It seems like every day, a new and exciting technology emerge with opportunities to connect with consumers. The challenge is, which ones are your customers actually using, and which are a worthwhile investment for your company?
Three current trends that have proven beneficial for brands are augmented reality, podcasts, and gamification.
Podcasts
Podcasts, in their most basic form, are modern radio shows that users can download online. They have soared in popularity over the last two years, and have even been called the "ads people actually want to listen to".
Brands like ZipRecruiter and Slack have seen incredible results with branded podcasts. The key to success in a podcast: focus on content that your customers want to hear, not on promoting your brand!
Gamification
Gamification is the use of game-like elements, such as levels, achievements, and points, to excite customers to make purchases. Loyalty programs are a great example of this.
Starbucks, one of the most well-known brands in the world, utilized this with their "Starbucks Rewards" program.
According to this article, there are three reasons why it was such a success:
the mobile focus of the program with the Starbucks app
the expansion of the program to include the brand's grocery store products
the program's "Gold Level" status and the exclusive gold card
Through this strategic program, Starbucks has been able to increase loyalty among their customers.
Augmented Reality
When Pokemon Go exploded in popularity in 2016, augmented reality began to make its way into popular culture.
Two years later, many brands have taken advantage of this technology to create connections and build solutions for their customers.
Ikea utilized AR for a useful customer app. Within this application, customers can see how a product will look in their home before they order.
For younger consumers, branded augmented reality is used nearly every day on Snapchat with lenses. Changed nearly every day, these filters alter the user's face or environment.
The constant technology can be overwhelming for marketers, and are often overlooked. However, relevant connections to your brand utilizing this technology can help build lasting relationships with your customers.