Why we need to crank up the creativity
Where brands should invest for 2024
In a year of plugging into individuals spanning from Dudley to Doha, Tooting to Texas, we’ve identified four prominent themes in physical experiences that resonate universally. These are opportunities for brands to streamline costs, strategically invest, and cultivate more #Visionary experiences while minimizing the #HypeDown
Less glitch, more joy please
Amidst the increasing prevalence of screen-centric, DIY digital encounters, we often witness and feel the frustrations that accompany them. Whether it’s the jarring, robotic proclamations at self-serve checkouts or the isolation of waiting for assistance at a drive-thru speaker, these experiences, while touted as convenient, often translate to stress and monotony.
Take a cue from Uniqlo’s innovation using RFID technology for their ‘no-scan’ checkouts. Simply drop your basket, and the system effortlessly detects RFID chips, streamlining the checkout process without the hassle of scanning or waiting, and reducing sensory overload.
While drive-thrus remain reminiscent of their seventies inception, there’s untapped potential for brands to take bolder strides. Imagine helpful AI assistants making the ordering process less rushed, allowing customers to deliberate and decide. Similarly, touch screen ordering points present endless opportunities for AI to break consumers out of autopilot mode. It’s time for brands to embrace experimentation and redefine digital experiences.
Unleash the human
Liberate human potential to offer what only they can provide. Consumers readily understand the challenges faced by retail and QSR employees, yet they’re equally swift to critique the perceived absence of smiles and acknowledgment, particularly in transient locations.
In the competitive landscape of hushed high streets and struggling shopping centers, a simple smile and positive attitude can transform an ordinary encounter into a memorable experience. Customer service emerges as a critical differentiator, demanding brands to innovate beyond conventional approaches.
Consider Blank Street Coffee as a prime example, shifting the focus from extravagant displays to efficiency, allowing staff the time for a more personalized touch. This New York brand invests in top-notch automated coffee technology, redirecting attention towards product communication and steering away from the conventional ‘theatre’ of milk pouring associated with baristas. Blank Street strives to stand out in a saturated market by redefining the norm.
End the digital + cardboard overload; crank up the creativity!
In the realm of store messages, we’ve not only reached but surpassed optimal levels this year. A stroll down the high street vividly illustrates the challenge – a barrage of competing visuals, visual merchandising, claims, and messages, each vying for attention in cramped, often small spaces.
Simply piling on more elements in the hope of boosting sales can backfire. Our extensive shopper research affirms that people, especially in the shopping autopilot mode, can’t absorb this message onslaught, especially against the backdrop of a potent peripheral vision that quickly dismisses what isn’t deemed attention-worthy.
As brands grapple with weakened consumer demand in 2024, we advocate for courage and strategic investment. It’s time for messages and visuals that snap shoppers out of autopilot – think big and bold creative, high-contrast images that captivate, and digital animations that surprise and resonate. Merely placing your brand name or product on a screen and crossing your fingers is no longer sufficient. It’s time to captivate and command attention in new and daring ways.
The same principle holds for windows. The most impactful window designs are typically those that feature large, uncomplicated bursts of creativity, capturing and holding our attention. Consider Lush’s current Christmas window, where giant inflatables surprisingly exude appeal. Ray Ban employs high-impact creative digital screens, prompting thoughts of sunglasses in the midst of winter. At the upper echelon, Hermes demonstrates the impact of snow monsters, while Arc’Teryx showcases the formidable influence of digital on a grand scale.
