Author: Alex Birch
What you are about to learn. Emerging platforms.
In this article, you’ll learn the concept of what emerging platforms are, what technologies can be found behind these hybrids, and why they are extremely important for any brand’s future.
We’ll also cover some examples of how Web3 and metaverse-related concepts are being successfully proven and exploited by world-leading brands, such as Nike and Coca-Cola.
Finally, and most importantly, what can any brand, company, or business -such as yours- do about this paradigm shift, and how to seize the Web3 opportunity the right way.
WHAT ARE EMERGING PLATFORMS?
Emerging platforms can be labeled as many different things. They are such a new concept that one could have as many definitions as the number of people asked. But at their core, they can be defined as the new types of platforms that are born at -and within- the crossovers of new technological advancements. Having the following at the forefront:
- XR (extended reality)
- MR (mixed reality)
- VR/AR (virtual and augmented reality)
- Web3 (decentralization)
- Blockchain (the father of decentralization)
And by combining these with other visuals and tech advancements, specific products or services have consolidated:
- Tokenization platforms
- Metaverses and virtual worlds
We already covered several times the basics of the Metaverse as well as XR/VR/AR basics. You can learn more by clicking the articles below:
The future of Extended Reality
AR stands for Augmented Reality
The Metaverse – is it Retails salvation?
WHAT ARE WEB3 CROSSOVER PLATFORMS USED FOR?
All of them encompass critical axioms for brand building, such as community fostering features, and data protection, as well as acting as bridges to other user activities. The most important one: acquiring or purchasing products or services (sales). This can be extremely helpful for many industries: Health, Finance, FMCGs, etc.
On their own, they can be fun to have or even fun to experience. But mixing them into innovative crossovers for innovative experiences can be the key to unlocking the next era of retail, marketing, and brand growth.
Top-tier brands have been deeply experimenting with these crossovers, in some cases without having a clear path or direction. But that is still a good approach. No one knows for certain what products these technologies will conform to ten or fifteen years from now. But this ‘exploring’ spans from a certain feeling of unease large companies have.
LARGE BRANDS’ MAIN CONCERN: SECURING YOUNG GENERATIONS AS TOMORROW’S CUSTOMERS
Since millennials, and the generations that came afterward, many paradigms have shifted and will never go back. We must consider the fact that what looks like flashy tech to a baby boomer, is the native habitat of a Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha. And these younger generations are the consumers of the future. This means that if these traditional brands, don’t manage to make a dent in these generations’ hearts, they could become just a memory.
Someone said that if Coca-Cola stopped investing in marketing, in ten years there will be a human being that would look at a Coke sign, and won’t know what that is.
That’s why embracing these technologies and platforms, as a way to connect with these generations is more than critical. Is a life or death situation. And the most important factor while going through the learning curve of how to seize this opportunity is simple: experimenting. Gathering data. Iterate and improve.
It can be a treacherous path, since building products for Web3, Metaverse, and blockchain is not as simple as building Web2-era products. But for any brand, pushing forward is the only way. That’s why relying on expert agencies like Polar London is maximizing the chances of carrying out these experiments to a fruitful outcome: better growth, better brand value, and better community building.
WHAT MAJOR BRANDS ARE DOING IN THE WEB3/METAVERSE ARENA:
These major brands are juggling concepts depending on what their industry is, what their core user base is and what they expect from the brand. But observing what the titans are doing can be a great way to attempt to infer where these crossovers are pointing, at least in the near future.
Samsung
The tech giant has opened its NYC flagship store, but in Decentraland’s metaverse: “The virtual 837X store”. Users cannot only fully experience it, but they can also win limited edition items, interact with other users and go through digital-only community experiences.
Coca-Cola
Simple yet impactful. They launched a limited NFT collection coupled with a one-time-only virtual event on Decentraland. The event consisted of a virtual party on the rooftop of their ‘meta-building’.
Nike
Through a strategic acquisition, they now own a top-tier metaverse fashion brand. And to make the user experience even more enticing, some of their tokenized wearables can be traded or paired with real-life apparel items.
Louis Vuitton
For its 200th anniversary, the luxury brand broke the mold and launched a digital game that allowed players to collect exclusive NFTs.
Burberry
Thanks to partnering with Mythical Games, they offered branded NFTs as in-game wearables and even characters. Most of them were sold almost immediately.
Sotheby’s
The worldwide leading auction house not only brought NFTs to the classic art circuit, as the new element in town, helping with mainstream adoption, but they also opened a Metaverse gallery in Decentraland. The space is a virtual replica of their London venue.
Atari
Deeply rooted in the golden vintage era of video games, they took a leap of faith by bringing to life -within the Metaverse- their gaming franchises.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though the finer details may not have been discovered by these major brands, there is one thing for sure: the next era is here, and it involves the Metaverse, XR, VR, AR, tokenization, digital community building, Web3, and anything that can take a user experience to the next dimension.
Regarding smaller companies, they can still hop on this point-turning trend. All it takes is the leading guidance of an expert. That’s what we, at Polar London, are here for.
Learn what steping into Web3 can do for your brand today. Get in touch.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY-BASED MARKETING
GETTING STARTED: INTRO
Communities are, after the individual spectrum, a basic unit to create a society. From a particular standpoint, we could even state that a Society is the sum of many sub-communities, each with different interests, behaviors, and cultural patterns. Something as innate to human beings as our own DNA, yet it wasn’t seen as a tool by businesses until recently.
Communities provide basic elements that most humans crave: the sense of belonging, the sense of not being alone (regarding interests), and the ability to share and exchange with others alike. It enriches the experience of life as we know it.
THE OLD CORPORATE BARRIER
In the old eras, we had corporations and their marketing actions as faceless entities. Non-existent and non-reachable. Companies just threw their products or services “out there” and people, based on features or powerful compelling marketing campaigns chose to relate or identify themselves with such products or services, and ultimately become customers of that particular brand/company.
