“Millennialisation” might sound like marketing verbiage, but for me it encapsulates the key trends that we will see more of this year, because 2016 will see brands work even harder to entice, entertain and engage with this group of consumers, giving Generation Y and beyond the unforgettable, shareable experiences they crave.
Focus on influencers
By their nature, millennials are more critical of brands and the messages they receive from them. Instead, they trust their peers and people they respect. This means that brands are investing more in higher quality experiences that speak to fewer but more influential people. This will result in experiences that organically become online influencer strategies.
Brand experiences will evolve beyond forced sharing elements, such as the photo booth, in favour of exclusive experiences such as the hugely successful Symphony in Blue by Johnnie Walker. It’s by influencing the few that brands will be able to connect to the many.
Deeper immersion
To supplement this influencer strategy, we will also see a rise in multi-sensory, unique tech experiences. This new stage will fuse physical sensations with creative tech to build unique brand experiences for consumers out and about, and at home.
Content filmed at events will become even more immersive thanks to 360-degree video. Virtual reality (VR) at home will become affordable for the mass market
(12.2m headset sales are expected this year alone) meaning huge swathes of people will be able to enjoy a brand experience virtually – before, during and after the main event.
Rise of second screens in live experiences
Merging physical experiences with consumers’ mobile phones will become important. Consumers are happy to share opinions and content via their mobiles, but there’s a lot more we could be doing to encourage fan interactions during live experiences too.
This has already emerged in live sport. With fans of the Formula E racing championship voting for an extra speed boost (the “Fanboost”) during a race and NFL fans in the stadium gaining access to exclusive replays during the game. As more cities and venues improve their connectivity through improved Wi-Fi and mobile signals, consumers will move away from a spectator-only position towards becoming active participants.
Making brand experiences socially responsible
Generation Y are more informed than ever on current issues in society – and brands must to be sensitive to this. Consider the backlash against Coca-Cola’s Christmas truck tour in Leicester. Coca-Cola failed to consider the social implications and current conversations around sugar and obesity, particularly regarding children. The brand paid for it when the Leicester MP Keith Vaz urged the campaign to not visit the city, as well as asking the city to boycott the truck.
It’s well known that experiences are valued above everything else by millennials. The increased use of smart, creative tech and awareness of consumer attitudes and the opinions that they trust will drive the growth of brand experiences in 2016.
Paul Saville is joint managing director of Wasserman Experience
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