The Home of Connected Brands looks to shape future of retail
WPP brand and experience agency VMLY&R is launching The Home of Connected Brands.
Located in London at WPP’s Sea Containers campus, this is an immersive experience space that taps cutting edge technologies, and behavioural and cultural insights to help brands experiment where they show up in people’s lives, both digitally and physically.
It includes the likes of holographic store catalogues, Whispering Windows softly transmitting brand messages, and Microsoft’s Seeing AI technology helping the visually impaired to hear spoken product information.
The space features six environments, including the new iteration of VMLY&R Commerce’s 360-degree retail space.
Debbie Ellison, Global Chief Digital Officer VMLY&R Commerce, says: “Channels viewed in isolation often feel disconnected, uncomfortable. This new space forces us to look at how brands live more innovatively and effectively across channels.”
“With the continuous explosion of new channels comes infinite opportunities for brands to generate awareness, drive engagement, and creatively connect to seamless and frictionless purchase moments. We passionately believe in the power of connected brands – this is its first physical manifestation.”
Six connected experiences
· Home: From socially connected smart glasses, personalised cleaning and live shopping experiences, brands can reach people in their own homes through devices from smart TVs to games consoles.
· Play: A bit of fun breaks down new technology barriers for brands. An interactive touchtable, webAR, holograms, social vending, and even metaverse experiences connect people with brands through cutting-edge innovation.
· Social: Engage with real-time feeds where people interact with eachother and/or brands, where clients can tap into the power of influence and culture.
· Out of Home: Emotion, gender, age determination data and anamorphic technology transform conversations into warm personalised, relevant experiences.
· QSR: The next generation of interactive technology gamifies the quick serve restaurant experience, a Magic Mirror augments food ordering while an AI delivery robot delivers with a smile.
· The Flagship 2.0: A full 3D floor to ceiling sensory experience taking brands inside the store, at the forecourt, pop-ups and more, re-creating over 150 physical and virtual retail environments where brands can prototype and test creative commerce ideas prior to production.
Linked to the agency’s Connected Commerce Platform, brands and agency innovate with data and proprietary tools to drive shopper engagement and conversion.
Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO VMLY&R Commerce, comments: “We broke new industry ground in commerce when we launched the first iteration of The Flagship – and I’m thrilled to see this evolve to the cornerstone of The Home of Connected Brands.”
“The unique space is part of our promise of putting commerce at the centre of brand and customer experience to help clients become more resilient and achieve more differentiation in an ever-changing marketing ecosystem.”
Technology partners include Pixel Artworks, BrandLab360, StoreLab, EyeKandy, SocialVend, ArcStream, Hypersvn and Orion Star.
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