There was a very solid barrier between those two worlds, yet they needed each other to co-exist. Usually, in those times, consumers gathered up to take action against companies’ wrongdoings. And the voice of many (a community) had the power to be heard and turn tides. These mechanics hinted at the potential power of “consumer” communities and raised the question “What if they could be exploited for more positive outcomes?”
THE INTERNET EXPLOSION
When the internet became mainstream and then received the social media explosion as an anabolic, communities started to grow all over the planet. From Vanilla Coke Lovers groups up to Railfanners (people who love to watch trains for pleasure). Connecting was easier, it became barrier-less. But not only between people, but it also became extremely easy between people and companies. The combination of these factors opened the doors to the next era in marketing: Community Based Marketing.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES COMMUNITY-BASED MARKETING MEAN?
In our own terms, CM-based marketing is taking advantage of existing communities (or creating them from scratch) around a particular brand, product, or niche that has not yet been identified with a product or service, to boost a company’s brand value, engagement, value perception and ultimately obtain a bottom-line impact. This can mean higher revenue, more recurring customers, making customers stay longer, spending more, and -here’s the magic- turning them into cost-free brand ambassadors and spokespeople for the brand.
This new methodology of corporations recognizing and leveraging the power of a community as a revenue tool was highly accelerated by the pandemic, which created the need amongst people to interact during the lockdown.
HOW ARE SUPER BRANDS USING COMMUNITY MARKETING AND TO WHAT ENDS?
Major brands such as Nike, have identified within their already existing customer base different niches that later turned into communities. Two clear examples are The Runners and The Sneakerheads.
To foster these communities and keep them close (whether they end up spending money on their products or not) a great action Nike did: creating an app for each of them.
Runners have Nike Run Club, where you can even rank yourself among other runners. And Sneakerheads have the SNKRS app, where they can cop the hottest and most exclusive sneaker releases before anyone else.
When Nike is onto something, they are usually right. The Nike Run Club app Facebook group has more than 16 million followers worldwide!:
But the sneaker giant clearly did his homework, this was not a casual finding. Since running as a community is an activity that brings multiple benefits for any human, Nike properly researched and outlined a great strategy. You can learn more about these benefits here:
The same approach was taken with the Sneakerheads community, where Nike had the lead thanks to being the creator of iconic models like the Jordan 1, AirMax 90 and other staples. By understanding the underlying community and catering to them with products and dedicated apps, they were so successful that the SNKRS App experience is being used as a blueprint to foster other community-based strategies at Nike. This following article sheds more light into the matter:
Another meaningful case was McDonald’s Thailand. A new trend appeared on Tik Tok. It was a very odd and particular way of consuming soft serve ice cream, mashing up several portions in one weird container and engulfing the entire thing. As soon as the golden arches learned about this, they made it into a community eating challenge, and they even recreated the dessert on their official menu. Their soft serve sales went through the roof. All they had to do was read their community, and feed them what they wanted. (which was feeling heard, not ice cream!)
Even though they may not be communities on their own, at least within the app, they certainly feel recognized and respected by Nike as a cultural and community element. It is not mandatory to have people interact with each other to do a good community marketing action. Although many do.
WHERE DO COMMUNITIES GATHER AND GROW?
For those communities that want to keep communication between the brand and the people, and the people between themselves there is no need to create custom platforms.
Existing solutions such as Facebook Groups, Discord Servers, and Telegram Groups are extremely handy. Although new solutions are constantly being developed to give Community Leaders (brands) more analytics, insights, and control tools to keep their communities in check with their brand’s values.
No matter what format or platform a brand chooses to activate its Community-Based Marketing strategy, the most important thing is getting started. In the same way, storytelling was seen as the big new revelation on how to do meaningful marketing years ago, Communities are the new standard. A must for relating with younger generations.
HOW POLAR LONDON BRINGS VALUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY-BASED MARKETING?
Even though it’s clear any brand, company, product, or service that truly wants to thrive must delve into CM-based marketing, one must know strategically what the plan will be as well as rostering the right team. The community era has created new relevant roles in the marketing industry that are becoming a must-have for most businesses. And the most critical one is the community manager. A role that was born just to reply to Facebook messages a decade ago has taken a much more strategic function, becoming the brains of the community-related operations, yet many companies neglect this.
At Polar London, we offer brands and companies from all over the world our vast expertise to carefully build your Community Strategy and Team. From choosing the right technology, approach, and ways of interacting with your community. And more importantly, help you detect WHO your community is, so your brand can grow global audiences and reach new realms while increasing your brand’s value. Much like we have done for the likes of Nash Squared.
By having a global mindset (see our article on a global culture at your fingertips) in our agency’s DNA and the capability to exploit local cultural nuances to your brand’s benefit and help it resonate with more, and more customers, working with Polar London is a sure path to a spot-on and professional CM-based Marketing strategy.
One of our many passions is observing how creative storytelling symbiotically potentiates newer technologies and ways to communicate. By relying on our industry experience we are more than capable of leveraging these amazing dynamics to create deeper and more meaningful ways of engaging communities. Which ultimately will have a stronger and even more positive impact on your brand and business.
Interested in how Polar can help you kickstart a community based marketing strategy, get in touch.
INTRO: CAN WEB DESIGN BE SUSTAINABLE?
In this article, we’ll take apart what sustainable web design and development actually means, and how to work with your agency to begin to apply it. We’ll also attempt to shed some light on the “why’s” of this revolution. But most importantly, where it all derives from. And that is sustainability as an overall motto to go through life and do business. Within or outside web development. And how that new age gold standard must become something more than just “a nice PR tactic”.
Our future generations and the planet, need companies to own sustainability and embrace it from their corporate DNAs.
Once that truthful foundation is solidified, then we can start applying those core guidelines to everything else, such as web design. Not many people know this, but Web Design has indeed its own Sustainability Manifesto, which sets a gloomy tone by starting with a sad phrase: “If the Internet was a country, it would be the 7th largest polluter”.
THE GREEN REVOLUTION: THE BIRTH OF SUSTAINABILITY AS A WHOLE
Some people can track this movement back to the 80s, others attribute it to the 90s, but being sustainable and caring for the planet, the people and their future has been on some agendas for decades. What shifted the tide was things such as global warming, the tech revolution, population growth, and food consumption rising, all a massive impact on the Earth. Many of those are causes and many consequences.
