Red Havas has released a new report ‘A New Lens on Brand Experience’, that shares insights and examines the forces reshaping the Brand Experience landscape in 2022.
Covering six key trends, the report says that the accelerated innovations of the last two years will continue to play a pivotal role in the world of Brand Experience. The report notes that the most important insight that has been uncovered from the pandemic is that the key to building real, lasting relationships between brands and audiences boils down to our basic need for human-to-human engagement and shared experiences.
“Globally, we have seen fundamental shifts in consumer behaviors and attitudes that have led to cultural changes and the birth of a new wave of Brand Experience,” said James Wright, global CEO of Red Havas, and Global Chairman of the Havas PR Global Collective.
“The industry is shifting the way it operates to engage with consumers. Brands are finding new, and often better, ways to connect with a post-COVID audience to become more relevant, meaningful and effective. It’s going to be a fascinating year ahead to see how Brand Experience will evolve.”
Six Trends from the Report
A New Breed of Retail Experimentation
The pandemic has accelerated expectations around traditional brick-and-mortar stores. In 2022, we will see brands merge experiential and retail to completely reimagine the retail experience – adapting to new customer expectations and innovations and turning the store into a destination.
In Search of New Outlets for Wanderlust Experiences
In a world where human attention is a scarce commodity, with brands competing for their customers’ attention, escapist experiential provides a powerful tool to engage, entertain and captivate new audiences.
Ready for the Metaverse – Embracing a 3D Meta World
We’re yet to enter the metaverse in its truest sense. Virtual worlds have boomed in popularity, but we’re missing the ability to seamlessly jump between them. That, combined with mass adoption of wearable tech, will be the real takeoff moment. In preparation, we will see brands increasingly explore the components that will make up the metaverse: virtual experiences, gaming, AR, VR and 3D design.
“We’re yet to enter the metaverse in its truest sense. Virtual worlds have boomed in popularity, but we’re missing the ability to seamlessly jump between them. That, combined with mass adoption of wearable tech, will be the real take-off moment.”
Using Co-creation as a Creative Agent
The mindset has shifted from creating campaigns for audiences, to with Rather than anticipating cultural influence, there’s never been a better time for brands to co-create and contribute in meaningful ways. Giving access to brand opportunities, spaces/places and creative resources to audiences that need it most can forge deeper relationships that go beyond the campaign.
Bespoke Still Matters
Consumers are craving more meaningful connections with brands, and they expect brands to understand and respond to their individual needs. With many brands not quite ready to dive headfirst into large-scale events, hyper individualization and micro experiences will offer enriching online/offline experiences that make our audiences feel just as connected as with in-person experiences.
Everyone is Welcome
The growing focus on physical and digital brand experiences combined provides new opportunities that can enhance experiences for all. Providing equal access to all must be considered throughout the planning process to ensure accommodations can be made should people need them. Relatively basic features like live captioning can go a long way to making events more inclusive.
“By combining physical and digital brand experiences, we’re finding new opportunities to enhance experiences for all. Providing equal access to all must be considered throughout the planning process to ensure that accommodations can be made should people need them.”
The report was authored by Red Havas staffers from around the world, including Steve Fontanot, AU Managing Director; Michael Ozard, AU Group Brand Experience Director; Linda Descano, US EVP and Head, Corporate Communications and Executive Visibility; Courtney Myers, US SVP and Head of Experiential; Kana Phung, AU Senior Producer.
You can download the full report here.
Featured Image: Martin Sanchez via Unsplash