Ultimately, Kirkpatrick continues, the Innovation Playground lets people experience first hand how technological innovation “means the application in practice of creative new ideas, which includes intentions, discoveries and the processes by which new products and services enter the market, and the creation of new business.”
She adds that brand activation is no longer a theory, instead, it’s a natural step in the evolution of brands. “An interactive environment is more than just an attention-grabber; it’s an effective way to increase sales and boost brand loyalty.”
Kirkpatrick & Associates, a specialist experiential marketing agency, takes a holistic approach to every project. Each activation event is tailored to precisely match individual clients and specific brand requirements. “The event activation space requires knowledge of the target market and most importantly, requires an innovative team to create innovative platforms that create talkability,” explains Kirkpatrick. “We ensure that the event mechanism is strategically aligned to the clients’ products and customer differentiation including key brand values.”
So, how does it work? For a start, each of the pillars of the TIPS philosophy will be demonstrated and brought to life by a dedicated, themed zone. For instance, the Sustainability Zone is the Playground’s central hub. Here, people move through a lenticular forest, around a hologram display and an interactive pod. Sound domes are also a feature of the hub, and these are used to communicate a message selected by the Playground’s brand partner. The messages transmitted through the lenticular speech bubbles in this zone are at the core of the entire Playground experience, as these are amplified in the other zones.
Next, visitors progress to the Innovation Zone. This is a particularly exciting area, as it is designed around the concept of augmented reality; the objective being to transform people’s perceptions of existing objects and places by using technologies to enhance them and, in so doing, alter their experience thereof. This area is particularly useful for brand partners, as the floor of the Innovation Zone is printed with branded messaging, and the technology used brings this branding to life.
In the Technology Zone, the accent is firmly on sound. In fact, guests wear eye masks when they pass through this inflatable dome, so that they gain more
from the sound experience.
Finally, the People Zone is a refreshment bar, presenting yet another platform for visitors to engage and interact with brand partners.
Clearly, the advantages for brand partners participating in the Playground are significant. Kirkpatrick points out that, by supporting this initiative, they set themselves apart as innovation leaders and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, and, perhaps most importantly, they are granted access to touch-points that drive their commitment to Government’s concept of a National System of Innovation.
At the same time, brand partners are able to access an environment where they can interact with their customer in a way that encourages the use of all five senses. “Not only does this stimulate and enhance consumer understanding,” she says, “it also provides an out of the ordinary experience that consumers are unlikely to forget.” A further plus is the reinforcement of brand messaging.
In other words, imagine yours is a telecommunications brand. As a partner of the Innovation Playground, you have a novel platform that can be used to educate your target audience about your products, encouraging them to pick them up, use them and explore what they have to offer. This inevitably stimulates desire for the brand – simply because, the greater the understanding a consumer has of a product, the more likely they are to continue engaging with it. Companies can even choose to highlight specific areas of the business, from their most recent innovations and developments to plans for environmental sustainability. As Kirkpatrick observes, this is bound to get people talking about the brand – and in this way, the brand benefits from viral marketing. “It’s a clever and unique way of creating hype around products, services and events,” she states.
The possibilities offered by the Innovation Playground– benefiting brands, consumers, and the technology fraternity as a whole – are as thrilling as they are limitless.
For further information, and to find out how you can become a brand partner, contact Kirkpatrick and Associates on telephone number (011) 483 2970 or email Anne Kirkpatrick on
anne@kirkpatrick.co.za
EDGE | November 2011 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100