It is a world stage where much info is thrown among supporters and discreditors, but one thing is for sure. The Earth is not getting any better and something has to be done.
Like any movement, it starts with people that are genuinely interested in the topic, and once the issue takes the media spotlight with Governments and large companies understanding its importance, it becomes “a thing”.
Now, it has become “a thing” accounting for emissions and becoming carbon neutral.
Firstly, these rules applied to the main products each company manufactured (being simplistic), but what about the total impact a company has just for the sake of existing? If looked at through these optics, anything can become greener. Even things like the entire industry of web development, design, UX and all its aspects.
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AS THE KEY TO A BETTER FUTURE
We already discussed major breakthroughs in technology reaching mass adoption. Like the metaverse for example. If you want to delve deeper into this fascinating world, you can read the full article here:
But even though connectivity and globalism are great, heavily relying on crypto is not making our carbon footprint lower. In fact, quite the opposite. But there is a way where instead of evolving mankind at the cost of its own future, by paying attention and becoming more efficient in sustainable practices we can evolve INTO a future, instead of at the expense of it. When applied to Web Design, Sustainable Web Design was born.
WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN FOR WEB DESIGN?
Sustainable Web Design means applying sustainability principles not only to the design process itself, but with a deep cleansing that involves private data handling, the energy consumption of resources, products and services’ footprint, and many more things. To understand it properly we can take a look at the manifesto. An amazing document that we, at Polar London, have been relying on for quite some time, and we wanted to share it with you.
It stands on top of 6 pillars: clean, efficient, open, honest, regenerative, and resilient. If you still don’t know what that means, don’t worry. We’ll cover them all.
- Clean means that ALL services used and provided will be powered by renewable energies.
- Efficient means that ALL products and services provided will use the least amount of resources possible.
- Open means that ALL products and services will be accessible and allow their users to control their data at any time.
- Honest means that ALL products and services provided will not exploit nor mislead users.
- Regenerative (the toughest one) means that ALL products and services provided will support an economy that nourishes people and the planet.
- And lastly, Resilient means that the products and services provided will function in the times and places where people need them the most.
As you can see, these principles are indeed much deeper than what their simplicity implies.
HOW DO WE APPLY THESE SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES?
Major changes never happen overnight, but it is true that if all of the internet applied these principles it wouldn’t be a sustainable concern for our future. But it takes baby steps, and bold companies and agencies to take the lead in the right direction. Even if you don’t feel a particular way of executing a project will save the world, you have to change your mindset and start believing that because of that, you are contributing to a better future. That small shift can make a universal difference.
“A sustainable mindset from kickoff is the approach we take at Polar London”.
Alex Birch 22
Even though not all principles can be applied and maxed out at the same time, many things can be done -and we started doing it long ago- to contribute. Why? Because We owe it to our future and our clients.
Perhaps you can draw some inspiration from us and become a bit more sustainable from learning how we actually contribute.
- We are remote-first! Ensuring a lower carbon footprint.
- We thoroughly assess where the discussed principles can be tangibly applied when we approach best practices.
- We make sure our clients understand the importance and impact of these choices.
- We inspect and criticise each phase of the website process (UX, Design, Development) to detect small and big wins that can be applied. From faster page load speed, improved accessibility, and showing the emissions of that specific website. Creating sustainability awareness is also a way to succeed.
Sustainable Web Design is powerful, impactful, real, and meaningful. And we are the ones that can increase its abilities or completely sever them.
For those wanting to learn more, we found a great podcast series around “World Wide Waste” with Gerry McGovern which talks about the “Perils of e-waste and benefits of being a digital vegan“.
We know on which side we stand, what about you?
If you are interested in applying sustainable design and development to your business, processes, or companies, let’s talk!
Web.30 and data driven advertising; Data Science, Data Harvesting, Data-Driven Marketing. Is it a must-have in this new paradigm?
Recapping
Even though for the past decade, the term “Data Science” and “Data Scientist” have been trending, those labels refer to a more ancient practice. At least in the marketing world. Since the early 1950’s leading companies have delved into harvesting information about their markets, potential audiences, and ongoing customers to tailor their message. The main difference between then and now is technology and reach. Decades ago, based on available data, brands had to construct an ideal messaging strategy that would resonate with the average majority. Using basic information that was gathered through more traditional methods. Sociodemographics, economic information, and rough ideas of consumer behaviour.
But now, a powerful volume of available data can be met with technology and inspiring creative storytelling. That has changed how we customise tailored communications to every individual consumer, forevermore. Web 3.0 and data driven advertising is here to stay.
The Shiny Tech Era
The Social Media Decade along with the growing power of mobile users, and in-depth search engines has made data ‘‘king’ as part of Web 2.0. And Data-Driven Marketing continues to be a main ingredient in every professional Ad agency. But these titans have managed to get billions of people’s behaviour down to digestible bite-sized chunks of information that are now available (at a cost) for anyone to grab. This changed how marketing was done. Suddenly, a mom-and-pop shop was able to remarket their customers with more efficiency than a SP500 company in the mid-2000s.
With Web 3.0 fully unraveling and Extended Reality (XR) becoming an everyday commodity for future generations, brands will get even more opportunities to reach new realms of customer interaction, experience, and revenue. Up to the point, the Social Media Ads era may look like the stone age compared to what’s to come.
To get a deeper understanding of what XR is, we covered it in one of our more recent trending articles about the future of extended reality:
In a nutshell, data driven advertising is the new bread and butter of any commercial activity. At Polar London, we stay on top of the latest technologies and methodologies to utilise data. This means gathering useful data through different modern means (API’s), and ultimately leveraging and applying such data to create impactful ideas by marrying the two together.
Thanks to this approach, we managed to get more than 15 Million views, plus 201 Million impressions for one of our more recent clients – Gojek (Southeast Asia’s leading on-demand delivery platform). We extracted insightful KPIs that can easily be applied to positively impact their bottom line.
Check out our case study on how we managed to achieve this:
The New Era
Now, thanks to Web 3.0, the data doesn’t necessarily have to be “owned” or stored by a tech giant. Although they will find ways to do it, users can be the decentralized owners of everything they do on Web 3.0 platforms. Far from being a downside, this new technology opens the doors for very interesting opportunities.
With advancements in Voice, VR, AR, and MR, users can be catered to even in the metaverse. While they are driving their virtual cars, to go into the virtual mall, and see a virtual ad on the virtual highway. That ad can leave them just a tap away from making a purchase in real life. A purchase that can be delivered right to their doorstep that very same day.
Since Web 3.0 data lives out in the open, on blockchains (at least most of them), if properly managed, we could potentially understand users down to their DNA. And those data points, if combined with advanced AI and a compelling creative idea, we could even infer future purchase patterns or behaviours. A worldwide gamechanger is brewing.
Why is Web 3.0 and data advertising so important?
- The way users engage and consume content is changing (Web 3.0 is here, so don’t get left behind)
- Recent advancements in Voice, VR, AR, MR, XR and platforms such as the Metaverse are changing users behaviour
- Contextual advertising is proven to be more effective
- Utalising data is essential to access users / customers at the right time with the right message
- Understating how data, new tech and creative storytelling can harmonies, will put your brand in a forward facing position and keep you ahead of the competition
Seize The Opportunity
To successfully exploit this new era of Web 3.0 and data driven advertising, a grasp on data, married with new tech and understanding of creative storytelling will be key. Otherwise, marketing budgets get lost in the crowd without making a slight dent in the market. This is why relying on Polar London as a specialised agency, is critical. Understanding how to operate within this new field of technology is a must. But utilising these techs and their data in a creative way is what separates those who make it, from those who don’t.
And that’s what we offer.
Intro to Polar
Founder – Alex Birch: “In my six or so years working closely with Google, I learned the practicality and value of deploying teams at a global scale to activate and market products in local markets. I was lucky enough to absorb the skill set and know-how of working with talented people in different time zones, languages and backgrounds – all the while making sure they could plug into a system that maintained quality and consistency of output”.
Polar London is a reincarnation of this invaluable experience. It dawned on us that it was possible to manage international teams remotely to achieve amazing results. It’s a model that many traditional agencies struggle with.
A global footprint
The ‘remote-first’ culture is one of Polar’s central pillars. With headquarters in London, Ho Chi Minh City and a global network of digital experts located in-market, we are strategically positioned to navigate nuanced digital projects, both in the local market and cross-regionally.
Our network of talent allows us to overcome time zone and language barriers, and perhaps most crucially, provides the cultural insight to ensure our international projects hit the mark when it comes to our clients’ expectations.
Polar’s global network is best exemplified in the ongoing work with Lumon Pay. The animation’s were produced in Indonesia by a local Lottie expert animator, whilst the front and back end development was handled in Bangladesh. The producer and technical directors were based in London, supporting the client’s day to day needs and leaning on the expertise of a UX designer based in Zurich.
This gave our client the opportunity to utilise our global network of talent to bring work in efficiently, at scale and within budget, all the time maintaining quality standards and expertise.
Cultural nuance
One of our Pharma clients came to us with the following challenge: “We want to create a master framework for a particular novel medicine that we’re planning to launch in the UK. We want a website with a template structure that showcases the product that can be replicated at scale, the benefits and a story that ties it all together across key global markets”.
In this particular case, there were differing legal specifics in each region, which is very common when working with leading markets such as the UK, Singapore or parts of the US. Extensive cultural know-how is required to deliver these types of global websites and digital campaign activations that flex in accordance to local contexts.
Brands will often agree on and provide directives from their global HQ, to be rolled out to their sub-regions. The common recurring challenge for these regions is finding a local agency to help them execute and deploy technologies that more often than not, they have little understanding of.
Local agencies usually experience great difficulty in understanding how the global team has set up a website or a particular digital infrastructure. The differences in culture and technical know-how result in local agencies disregarding global directives fully or in part, fitting round pegs in square holes, creating frictions and difficulties that impact all sides.
Polar’s proposition addresses this very issue, becoming the global agency to service multiple regions and local markets at rates that are commercially viable. Our philosophy is that you don’t need large headcounts in each region. When you’ve got the right cultural and creative insight, you can do the work anywhere. Quality over quantity.
Building teams brief specific
This years’ Bench Press report outlined that one of the biggest challenges for agencies right now is accessing talent. Polar’s depth of network, accumulated over the years, means that we are lucky enough to be ahead of the curve when it comes to this particular challenge.
The team’s skill set is extensive; some are experts in specific technologies, some are experts from a strategic perspective, some know how to apply cultural insights at local level, and some have production experience.
Our global network is formidable and means we have the depth to build brief-specific teams, being highly targeted in the assembly of components needed to deliver on specific projects.
When you think about traditional agencies, there are complex processes, large head-counts and numerous teams to reckon with – often resulting in inefficiency and wastage. Sometimes politics can get in the way. Seniority and hierarchy also play a key role, with bottlenecks often occurring with single decision-makers.
We do not operate in this way. On the contrary, we might have three senior tech directors working within the businesses at any given time, which serves to deliver greater quality, flexibility and brainpower to our clients. It also means that everyone in our network has the opportunity for a vertical career path, progressing personally and professionally as a result of their merit.
Building relationships with talented people across the globe is something that is very much embedded within Polar’s culture, and happens at all levels of the agency. We actively work on building our internal network by engaging with new people every day, exposing us to new ways of thinking that ultimately serve to drive forward movement and innovation.
Globalising technological advancement
The global scale of Polar’s proposition means that we are in a privileged position when it comes to technology and how it can be applied. We help bridge gaps between clients’ expectations and the markets where certain technologies are not as widespread. Having visibility across regions allows us to anticipate trends and add real value to markets which may not yet have been exposed to particular advancements.
Take Eristoff as a great example – the hero film was shot in Romania with local talent, introducing leading tech when it came to gamification of the ad itself was all out of the UK tech team. The campaign activation was spread across Europe with local creative, translation and activation.
As a result, repositioning, strategy and technical decisions are easier because we know what to expect.
Key takeaway
- Global cultural understanding and talent is key to a diverse and scalable agency
- Polar is dedicated to helping consumers worldwide; access, navigate and educate on key products and services that our clients offer, through best in class creative & tech ideation for website UX. Design and build to digital campaign activation.
- As a remote first agency, Polar is strategically positioned to beat language, time zone and cultural barriers.
- Our global reach and expertise enable us to construct brief-specific teams.
- We assure our clients get a first class delivery through our bespoke methodology and agency model, we provide cost-effective service and maintain quality and expertise.
For more information on Polar’s global footprint, our depth of talent when it comes to website build and digital campaign activation, drop us a line on info@polarlondon.co.uk
The future is here. Extended Reality (XR) went from being a distant futuristic endeavour to a tangible product, primed for commercial readiness in the blink of an eye. For those who have not yet come across the acronym – XR is simply the overarching term that encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed reality (MR).
A quick refresh:
Virtual Reality (VR) is about simulated experiences which bring physical and digital worlds together. It currently incorporates the use of headsets to make this possible, the most recognised being Meta’s Oculus Quest.
Augmented Reality (AR) is about placing a digital overlay on physical spaces without considering changing composition. We use AR in various parts of our daily life. The most common example of this is social media filters, a gamified example would be Pokémon GO.
Mixed Reality (MR) enables natural and intuitive interactions between humans, computers, and environments in 3D. The new reality relies on advances in computer vision, graphics processing, display technologies, input systems, and cloud computing.
To introduce their first limited edition clothing, Lego teamed up with Snapchat to create an augmented reality pop -up shop in London. After scanning the snapchat QR code, the shoppers enter a virtual shop with interactive DJ Booth, LEGO bouncer, gaming and exclusive products. This experience could be customised and personalised to the shopper.
The Extended Reality opportunity is tangible
The worlds’ largest corporations are pouring money into different forms of Extended Reality. Facebook invested $2 billion in 2014 to acquire Oculus. Fast forward to 2021, where they announced the Meta rebrand and a $10 billion investment in the development of the Metaverse.
Currently the Extended Reality market is worth £23.77 billion and is expected to exceed £355.2 billion by 2026. The rate of progress in these technologies has sped up drastically, and growth is on an exponential curve.
The opportunity for brands is tangible, and yet you’re not alone if you’re struggling to decipher where and how to begin. That’s where we come in.
There is a perception that entering the space must come with an outrageous price tag. That would have been the case a decade ago when the technology was in its infancy – now, you’d be surprised by what can be achieved. There are things that you can and should begin to do. You need to start somewhere, and we suggest dipping your toe in the water.
- Understand your users and if / how they already engage in Extended Reality
- Understand the opportunities around Extended Reality in detail
- Start to position your brand as a market leader, capable of winning over a new generation
How are brands already active in the space?
Across industries, brands have already made significant progress in establishing presence in the virtual space. Samsung, Atari, Adidas, Nike, Skechers, PwC, and JPMorgan are just some of the businesses that have already acquired digital land.
In September 2021, Twitter announced they were considering allowing their users to use NFT’s as their profile picture. On 20th January 2022, they announced that users can pay £2.29 a month for Twitter Blue, which allows you to connect your crypto wallet and display the NFTs you own on your profile.
McDonald’s has applied for 10 metaverse- related patents. The patents allow McDonald’s to deliver food online and in person, sell NFTs, host concerts and offer entertainment.
Fashion giant Ralph Lauren is designing a 50-piece digital clothing collection in partnership with Roblox and Zepeto. CEO Patrice Louvet made it clear that “the fashion brand is chasing opportunities in the metaverse as a way to attract younger shoppers”.
He also claimed that “one of our strategies is to win over a new generation, and the new generation is there. So, we have to be there”. The following financial quarter, sales revenue at Ralph Lauren increased by 27% to $1.8 billion.
Rolex watches are using AR
Rolex watches are using AR to allow consumers to virtually try on their watches without the necessity of entering a real world retailer. Ikea has an AR database of over 2,000 products that allows consumers to virtually place true-to-scale 3D models in any space.
JP Morgan has opened a lounge in the metaverse and they see it as a multi-trillion-dollar industry in just a few years.
Take the first step in using Extended Reality
We are poised for the next step, bridging the gaps between these technologies and creative ideas that bring your brands to life. We have the enablers to conduct experimental R&D at accessible entry costs. To find out more, drop us a note on info@polarlondon.co.uk
- Research on what % of your audience is in this space already
- Explore what competitors are doing or not doing
- Understand if and how your brand could exist using Extended Reality
- Gain real KPIs around how to engage in this space
How could Extended Reality tangibly work for my brand?
- Build your first tactical AR game on social
- Understand the technology and platform landscape as part of any good briefing
- Own your brands’ digital land
- Create and trade NFT’s
- Build VR experiences for your brands and customers
- Turn your product into an immersive experience
In Summary
It’s not enough to ‘wait and see’ how these technologies will develop. The time is now to start a productive dialogue around what constitutes success and how it can be achieved. Through collaboration, creativity and strategic planning, brands can find their place in the Extended Reality revolution.
