Technology has revolutionized how marketers interact with attendees at live events. Gone are the days of merely putting a brand's name on signage and having it announced during a break.
Take Oculus Rift, which allows marketers to create an immersive 4D world where attendees find themselves engaged by an entertaining marketing experience. In Marriott's recent #GetTeleported campaign, customers used Oculus to spend one minute "sitting" on a beautiful beach or "standing" atop a London skyscraper. The hashtag then let users share their experiences on social media.
The increasingly common use of holograms also helps marketers thrill audiences by projecting celebrities or products into events. Augmented reality offers other exciting event opportunities, such as allowing attendees to show each other reviews and discounts. These innovations only represent the tip of the iceberg, though. From radio frequency identification and near field communication tracking technologies to virtual reality experiences, marketers can make their events more exciting than ever.
One such innovation is Twitter's recently announced Project Lightning, which has the potential to change the way marketers share their events on social media.
What Is Project Lightning?
Project Lightning is Twitter's way of allowing event-based content - including photos and videos - to be shared and embedded throughout the web.
According to Twitter, an editorial team will determine which events are trending, whether that list includes the Oscars, Coachella, or breaking news stories. Users of the Twitter mobile app will be able to press a button to deliver experiences to a screen showing what's currently featured.
Project Lightning provides a media vehicle to promote organizations' unique experiences to a wider audience and encourage attendees to participate and promote their interactions with each brand and its event.
Leveraging Tech the Right Way
However, an event won't appear on the platform unless it's an event people want to attend - something they can only experience in person. Once they're there, the event must be a unique experience, accessible and visually stimulating enough to incite attendees to take and share photos and videos.
That step is where technology, used properly, can help. To capitalize on this exciting new feature, organizers need to:
- Make it shareable. Oculus is a cool piece of tech, but unless organizers find a way to ensure that the experiences and reactions are shareable, exposure is limited.
- Create a specific place for experiencing and sharing. Get as many attendees packed into one spot as possible. One possibility is to create an experience at the heart of a trade show booth. If my brand had a product to launch, that's the place I'd do it.
- Use the tech while understanding the people experiencing it. People want to be impressed by fantastic technology, but keep the full experience in mind. Otherwise, organizers risk undercutting the value of their events.
- Strike a balance between tech and human interaction. Not everyone wants to interact with holograms and screens constantly. Understand where to exhibit technology and where to provide opportunities for human connection.
- Avoid letting a glitch ruin the show. Remember how Apple's stream of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch - its biggest announcements of the year - crashed? It was a huge public embarrassment. Avoid that discomfort by testing tech in a simulated environment. Organizers should avoid getting get caught with their network down.
According to recent studies, 96 percent of consumers are more likely to buy after participating in events. To make the most of Project Lightning, marketers need to dazzle audiences - but they must pay attention to how they use this tech tool. It can be amazing, but they must stay focused on their ultimate goal of enhancing the human experience, not replacing it.