THE TRENDS REPORTSeptember 2015

Proudly brought to you by NATIVE VML

THE TRENDS REPORTAugust 2015

Proudly brought to you by NATIVE VML

A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF TRENDS IN MARKETING,

STORYTELLING AND DIGITAL CULTURE LOCALLY AND ABROAD.

AUGMENTATION

Advancements in technology have altered the

way people think about what constitutes a place

of work and learning. Virtual reality is ensuring

that consumers are connected and therefore

effective from anywhere; work and learning are

being decentralised for increased productivity.

Decentralizing space.

The New Age Classroom.

Holography is a future teaching tool that allows

teachers to provide instructions through an electronic

multimedia device, and still give students a life-like

classroom experience from the comfort of their

homes. UNISA is already testing out the technology

among part-time students who have classes in the

evenings and on weekends.

READ MORE

Source: Timeslive

Virtual technology is being utilised by advertisers

to introduce new ways to market products, and

in so doing, display life-like experiences that

allow consumers to interact with brands from a

different angle.

Virtually enhanced

retail experiences.

Digitising stock

The Audi City has a digital car showroom that uses state-of-the-art technology to digitise stock from the entire Audi line.

Customers can assemble their dream car with an elegant and intuitive touchscreen interface and finished models are

‘swiped’ to a wall where full-scale digital representations can be explored in a 360-degree digital environment.

Source:designit

READ MORE

A conceptual window display

The Window that Never Sleeps offers a 360 degree visualisation of a holographic suit at one of the busiest places in

London. It can be operated even after hours when the store—in this case, a conceptual Paul Smith facade—is

closed. Source: Vimeo

READ MORE

INNOVATION

There are new mobile innovations in Science

and Technology that are making it possible for

ordinary consumers to remotely access and

monitor their health, and this comes at a much

lower cost for people who cannot afford quality

healthcare.

Making healthcare

accessible.

X-Ray Pill

Cap Check is in the process of testing a new

capsule endoscope pill that gives doctors a less

invasive way of screening their patients for colon

cancer. It has a built-in camera able to scan the

interior of the organ and subsequently transmit

this data to a high-tech dermal patch once the

patient swallows it.

READ MORE

Source: Good Magazine

The Memory Keeping App

Samsung and dementia specialists at the

Praram9 Hospital developed a Memory

Recaller app that will help Alzheimer patients

with memory loss. It uses face recognition

technology to help jog their memories and

eliminate unnecessary repetition to vastly

improve the quality of patient’s lives.

Source: Engadget

READ MORE

Technology has made it easier and cheaper for

consumers to get the things they want and need

in one offering. The digital convergence trend is

making it possible for distinct industries like

fashion and medicine to merge and create

innovative products consumers can utilise in

their everyday lives. This is resulting in the

emergence of new industries that are proving to

be more effective in the long run.

The emergence of new

industries.

Designer Health

Design researcher Paulien Routs has developed

SOAK, a sweat-sensitive textile coating that

provides a warning of dehydration. When applied

to sportswear it changes colour while the wearer is

working out. The different colours provide a visual

cue, showing the composition of their sweat and

the condition of their internal health.

Source: Materia

.Traditional marketing publishers are staying

current by innovating the platforms they use to

engage with their consumers, they are now

employing interactive measures to make users

feel more involved.

Innovating traditional

spaces.

Creating Active Consumers

Brazilian magazine Caras’ interactive ad to sell makeup removal allows consumers to wipe make-up off the face

on the cover. The experience not only proves the effectiveness of the product but connects consumers in an

unexpected and interactive way. Source: The StableREAD MORE

Smart Posters

M&C Saatchi in the UK applied artificial intelligence

to create a self-regenerating smart poster series with

built-in Microsoft Kinect cameras. The cameras

gauge a person's mood and interest in the

advertisement as they walk by. The billboard is able

to use algorithms to re-create new layouts, copy,

fonts and images in the hopes of making a more

pleasing arrangement that will catch the attention of

someone walking by.

READ MORE

Source: Trends Hunter

MOBILE, DATA AND SOCIAL

Artificially intelligent systems and robots are now

being programmed with intuitive abilities that

allow them to think like-and-for humans, they are

equipped with automated responses that ensure

that they can fully engage in personalised

interactions with humans.

Automated love

interests.

Intuitive Conditional lover

Microsoft introduced a Tinder-bot with the

ability to learn through mathematical

expressions into the Chinese market. It takes

cues from input data to find matches for users

based on extracted profile images and

suggested preferences.

A suspended camera connected to a

Smartphone evaluates the person in the

profile and cross-references the findings to

measure compatibility.

READ MORE

Source: Saurabh Datta

Automated Intimacy

Xiaoice is an artificially intelligent messaging

program with a personality that was

introduced in China for use on Smartphones.

It mimics the human brain through its ability to

store detailed ‘memories’ from exchanges with

users. It collects data on intimate details from

individuals to be more interactive and

engaging with users.

READ MORE

Source: Digital Trends

The kind of technology that gathers, sorts and

analyses data at a faster pace in order to

process and act on the insights, is now on trend.

The findings can be used in real-time by experts

to solve social issues in order to change and

make people’s lives easier and manageable.

Context identifying

technology.

Addressing the World

Many people across the world still live in

unaddressed remote areas, but the

What3words app automatically assigns a

three-word address to any 3m x 3m square,

on a grid of 57 trillion squares across

the globe to people without addresses.

Context Identification

READ MORE

Source: What 3 Words

Using mobile for safety

Forsman & Bodenfors have created a safety

mobile app that switches to a child’s voice near

schools, day care centres and any areas where

children are likely to be present. The satellite

connected app warns drivers to slow down and

be on the lookout for kids crossing or walking-by.

READ MORE

Source: Adweek

MARKETINGAT THE SPEED OF

CULTURE

Brands are now playing with the idea of hijacking

competitor’s ideas without stealing or

plagiarising their concepts. It’s a creative

technique being explored by global brands to

market and reach consumers.

Interceptive marketing

techniques.

Humanised Campaign

During the Superbowl in the USA Volvo and

their agency GREY decided to reach out to

consumers on Twitter, instead of doing a

commercial. To stand a chance to win a new

Volvo, people had to use the Volvo handle to

hash-tag the name of the person they would

give the car to, whenever a competitor’s

commercial was on TV. While other car

companies were showing consumers what

matters to their brand, Volvo wanted to know

who inspired, moved and mattered most to the

consumers.

READ MORE

Source: eYeka

.Fast food places are now having to compete for

customers with restaurants that offer healthier

options, since more people are changing their

eating habits. The heavy competition forces fast

food providers to find new ways to lure

customers to their establishment. They have to

offer consumers an experience that goes beyond

eating, just for something extra. Gorilla

marketing lets them retain some market share in

a competitive industry.

Innovative marketing

for fast foods.

Layered dining experience

Pizza Hut has a new cardboard blockbuster

pizza box that turns into a working movie

projector for your Smartphone. It comes with a

lens which can be inserted into the side of the

box after you punch out the perforated hole.

The consumers buy pizza but instead get an

entire movie experience which will now be

associated with Pizza Hut.

.

Source: Business insider

Immersive musical experience

The “KFC Sound Bite” is a campaign that saw

the installation of digital audio tables inside

their stores. Local artists created the branded

digital touch tables where the customers could

play songs and initiate distribution of their

music through social sharing without

interrupting other customers.

READ MORE

Source: Best ads on TV

STORYTELLING

Just simply creating video content to market a

brand is not enough to attract and captivate

consumers anymore. Video has taken on a new

life that taps into virtual reality and 3d tools.

Content creators have been pioneering and

experimenting with digital techniques that

enhance how they share their stories without

jeopardising their message.

Virtual musical

experience.

Experimentalist Video Content

Björk released a mind-bending 360-degree

video for her song, “Stonemilker”. The

technique used in the video allows users to

view the Icelandic art-pop experimentalist

from different angles whilst she sings on a

wind-swept beach outside of Reykjavik. With

the appropriate browser technology fans can

navigate the visuals by pulling the screen with

their mouse.

READ MORE

Source: Stereogum

In Motion

Standard Bank created an engaging and beautifully crafted TV ad that used visual effects to suspend action in

time. Through a seamless combination of frozen moments and in motion, it took the viewer through three bustling

working environments to explore what a bank should be to its customers.

Source: Between 10 and 5

Automated Love

Interests.

READ MORE

Brands have been moved into a unique space

that allows them to produce purpose-driven work

that rewards consumers for their loyalty, and still

get to ensure brand awareness to attract new

followers. Marketers are now sourcing for deeper

insights to create branded products that attempt

to speak to basic human truths, and in so doing,

establish brands with a greater purpose that

speaks to people’s needs.

Greater brand purpose.

Exploring unique stories

Nokia partnered with an agency to create a

campaign that targets Filipino workers living in

the UAE, and don’t often get to see their

families. They invited them to tell their unique

stories of homesickness in front of cameras,

and five of the most touching were put into Tek

cards (a popular storytelling medium the target

audience grew up using). Nokia made them

feel closer to home and offered a return flight

back to the Philippines to visit their families.

Source: Gulf Marketing Review

Consumers relate to brands that inspire them

and stand for something that goes beyond a

product or service. When the message carries

some psychological insights into the mind of the

consumer it increases the chances of success.

Brands that are conscious of their customer’s

needs seem more empathetic, and therefore, are

able to establish emotional connections.

Customer-conscious

storytelling.

Redefine strength

Nike took a deeper look into what it takes

(physical strength aside) to train and compete

among the world’s greatest via their Inner

Strength campaign. They tell a unique story that

redefines athleticisms from the perspective of a

disabled Olympian, with the brand now being

associated with the strong role it plays in

athletics, fitness and changing perceptions.

READ MORE

Source: psfk.com

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