integrated. Grocery store
customers want speed and convenience. In a world where
groceries can be ordered online, forward-thinking retailers
are trying to make the store experience as convenient and
frictionless as possible.
Caper is the first AI-powered shopping cart that, using
computer vision, lets grocery shoppers skip checkout lines.
Shoppers can simply throw items into their Caper cart, and
built-in sensors identify the items and tally a virtual basket.
During the shopping journey, Caper helps shoppers discover
in-store deals with its interactive screen. Once done, they
can conveniently pay on the cart and leave the store.
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Experiential
Marketing
(Branded Experiences)
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Brands are repositioning from the direct response approach with the strict goal of selling,
towards using content to tell stories.
Connected experiences are reached through YouTube videos, blogging, digital publications
or podcasts, thus brands stirring up more non-sales related content than ever before.
Experiences bring the authenticity that consumers crave for, and generate the deep
connection that brands are keen to achieve.
An exploratory encounter with the brand can impact the consumer in ways that generate
afterwards numerous stories and sincere word-of-mouth recommendations.
Experiential Marketing
49

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Brands are adapting their business models to incorporate escape rooms that
enhance the consumer experience.
Escape rooms are the perfect environment for brands to interact with the
consumers’ curiosity and play, thus securing customer loyalty and
engagement.
Branded escape
50

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A French real estate company offers unique experiences
to its customers by gamifying the apartment viewings
and turning them into escape rooms.
The agency locks people inside the apartment and then
they are invited to explore it in the style of an escape
room game. Potential customers have to discover clues
and put together a puzzle in order to discover the notary
paperwork required in the leasing or buying process if
they are successful.
51
Does this idea ring a bell for you? If you believe this is the right marketing approach that your
business needs at this point, Quest Mission has the solution for you. Based in Bucharest, Quest
Mission creates outstanding game design for brands and companies. They provide immersive
stories, integrated smart puzzles and happy customers. Shout out your idea or ask for new ones
here.

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Snickers promotes its new flavours by
pulling the leverage on the widely known
campaign "You're Not You When You're
Hungry".
The pop-up created in the style of a
escape room challenges consumers to find
out the answer to one question: “Which
intense flavor will you need to survive
intense hunger?”. By the end, players will
receive a diagnosis, determining which of
the three new flavors—Espresso, Fiery or
Salty & Sweet—they need to ward off
intense hunger.
52

| #share the love | 53
To promote the release of the successful new
film, Sony Pictures worked with OmniVirt to
distribute 360° advertisements across
relevant media sites to target movie
audiences. The film studio is running 360°
display banner ad units that click to a full
interactive 360° Escape Room experience.
The experiences immerse audiences in the
story that features a set of interactive 360°
themed escape rooms from the film itself that
the audience can explore and “escape” from.

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Content is arguably the trend that gained traction in the recent years. The brands that
have success are the ones that have put content at the forefront of their strategy.
Brands are operating like media outlets, reaching consumers right where they are.
Podcasts represent a choice for many people that are on constant move.
Podcasts tell stories and are inspirational, enticing the consumers.
A while ago you might become intricated at hearing that a company that
manufactures refrigerators invests time and money in creating a podcast.
Today, this is very natural for General Electric to engage with its audience with
podcasts.31
Branded Podcast
54

Blue Apron has been a big advertiser in the
podcast space since the audio boom started.
When they wanted to enhance their
connection to consumers, they decided to
create a branded series, resulting in their
engaging show, Why We Eat What We Eat.
The show, hosted by author and food
historian Cathy Erway, looks at everything
from picky eating to the origins of duck
sauce. It’s entertaining and informative and
perfectly proves the point that when branded
podcasts are executed well, consumers want
to listen—even though in many ways they are
listening to a 30-minute advertisement.

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Telling stories can be a more conveying way to interact with brand community.
Consumers are being bombarded everyday with ads and they developed ways to
ignore it.
But they still want to learn about new products and share their thoughts on it.
In fact, 92% of them want brands to make their ads feel more like stories. 68% prefer
content that is informative and educational, while 17% prefer entertaining stories
above all others. But regardless of your angle, the impact will be dramatic: stories are
up to 22 times more memorable than the bare facts.32
Branded Stories,
Native Storytelling
56

Canva’s core messages stands for
diversity and inclusion. To bring
awareness of its stance on equality,
they created and shared content
across all its social channels to
support it.
Their strategy was to avoid sharing
the same piece of content on every
channel; so, they created
network-specific content as well.
In Australia they created a video to
show support for marriage equality.