References
Birch, K., 2022. PwC, JP Morgan, Samsung – buying land in the metaverse. [online] business chief. Available at: <https://businesschief.com/technology-and-ai/pwc-jp-morgan-samsung-buying-land-in-the-metaverse> Culture, p., 2022. How Brands Use Mixed Reality?. [online] Culturepartnership.eu. Available at: <https://www.culturepartnership.eu/en/article/next-gen-content-experiences>
Dean, G., 2022. Wingstop has filed a trademark to sell chicken wings in the metaverse. [online] Business Insider Africa. Available at: <https://africa.businessinsider.com/tech-insider/wingstop-has-filed-a-trademark-to-sell-chicken-wings-in-the-metaverse/44j5frk>
Douglass, R., 2022. Skechers signs lease for digital land in Decentraland metaverse. [online] FashionUnited. Available at: <https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/skechers-signs-lease-for-digital-land-in-decentraland-metaverse/2022031061955>
Johnson, E., 2017. Facebook Buys Oculus VR for $2 Billion. [online] Vox. Available at: <https://www.vox.com/2014/3/25/11624928/facebook-buys-oculus-vr-for-2-billion>
Kaaru, S., 2022. McDonald’s wants to join metaverse via virtual restaurant selling Big Macs and NFTs – CoinGeek. [online] CoinGeek. Available at: <https://coingeek.com/mcdonald-wants-to-join-metaverse-via-virtual-restaurant-selling-big-macs-and-nfts/>
Kastrenakes, J. and Popper, B., 2014. Google leads $542 million funding of mysterious augmented reality firm Magic Leap. [online] The Verge. Available at: <https://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7026889/magic-leap-google-leads-542-million-investment-in-augmented-reality-startup>
Loeb, W., 2022. How Entering The Metaverse Will Affect Nike’s Bottom Line. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2022/01/12/how-entering-the-metaverse-will-affect-nikes-bottom-line/?sh=40a8cb7e3ac3>
McCormick, R., 2015. F1 is a sport where money talks – to the tune of over $8 million. [online] Raconteur. Available at: <https://www.raconteur.net/the-8-million-cost-of-the-road-to-formula-one/>
Milnes, H., 2022. Ralph Lauren sales rise as metaverse investments lure new shoppers. [online] Vogue Business. Available at: <https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/ralph-lauren-sales-rise-as-metaverse-investments-lure-new-shoppers>
Newton, c., 2022. How Twitter could take NFTs mainstream. [online] The Verge. Available at: <https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/21/22894142/twitter-nft-profile-picture-hexagon-circle-mainstream>
Repko, M., 2022. RETAIL Ralph Lauren CEO says metaverse is way to tap into younger generation of shoppers. [online] cnbc. Available at: <https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/17/ralph-lauren-ceo-says-metaverse-is-way-to-tap-into-younger-shoppers.html>
Shellings, M., 2014. Why extended reality is powering the next generation of tech companies | Financial Post. [online] Financialpost.com. Available at: <https://financialpost.com/business-trends/why-extended-reality-is-powering-the-next-generation-of-technology-companies>
UK Parliament. 2021. The impact of remote and flexible working arrangements. [online] Available at: <https://post.parliament.uk/the-impact-of-remote-and-flexible-working-arrangements/> Waterworth, K., 2022. 6 Businesses That Have Bought Land in the Metaverse | The Motley Fool. [online] The Motley Fool. Available at: <https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/02/11/7-businesses-that-have-bought-land-in-the-metavers/>
What You Are About To Learn
In this article, we’ll walk you through the history of Augmented Reality. We’ll delve into how it may change how people consume and interact with branded products and experiences, and why AR can act as a steroid for any major business’ revenue. And yes! If you didn’t know, Augmented Reality is a key piece in the Metaverse explosion. (more on that to follow).
If you are curious about what exactly is the Metaverse, this article will have you covered: What is the Metaverse
The Conception
Augmented Reality has been evolving for longer than people think. It is said that the first head-mounted AR display was created in… wait for the shocker… 1968!!! By a guy named Ivan Sutherland (nothing to do with Kiefer).
The actual term “Augmented Reality” was created in 1990. And immediately the capitalistic corporate leaders saw the opportunity. Only four years later (still before it was accessible to anyone), AR merged with entertainment and the first Theater started exploiting the tech in 1994. Add another four years, and in 1998 the NFL added the 1st and 10th line feature powered by AR.
Then the rest of the story up to now is not that exciting and most of us already knew it or lived it. A major point-turning moment took place in 2000 when the ARToolkit open-source library went available. That allowed, basically everyone interested, to delve into AR and start building their own “things”. Although, camera tech, processing power, graphics, and many more “must-haves” were not fully sufficient to make great things happen. But today, things are different. An old iPhone 6, which many can consider retro tech in 2021, is 32,000 times faster than the best Apollo-era computer!!!
The ARomance Between Businesses and AR
For many, it wasn’t until 2017 that corporations grasped their hands around Augmented Reality (AR) and never let go. Although there have been some previous attempts to bring AR as a scalable business, they didn’t work quite as expected. It was the huge flop of Google Glass, back in 2014.
Moving forward to 2017, many believe IKEA (the Swedish furniture titan) was the first major company to merge itself with AR.
They launched an app that allowed anyone to scan their living room, and then place a chosen furniture or product on it. Real-time, through a smartphone. And that was the biggest leap for mankind when we talk about AR. An industry that had a complex funnel for buyers, since getting the right furniture is no easy task, had completely found a new and easier way to push products and increase revenue.
On top of what the “obvious implementations” maybe, some creatives are pushing the envelope regarding how Augmented Reality (AR) can be mixed to enhance any customer’s experiences, even from a non-traditional communication and engagement standpoint.
It’s the amazing case of Gojek! Southeast Asia’s leading platform for several services such as transport, payments, food delivery. They wanted a campaign to create awareness and show their users how they approached everything with due safety, amidst the pandemic. Polar London created the campaign, came up with a brilliant idea: an Instagram AR game where users had to dodge the virus using their head, and then they could share it as a Story.
You can read the full specs of this successful AR case here: https://polar.polarstaging.co.uk/gojek-safegames.html.
What Happens Now?
AR is now mainstream, and major brands are either using it as marketing tools or powerful awareness actions that directly lead to push and sell products to their audiences.
Before AR, you used to see an Ad from Nike. If you liked the sneaker, you had to go to the store, try them, and purchase them.
With the e-commerce revolution, you can click on the ad, get taken to their website, make the purchase and have it delivered to your doorstep in 24 hours.
AR allowed brands to connect the promotion with the sales in a seamless, transparent, and engaging manner. It’s a win-win scenario, where the customer’s experience is greatly improved.
