The Power of Interactive Marketing in 2024
Instead of trying to predict the trends in 2024, here’s what has worked in 2023, and will continue to work this year. In 2024’s digital landscape, consumers are looking for more interactive experiences. To meet their demands, businesses need to offer a fresh, dynamic approach. One such strategy is interactive marketing!
Interactive marketing engages audiences by encouraging them to actively participate with the content instead of passively consuming it. These interactive experiences come in various forms: Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), the metaverse, and many more!
As the top AR & VR company in Singapore, we know that interactive marketing is here to stay. Most Singapore animation and motion graphics studios offer AR & VR services, and for good reason!
Benefits of Interactive Marketing
- Increased Engagement
- Stronger Brand Awareness
- Higher Conversion Rates
Increased Engagement
Users are more likely to engage with content when it requires their active participation. Having interactive media is a novel tactic that can catch their attention and retain their interest. Instead of consuming static content, they can now play with different forms of interactive media. It’s not surprising when audiences stay for an entertaining experience that delights them!
Stronger Brand Awareness
Having increased engagement also increases the chances of users remembering the brand. If they enjoy the interactive media, they’ll form a positive impression about the brand, boosting both brand awareness and brand image.
Higher Conversion Rates
Retaining users’ attention also boosts their likelihood of purchasing. Through interactive media technologies like AR and VR, users can visualise your products. Beyond meeting sales objectives, it can also enhance their understanding and interest in your organisation.
Overall, it’s clear that immersive experiences resonate with audiences on a deeper level, fostering a memorable connection with the brand. But interactive marketing doesn’t stop at AR and VR – here are more fun ways you can experiment with interactive marketing!
Interactivity & Input: The Future Of Video
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Interactive Web Experiences
- Metaverse
Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences
AR technology superimposes digital objects onto physical environments to help users visualise how these objects would fit in the real world. Think Pokemon Go!
In a research paper by the Journal of Marketing, AR usage in online settings significantly affected customer engagement, customer behaviour, and sales. In online settings, AR is typically used for online shopping to help users evaluate how the products would fit them. However, AR can also educate and entertain.
In this AR example below, Epson collaborated with our team at CraveFX to create an AR experience encouraging users to make the switch to Epson’s eco-friendly printers. Through this interactive experience, users learn about the benefits of Epson’s eco-friendly printers, guided by a friendly AR mascot. To maximise audience retention, Epson also included a NTUC voucher redemption code at the end of this AR video, a sweet reward for those who complete the experience!
Similarly, KFC also created an amusing AR effect. Using the filter, users can play a game to catch as many chicken wings as possible. A point is earned for each wing that’s caught. To play the game, users will need to align their mouths with an incoming wing that falls from the top of the screen.
As users earn more points, the wings fall faster and faster, testing their speed and reflexes. It’s a fun way to promote KFC wings, and a textbook example for entertaining audiences. Try it out yourself!
This Instagram AR filter was created to coincide with the launch of the 2022 adventure game, Stray by BlueTwelve Studio. Stray follows the journey of a stray cat navigating a robot city, filled with machines and mutant bacteria. With this AR filter, users can integrate the game’s cat character into their actual surroundings, letting them virtually interact with the cat.
This is a creative way to generate hype and raise awareness for the game. By encouraging users to post this filter, the game reaches a wider audience and encourages them to explore the game for themselves.
Virgin Voyages, a cruise line, developed an AR filter to spotlight its brand and market its vacation offerings. This Instagram filter makes use of the portal AR filter well, transforming a user’s surroundings into a virtual resort. It looks luxurious and enables users to explore various destinations through an AR portal.
By investing in a premium AR filter, Virgin Voyages presented themselves as a luxury cruise line that will open you to new experiences. Their commitment to luxury and innovation effectively positions them as a premier choice for travellers.
We also collaborated with Thermo Fisher Scientific to design an AR filter that helps clients learn how their Bigfoot Machine carries out its blood cell sorting process – from the point of view of the blood cells themselves! Through virtual interactive media, customers can better visualise how the machine functions.
Metaverse
The metaverse is a combination of multiple technologies like AR and VR – a complete 3D virtual world. It connects different virtual realities into one so that multiple users can access the metaverse. Although most metaverses only require a computer and working internet, users will need a VR headset to enjoy the technology’s full 3D capabilities.
Early adopters of the Metaverse include popular digital games like Fortnite and Roblox, but its versatility entails a wide range of possibilities. Think of the metaverse as an alternate version of the real world where you can buy and sell goods, meet your friends or visit a concert – just like you would in the real world.
As a form of interactive marketing, brands can make use of the metaverse as an e-commerce platform where consumers can play and have fun. Below is a sneak preview of what our team at CraveFX is working on!
Metapaco is a personalised, real-time multiplayer virtual platform accessible on both web and mobile devices. It caters perfectly to events of any scale, e-commerce, omnichannel marketing, and beyond!
Brands can sell their products in a virtual mall and buyers are free to explore and play interactive games scattered throughout their platform. To engage consumers, brands can also host livestream events in the virtual world. This real-time multi-user experience reimagines customer experience in a whole new dimension, and it’s a surefire way for your brand to stand out from boring websites and repetitive marketplaces.
There are tons of great VR marketing examples for businesses to get inspiration from but for an affordable and fast way to hop onto the Metaverse trend, contact us to discuss how we can help you create a fully-customisable experience for your brand or event!
A great example where the metaverse is executed well is Oglivy’s HSBC AdventureVerse, a game where players power up their financial fitness to fight evil forces that threaten to destroy the world. Players can team up with adorable TreepetsTM throughout the game and stand a chance to win over S$25,000 in cash prizes by answering quizzes (the campaign has since ended).
In gamifying financial fitness, HSBC’s AdventureVerse offers consumers an interactive and entertaining way to learn about and improve their financial habits. The vibrant virtual landscape appeals to a wide audience, including younger demographics who may be more drawn to gaming experiences. Fun fact, our team at CraveFX had the opportunity to help Ogilvy create the intro video for the HSBC AdventureVerse Game!
Interactive websites
That’s right! Websites offer a lot of potential to engage users at scale. As part of National Gallery Singapore’s digital commissions for the Gallery Children’s Biennale 2023, our team at CraveFX created a fun interactive website where children can create their very own fantasy island symphony with different animals. The game aims to encourage kids to explore the ideas of respect for nature, as well as the need for harmony among living things..
In addition to exploring and customising their island, users can also explore the corresponding artworks from the Gallery’s collection that inspired each of the animals. We also added a social island-hopping feature for users to check out islands created by other players, from lush greenery to barren wastelands.
Ultimately, this website was designed to be an entertaining yet educational experience for young visitors to the Biennale.
Final Thoughts
Marketing in 2024 demands a creative approach to engaging consumers. Stay ahead of the curve with interactive marketing. To create a premium interactive experience, get in touch with us to discuss how we can help you incorporate the latest interactive technology in your marketing strategy this year!