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According to Digital Fashion Consumer Trends Report (a research on Romanian fashion
conducted by MKOR Consulting) most of those who choose not to buy online (57%) fear
that the sizes would not fit.
Some 42% of those who choose not to buy online prefer to touch and handle the products
themselves.33
Brands can eliminate most of the risk that prospects take when they decide to buy a
product for the first time.
Turn your marketing more powerful by allowing your prospects to virtually test products
before making any commitment.
Augmented and virtual reality create a completely new environments that an individual can
experience and immerse into. Moreover, this technologies are great tools that can enhance
storytelling and create a seamless brand interaction.
AR & VR
58

One of the most popular applications of
augmented reality is from IKEA.
The app that got 8.5 million downloads, enables
customers to place 3D products in their own
rooms. Going to an IKEA store may be difficult for
many customers so giving them the ability to see
virtual images of products will help customers to
make purchase decisions and buy online.
Volvo offered test driving a car through virtual
reality, for its new model XC90. The VR set
immerses users in the cockpit and takes them on
an idyllic ride through the country.
Users are able to look in any direction as if they
are really inside the car, even though it’s not
physically there.

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A branded community is a social community of loyal brand advocates.
When building a community brands usually offer members access to exclusive
resources and other benefits, encouraging members to talk to each other. A brand
community creates a participatory experience for the customer.
The great advantage of building a branded community is that it can take any form.
For instance, some create Facebook Groups, while others use Slack and some create
separate websites specifically for their community.34
Building Brand Communities
60

Sephora does an amazing job of helping
customers feel connected with their
online community, Beauty Talk – a
massive, well-organized forum where
users can ask questions, share ideas, and
have their beauty quagmires solved by
other enthusiasts.
Their Beauty Board offers another way
to engage with the products and the
community. Users upload pictures of
themselves wearing Sephora products.
The photos then link to the product
page of all the items used.

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Influencers are the new stars and trend setters, especially for younger generations.
Social media influencers are the Instagram stars, Twitter influencers, YouTube
millionaires. They have millions of followers and their posts, vlogs and tweets reach
more people than any TV ad.
Brands turn to influencers to promote their products and services mainly due to their
authenticity in spreading the message. As the request for their services has grown
over time, prices for their services have also skyrocketed.
Therefore, businesses are looking for alternatives, including micro-influencer
marketing. According to Social Media Today “[...] micro-influencers exist in every
marketing niche. They have followings of fewer than 10 000 people, but most of their
followers are genuinely interested in what they have to say. And they're very
engaged - micro-influencers are often considered experts in their niche.”35
Influencers and Micro-influencers
62

Pope Francis, himself, has acknowledge the power
of influencers and even made an analogy with
Mary, a model for Christianity, naming her an
influencer. All of this happened, off course, in a
tweet published on Pope’s account that has almost
20 million followers.
Digital marketing is facing a generational shift. Millennials and Generation Z are regarded
as the most important cohort for future growth in consumer spending worldwide.
Millennials and Generation Z seek social proof. They rely on social media to guide their
online purchases.
They both value natural, believable brand stories over those that feel forced, preferring
recommendations by their peers over celebrity endorsements and are more receptive to
micro-influencers.36

The power of influencers and the crave for
their services created a whole new
industry. In this sense, there have been
developed new ways to better connect
brands with influencers.
To begin working with influencers,
research the most relevant ones in your
industry. Once you have made a list of
potential leads, you should reach out to
them and plan how two of you can work
together.
IndaHash is a great example of a platform
that brings together the needs of brands
and services of the influencers. IndaHash is
like a marketplace, where brands and
influencers meet to create solutions.