The Impact & The Future
There is no negative impact on brands from this AR revolution, only positive. But there’s a catch- larger companies cannot afford themselves to not be into it. Otherwise, the risk of losing market share and ultimately disappearing highly increases.
AR is here to stay, and the world is confident that it will continue to appear in many different ways to make consumers’ lives easier, simpler, and safer while stuffing corporations’ pockets like never before.
The worldwide transformation consumers’ behavior is suffering creates the perfect ground for AR to prosper even more. We could fairly say that it has reached mass adoption. So any type of solution, app, or “thing” related to AR that any company wants to launch won’t require people to have to buy special or expensive gear like some years ago.
It is believed that when 2020 ended, there were 598 million AR devices on Earth! And that amount is set to be almost quadrupled by 2024.
For the younger generations, it will not be “a new way of engaging with a company” or “the new way to purchase goods”. It will be the only way to go about life. That’s what many brands have a hard time grasping. It’s reaching a point where adopting AR into their business models is no longer about just revenue, it’s about survival. Mega traditional brands like Lacoste have turned to AR recently. Following the titans is following the trend. For small businesses, if they are keen enough to early adopt AR and figure out how they could implement it in interacting with their audience, they will hold the key to short-term success.
AR can indeed save companies today, but the Metaverse can too. In this article, we also covered how the Metaverse could be traditional retail’s salvation: The rise of the Metaverse.
Source: https://www.g2.com/articles/history-of-augmented-reality
If you want to explore further how Polar London can support your next Augmented Reality idea, get in touch.
One of the biggest challenges for all brands is how you optimise creative thinking with new technologies. If you have a new product to launch or brand to promote, an agency might craft an amazing TVC to help sell the benefits. But, how can digital-first thinking accelerate engagement and brand growth?
In this article, we aim to break down what we mean by digital-first thinking, how to bring creative teams and new technologies together, and how it can benefit brands when looking to promote a product, increase engagement, and ultimately drive a deeper brand association.
What we mean by ‘digital-first’
Digital-first is how we approach a brief. Instead of starting with a TV script, it means you think broader about the consumer and where they can best be engaged. Looking at how new technologies can complement the brief and reach the consumers where they are already active.
Consumer and platform agnostic
Putting the consumer first will help determine what digital platforms/technologies they will be using, and what will resonate with them.
Technology to complement the user experience
It’s important not to get stuck in the trap of using technology for the sake of it. It can elevate consumer engagement and make a brand look ‘cool’ by the association of playing with new tech, but its key is to add value to the user experience. Give them something to remember you by and deliver them meaningful content and experiences that adds to your customer journey.
Deeper consumer engagement
Integrating new tech with a campaign can allow for a deeper-consumer engagement. If they are downloading an app/immersing in new tech, watching and interacting, it’s all more time spent with your brand on a deeper level than a traditional TV ad or social post.
What technologies are we talking about
Technologies change and evolve all the time. We know that Data is a key player in driving relevant/contextual content to users, AI, Voice, ML, VR, AR, and many more, are all technologies and platforms that brands can look to capitalise on.
Who would have thought that by the end of 2021 everyone would know what a QR code is?
By working with and understanding these technologies, creative teams including tech leads and developers – who won’t mind being called ‘our geeks’ – are able to come together to compliment the creative process in how to best answer a brief; putting new tech at the centre of an idea.
However, it is key to not let the idea be driven by the technology, more on this to follow.
Get your brief right and land on a rounded team to respond accordingly.
Creative technologists
Are hard to find, but valuable players in the creative team mix. Often with a background in coding and a passion for new technology, they help to bridge the gap on ideas and technologies to use.
Allow for inspiration
We encourage our creative teams to think big. Outside of the box. Put the consumer first, then see what technology resonates with your TA- and then let the creative ideas flow. Creative Technologists help refine the thinking to complement the technology; while more traditional Art Directors and Copywriters shape a narrative and visual direction.
Explain ideas in a simple and understandable way
Being able to distil an idea down to 1 slide, 1 line, or 1 paragraph is key. The filter of ‘will your nan be able to understand it’ won’t always apply when it comes to new technology, but the idea itself should be clear to understand, and how that technology complements the idea should always be clear. (for both our clients and consumers).
What’s the downside
Working with new technology can come at a risk. There are learnings for clients and agencies on how best to implement, scope creep, and scale if the details of the technology are unknown.
R+D is often part of the process. (Finding trusted partners that know the tech/platforms inside out will help to mitigate scope creep).
What our Associate Creative Director has to say.
“As we know, technology gets faster, smaller and cheaper as time progresses. Having a technology first approach means you are always open to new ideas and approaches when thinking of new ideas and ways to engage.
Something that seemed cumbersome, slow and glitchy can be agile fast and intuitive only a few months, or a year down the line.
I remember seeing Oculus Rift being released in 2016 and thinking, yes it’s cool and yes it’s a step forward but what really can be done with it?
4 years down the line it’s been bought by Facebook- the games are much better/faster and it’s enabling interactions with friends overseas, you can train your golf swing or view a new house online and this is just one area.
Always be open minded, it’s easy to dismiss change for fear of being left behind”.
In conclusion
- Its key to get your target audience’ profile down, understand the platforms and technologies they are familiar with
- Understand the technology and platform landscape as part of any good briefing
- Push your agency and creative team to think big and beyond a TVC
- Make sure your agency team is well rounded when it comes to understanding technology and how to implement it (include tech leads as part of your initial creative team DNA)
- Ensure ideas can be explained in a simple way for your consumers and clients to understand
- New technology utilised in the right way can deepen consumer engagement and increase ROI
- Working with new tech does come with some risks; agency R+D and trusted tech partners will be key
God bless the NFTs and the Metaverse… of course, Crypto too.
What You´re About To Learn
This article will surf how the new metaverse (which is not something entirely new for some niche subcultures) will reach mass adoption. How the traditional retail industry may be dying, and why the all-encompassing metaverse, along with cryptos and NFTs, can be the next revolution (and salvation) for the industry… Can be or already is?…
Introduction
Two completely different events, unconnected for many years, have been taking place on Earth. First, the traditional concept of retail has been changing year after year, up to a point that many can state that retail is alive. From the big old concrete boxes up to cosmopolitan pop-up stores that were only announced through social media, from tough no return policies to being able to return a disliked item from any point of the world and getting a refund- all without talking to a human being.
The Retail Crisis
Why is this? Well… retail is the catalyst used by the largest companies (and small ones too) to capture people´s expenditure. From serving them with products they actually need to creating nonexistent needs through beautiful marketing. But since technology violently emerged in the 2000s and became mass adopted, it started to shape the consumer´s behaviour. One kid in a garage decided he would sell sneakers through an HTML 1 website and ship them himself, and suddenly you have a purchase funnel more efficient and modern than going to a brick and mortar store. Fast-forwarding 15 years, we found ourselves in a major and global retail malls crisis, where dozens of malls were forced to shut down in top-leading countries while Mr. E-Commerce started to boom.
Around 2015, e-commerce accounted for almost 7.5% of the entire Earth´s retail sales. And as of now (2021) it has almost tripled! The direction is clear. Not all brick and mortars will die, and not all e-commerces are the Coca-Colas of their niches. But titans such as Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and other major retailer brands, have ensured plenty of wealth for years to come thanks to opening their digital storefronts. And they didn´t leave too much room for another titan to be born.
BlockBuster´s Bust
We all remember when BlockBuster rejected buying Netflix, right? Well… that was a lack of vision. A vision that would have been able to see which path worldwide retail was taking; in their case, “Entertainment retail”.
For a second, try to envision yourself in that position. You are the CEO of BlockBuster. More than a decade ago. You sit on your comfy couch, with a hot cup of coffee in your hand. At least once, I bet you’d think something along the line of “Can we be in a major industry point turning moment… those scarce and infrequent major trend shifts?”. At least I hope you managed to think that. Because BlockBuster certainly didn’t.
The Good Ol´ Crypto, NFTs & The Metaverse
Why have I explained all of the above? This takes us to the second event I mentioned in the beginning. The booming of crypto, NFTs, and the Metaverse. With all of that being mass adopted, that scarce and infrequent once-in-a-decade opportunity (like BlockBuster had) is here again.
Just a brief stop. If you wonder what the heck the Metaverse is, I strongly suggest you take a quick glance at this article: https://polar.polarstaging.co.uk/blog/what-is-th-e-metaverse
“If I´m writing about it, it´s probably too late?” – but that´s not the case at all. We’ve seen how Facebook re-shaped itself as Meta, and are now investing heavily into metaverse-related tech. Tactile gloves enhanced VR and are even researching how you can smell things from the metaverse!
Facebook was the first galactic titan to make the move, which should be read as a validation event. “This is the way. We´ll lead”- That´s the correct reading.
Metaverse For Any Retailer?
But how can smaller companies, retailers specifically, be on the metaverse and take advantage of it (along with NFTs and Cryptos) right now? How to seize the opportunity before it gets mass adopted?
Staying on top of information and worldwide events is the first major step. Even though the metaverse is not highly “retailised” today, crazy things have been happening for a while.
Teenagers that get together for a real concert inside the game Fortnite. People investing in digital land and building their houses spending real money. And many more crazy things.
The next step for retailers, in my opinion (the next big thing), is the metaverse storefront. Imagine for a second, a potential customer from any corner of the world, taking a walk in a metaverse park sees your company´s ad. They like it. They decide to walk into your VR store. At this point, it can be a person, thousands of miles away with a VR goggle laying on the bed.
He or she will be able to pick up the product, try it, even feel the texture with the tactile gloves. And press a button and pay it in crypto. No middle-man, low fees, no wiring wait time.
What About NFTs?
Where do NFTs come into play? In all this process, the item the buyer has just purchased can be one of two things. Either a real pair of sneakers (to give an example) that will have to be shipped or metaverse sneakers, non-existent sneakers for his/her metaverse avatar. An NFT can be applied to both cases, although it could be better used for the later one.
To get a better understanding, an NFT is a token, much like having 1 Bitcoin in your wallet (super-oversimplifying it) with the exception that the token cannot be exchanged for others alike. It´s unique, thus non-fungible. One Bitcoin will always equal one Bitcoin, it doesn´t matter specifically which Bitcoin you have. With NFTs, it works exactly the opposite. That token is unique and it represents a single item. An item like a metaverse pair of trainers for instance.
This way, buyers can own trainers, or whatever they buy in the metaverse, and have the NFT acting as a blockchain decentralised certificate of ownership. For the first example, where the buyer wants real-life trainers, the NFT can also be useful. There have been cases where people buy real items, and they are handed the NFT that can later be redeemed (burned) in exchange for the real-life object. This means that the purchase process starts in the metaverse, the product is delivered in the metaverse as an NFT and ultimately, the buyer destroys the NFT and changes it for the real-life product.
The Final Take
The metaverse is here to stay. It´s no longer some techy and nerdy guy’s crazy invention. It will be mass adopted. It´s the future of retail- even sports and entertainment, to some extent. And the precise moment to hop on is now!
Building a meta-experience for your customers is no easy task. It requires developers with a very niche and specific knowledge. Many solutions are being developed as we speak that will allow any human to get their metaverse store up and running, much like Instagram does today. But relevant companies will certainly have to create their own “thing”. And the time to start? It’s now!
A new universe that begins to show how the future of technology (the Metaverse) could change how we all interact with one another, brands, and our surroundings.
Everything, from NFTs/Holograms, e-commerce, and bitcoin, is on a whole new level. This is AR and VR on steroids!
Are we starting to look like a world where Ready Player One meets Free Guy?
The potential for education, fitness, finance, and entertainment industries is huge when it comes to access and scale.
The leaders in this space are obviously the gaming community, who already have Creative and Dev teams working into alternative realities.
A fascinating presentation from Mr. Zuckerberg, we are excited to see how it continues to unfold and how we all can continue to be a part of it.
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye out for our latest article on Spark AR. (coming soon).
