Guest Blog: Technology Trends for Experiential

Tom McInerney, director of Etherlive, provides an insight into these trends

There are several technology trends revolutionising experiential marketing and I am eager, from the perspective of a leading technology company, to get to the root of how marketers can harness this technology to increase their brand engagement.

We have noted an overall 60% increase in enquiries from marketers looking to develop more engaging relationships with customers. The emergence of savvy technologies in the traditional marketing mix, means that marketers have an array of creative tools that can innovative experience and build long-lasting brand equity.

The most prominent of these technologies is a Radio Frequency Identification mechanism (RFID) which provides a link between RFID cards/wristbands and stored information. A quick swipe of the card then enables information to be sent to the customer’s email address or allow them to register if they have ‘liked’ something. This has really taken off in the live event sector and we have successfully implemented this technology at high profile events such as the Windsor Horse Show and WOMAD festival.

The placement of QR codes on posters or printed literature is another notable trend. QR codes are really handy as they enable audiences to go straight through to a particular website after snapping a photo of the code with their smart phones.

The omnipresence of social media means that social network check-ins have also become essential to brands. There’s a huge trend for customers to link their social media profiles with new products or services by checking-in or liking a brand via their smart phones.

To the same end, the availability of Wi-Fi internet access at events has quickly become a pre-requisite, which can result in longer guest attendances to ease of access to emails and an overall increased level of interaction due to the ability to engage through social media.

Something that’s really pushing the barriers of innovation is augmented reality, blurring the line between what’s real and what’s computer-generated. This cutting-edge technology can transform the entire structure of an event by allowing attendees to look through their phone screen using its inbuilt camera at a vista which can be overlaid with information such as which talks are going on next and which stands are worth visiting.

Recent years have seen a rapid development of social media, and with the increased proficiency of consumers with this, it has become essential for marketers to keep up with technology trends so that they can generate a deeper level of engagement between customers and their brand.