| #share the love |
Sources: Case Studies
Humanified: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/humanified
Yoobi: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whimsical-stationery
Disney LGBTQ Collection: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lgbtq-collection
Elefant.ro: https://www.iqads.ro/articol/45522/elefant-ro-premiaza-cele-mai-creative-idei-civice-cu-carti-alese-pe-spranceana#
Pixar Purl: https://www.glamour.com/story/pixar-new-short-film-purl
Nike Ad:
https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/nikes-serena-williams-ad-about-crazy-women-released-at-the-oscars-twitter-felt-it-also-deserved-one-2047913
.html
Gillette Ad: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/15/gillette-metoo-ad-on-toxic-masculinity-cuts-deep-with-mens-rights-activists
Keeping Up with the Bakers: https://youtu.be/ZSSfIlQnZb8
Oreo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENau7AkayN8
Sephora Live Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWGa70KLBEk
Streamlist: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/streamlist
Old Spice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=868&v=UJbaHK2cbRs
Nike & Instagram TV: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nikes-igtv
L’Oreal Canada: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ca/marketing-resources/programmatic/loreal-canada-programmatic-buying/
The Travel Professor: https://chatbotslife.com/the-most-incredible-bots-for-savvy-travellers-f7573b01792e
Mall of America:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherwalton/2018/12/12/mixed-reality-is-the-exciting-new-reality-at-the-mall-of-america/#4f9160d23bc5
65

| #share the love |
Sources: Case Studies
Touch Scape: http://touchscapes.com/
HiMirror: https://www.himirror.com/en-GB/eshop/product/himirrormini
Pandora: https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/8/17662056/pandora-podcast-genome-project-roger-lynch-podcast-interview-converge
Saatchi & Saatchi for Toyota: https://www.wearesaatchi.com/works/toyota
Mars Agency’s Smart Aisle: https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2019/01/voice-activated-whisky-assistant-trials-in-us/
Caper Cart: https://www.slashgear.com/caper-smart-grocery-shopping-carts-are-powered-by-ai-11561422/
Evidence Imobillier: https://www.facebook.com/evidence.immobilier/photos/a.963192780432995/1587318301353770/?type=3&theater
Snickers: https://www.psfk.com/2018/06/snickers-escape-new-flavors-pop-up.html
Sony & OmniVirt: https://www.omnivirt.com/blog/sony-pictures-releases-interactive-360-degree-ad-campaign-escape-room-omnivirt/
Blue Apron: https://creative.gimletmedia.com/shows/why-we-eat-what-we-eat/
Canva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okB5fF0EB5A
Ikea: http://www.digitaltrainingacademy.com/casestudies/2014/11/ikea_augmented_reality_catalogue.php
Volvo: https://www.framestore.com/work/volvo-reality
Sephora Beauty Board: https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/5-examples-brilliant-brand-communities-shaping-online-world/
Pope Francis on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1089327127277621248?s=19&fbclid=IwAR2nWJA78uu6dBEZPZ20rNPaD-rJLg04tc78LhxopVzPmALpv-X8lX2iWBA
IndaHash: https://indahash.com/influencer
66

| #share the love |
Sources: Publications
1. 'Humanified' Connects Users to Local Causes and More, Michael Hemsworth, Trend Hunter, 2018
[https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/humanified]
2. Yoobi Channels the Childhood Spirit with Color & Creativity, Kalina Nedelcheva, Trend Hunter,
[https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whimsical-stationery]
3. Disney Launches Its First Colorful LGBTQ-Supporting Merchandise, Kalina Nedelcheva, Trends Hunter, 2018
[https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lgbtq-collection]
4. Executives Are Eyeing These 2019 Consumer Trends, CMO by Adobe, Jan. 2019,
[https://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2018/11/30/predictions-consumer-trends-2019.html#gs.Zzk8h09t]
5. Brands Take a Stand, Research Report by Edelman, Oct. 2018
[https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2018-10/2018_Edelman_Earned_Brand_Global_Report.pdf]
6. 6 Marketing Trends That Will Affect Your Business in 2019, Alex Jones, Brand Watch, Dec. 2018,
[https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/marketing-trends-2019/]
7. elefant.ro premiază cele mai creative idei civice cu cărți alese pe sprânceană, IQads, Feb. 2019,
[https://www.iqads.ro/articol/45522/elefant-ro-premiaza-cele-mai-creative-idei-civice-cu-carti-alese-pe-spranceana#]
8. Pixar's New Short Film Purl Takes on Toxic Bro Culture at Work, Samantha Leach, Glamour, Feb. 2019
[https://www.glamour.com/story/pixar-new-short-film-purl]
9. Nike's Serena Williams Ad About 'Crazy' Women Released at Oscars, Twitter Felt it Also Deserved One, News18, Feb. 2019
[https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/nikes-serena-williams-ad-about-crazy-women-released-at-the-oscars-twitter-felt-it-also-deserved-
one-2047913.html]
10. Gillette #MeToo razors ad on 'toxic masculinity' gets praise – and abuse, Alexandra Topping, Kate Lyons and Matthew Weaver, The
Guardian, Jan. 2019,
[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/15/gillette-metoo-ad-on-toxic-masculinity-cuts-deep-with-mens-rights-activists]
11. Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2016-2021
[https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/index.html#~cloud-forecast]
12. 360 DEGREE VIDEOS, Oh! Video, January 2017
[https://www.ohvideo.co.uk/360-degree-videos/]
13. Four examples of brands using video for ‘story-selling’, Econsultancy, January 2019
[https://econsultancy.com/brands-using-video-storytelling-to-drive-sales/]
67

