The consumers changing behaviour towards connected experiences

Why brands are creating connected experiences

In the first session in the webinar, Tony Currie, creative director at Imagination, explained the reasons and motivations for brands to decide to dive into the world of connected experiences, as he sees more and more brands creating experiences.

He said: “You know people don't go to the shops to buy things anymore but they do go to the shops for experiences. It's about making experiences better, more efficient, more meaningful, purposeful and memorable.”

Currie highlighted how connected experiences can be used to boost brands' business.

Using connected packaging to connect brands and consumers

In the second discussion of the day, Joanne Alexander-Sefre, founder of Food Sans Frontières, and Graeme Sharp, trade marketing manager at Halewood Artisanal Spirits highlighted the key benefits of connected experiences and connected packaging for brands and their consumers.

Alexander-Sefre outlined the changes faced by the industry over the years and emphasised that connected experiences are a great tool in the marketing toolbox and the way forward for businesses.

She added: “What fascinated me so much about these connected experiences is that I honestly know that this is the way forward for companies and even older generations are now used to going on and checking QR codes.“

While connected experiences offer many business benefits for your brand, Sharp also wanted to emphasise the fun aspect and create exciting experiences for your audience.

Sharp said: “Giving your customers something more than what they would be expecting [...] create something that's fun, create something engaging and something that is linked to something else. You want to be making it exciting for people.”

As part of the second session, Appetite Creative conducted a survey among the live audience, asking them if they had ever been exposed to connected packaging experiences.

The results were as follows:

• 64% Yes, as a consumer
• 14% Yes, as a business
• 14% Never
• 7% Not yet, but I will soon

How connected packaging can achieve sustainability goals

The final discussion of the day featured Ricardo Estrada, chief procurement officer and chief sustainability officer at Grupo Plastilene and Lars Ljung, sustainability manager at Planet Protector Packaging. Ljung joined during the evening in Australia, while Estrada had just finished breakfast in Colombia. The international conversation revolved around the sustainability aspect of connected experiences and how connected packaging can help brands not only achieve their sustainability goals but also communicate them.

Estrada talked about the trend he's seeing towards connected experiences in packaging iand the packaging innovation, but also that these experiences can help brands connect with their customers and better understand their minds.

He said: “It is something that is coming and it will be a strong trend for packaging innovations in the world.“ And the brands can connect with the consumers to understand better what they (consumers) have on their minds”

Ljung explained how Planet Protector Packaging uses QR codes to help people understand where their products come from, highlighting that consumers are becoming more aware of what they buy and where it comes from.

He said: “Other ways that we've used QR codes in the past is through product transparency and helping people understand where the materials have come from. This has become a lot more important recently as companies move towards a much more solid CSR initiative internally where they want to be a lot more sustainable and a lot more conscious of what they're buying.”

The future is connected

All the panellists agreed that connected experiences are the way forward and will shape future marketing communication strategies for connecting online and offline worlds. Connected experiences are becoming more relevant as consumers no longer go to shops or buy products just because of the product, but also because of the experiences that brands build around them. Therefore, such experiences will grow in importance.

For more information on connected experiences, click here.

Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative.