Among the four forces shaping visual storytelling and content marketing today — which include Sustainability, Wellness, and Realness, according to the experts at Getty Images — Technology may be the most powerful, and not just because of its immense influence over the other three elements at play.
“Of all the driving forces in people’s lives today, Technology is arguably the one that creates the greatest amount of dynamic tension.” – Getty Images Creative Insights Team
“Technology is not just a tool, it’s a personal value,” according to Getty’s Visual GPS report, but “the language of technology changes as quickly as tech itself.” That’s why business leaders need to keep their fingers on the pulse of ever-evolving digital innovation and technological advances and all the new possibilities they enable.
From artificial intelligence and robotics to virtual and augmented reality, the market is teeming with new kinds of experiences that are designed to engage and convert customers, but also to help, uplift, and create more meaningful connections.
Doing Good
Releasing a new gadget or creating a first-class AR experience isn’t the only way for a business to make a difference. This year, family snack brand Frito Lay Variety Packs launched a new initiative called Back to School Blastoff in partnership with aspiring astronaut Alyssa Carson. As part of the project, the brand pledged to send 50 girls to Space Camp over the next five years in a bid to diversify STEM talent.
“STEM fields are predicted to experience the highest growth in job numbers between now and 2030, yet only 28% of the STEM workforce is female, only 7% is Black and 6% is Hispanic.”
“Getting girls excited about STEM is just one piece of the puzzle. We need to address the issue of retaining them in this field by giving more access to programs, mentors and resources,” says Marissa Solis, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “This year we want to make our impact even more meaningful by offering more ways to keep these bright, young women involved.” What worthwhile, tech-savvy cause can your business get behind?
Championing Accessibility
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-MnzF9lJq4
In an effort that pairs doing good with new and exciting tools, Kellogg Europe is making waves by championing accessibility for blind and partially-sighted people. Touted as a “world-first” technology, the smartphone-activated experience allows visually-impaired people to playback information that’s printed on their cereal boxes.
What began as a trial in the UK on World Sight Day 2020 was so successful that it will now expand to all of the company’s cereal packaging, beginning with Special K boxes early next year. NaviLens, the new tech, can be used both in-store and at home, simply by pointing a device in the general direction of the box. The smartphone then receives an alert that lets the shoppers choose whether to have the ingredients, allergen, or recycling information read out loud to them or made accessible via other tools.
“This announcement from Kellogg’s is a real game changer within the packaging world,” according to Marc Powell, Strategic Accessibility Lead at project partner Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). “It marks a significant step-change in how big brands can put accessibility at the forefront of design and packaging decisions and be a catalyst for change.”
How might this apply to your brand or the work that you do?
Virtualizing the Customer Experience
Virtual tours have existed within the real estate industry for some time now — but what about the food and beverage industry? COVID may have cut into the wine-tasting scene (and just about everything else), but drink giant Diageo has found a new way to bring its audience “indoors.”
Offering a 360-degree view of all 5,000 square meters of the company’s archive, with this new digital experience Diageo invites customers to “discover items from our collection of original documents, enjoy our inspiring imagery, and be intrigued by brand stories that have been collated and preserved from all over the world.”
Spanning from a Liquid Library and Marketing Hall of Fame to a Vault and Founder’s Room, fans can browse through bottles and advertising campaigns dating back to the 1880s through today while exploring the stories and expansive brand materials behind the legendary drink-maker’s wide-reaching team, history, and product offering.
Dig into your own brand. What opportunities are there to get creative and repurpose existing brand assets to engage people in new, forward-thinking ways? And how else do you see tech revolutionizing the marketing landscape? Let us know @thestudio_id.