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14. Facebook Signs Deals With Media Companies, Celebrities for Facebook Live, Steven Perlberg and Deepa Seetharaman, The Wall Street
Journal, June 2016 [https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-signs-deals-with-media-companies-celebrities-for-facebook-live-1466533472]
15. Facebook Stories reveals 150M daily viewers and here come ads, Josh Constine, Tech Crunch, June 2018
[https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/17/facebook-stories-150-million-users/]
16. 10 Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2019, Quicksprout, December 2019
[https://www.quicksprout.com/2018/11/15/10-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2019/]
17. 19 digital marketing trends for 2019 and beyond, Lennart Sloof, Accenture Insights, November 2018
[https://www.accenture-insights.nl/en-us/articles/digital-marketing-trends]
19. The Surprising Reason Millennials Check Their Phones 150 Times a Day, John Brandon, Inc., April 2017
[https://www.inc.com/john-brandon/science-says-this-is-the-reason-millennials-check-their-phones-150-times-per-day.html]
20. The Basics of Micro-Moments, Think with Google, May 2016
[https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/micro-moments-understand-new-consumer-behavior/]
21. How Live Chat on Your Website Can Improve Sales, Jennfer Lux, Sales for Life, January 2018
[https://www.salesforlife.com/blog/how-live-chat-on-your-website-can-improve-sales]
22. State of Chatbots Report, Drift, SurveyMonkey Audience, Salesforce, and myclever, 2018,
[https://mk0drift0ho9g7wbfexi.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-state-of-chatbots-report.pdf]
24. 8 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch Out for in 2019, Clodagh O'Brien, Digital Marketing Institute, 2019
[https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/8-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2019]
26. AI Marketing in Action: Delivering More Relevant Content with Predictive Recommendations Increases Engagement Up To 5.7X, Marina
Ben-Zvi, Blueshift, Nov. 2018 [https://blueshift.com/ai-marketing-predictive-recommendations/]
68

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27. Toyota sparks customized storytelling via 100,000 targeted video ads, Chantal Tode, Mobile Marketer
[https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/advertising/22071.html]
28. Voice-activated whisky assistant trials in US, Owen Bellwood, The Spirits Business, Jan. 2019,
[https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2019/01/voice-activated-whisky-assistant-trials-in-us/]
29. Executives Are Eyeing These 2019 Consumer Trends, CMO by Adobe, Jan. 2019
[https://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2018/11/30/predictions-consumer-trends-2019.html#gs.uzZTJhm8]
30. Customer experience: privacy vs. personalisation, Alison Coleman, Raconteur, Apr. 2018
[https://www.raconteur.net/retail/customer-experience-privacy-vs-personalisation]
31. How General Electric Created The Hit Science-Fiction Podcast “The Message”, Jeff Beer, Fast Company, 2015
[https://www.thefreedictionary.com/intricate]
33. Digital Fashion Consumer Trends Report, MKOR Consulting, 2019
[https://mkor.eu/research/digital-fashion-trends-2019/]
34. 5 Examples of Brilliant Brand Communities That Are Shaping The Online World, Michael Brenner, Marketing Insider Group, 2017
[https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/5-examples-brilliant-brand-communities-shaping-online-world/]
35. 5 Social Media Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2019, Aleh Barysevich, Social Media Today, Dec. 2018
[https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/5-social-media-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2019/543477/]
36. 19 digital marketing trends for 2019 and beyond, Lennart Sloof, Accenture Insights, Nov. 2018,
*** Template Design courtesy of Slides Carnival.
69

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