Innovation drives growth.
It is natural to think of ‘innovation’ as being all about new tech – and sometimes it is – but really it is more about finding new ways of doing things, and new things to do. Innovation can also be a new way of using existing technology, or a combination of existing technologies to form entirely new functionalities. One such example is the re-tooling of immersive solutions and VR technology in hybrid events and blended events; a novel setting for existing technology that combines the benefits of both worlds.
Keeping ahead of the pack within your sector can be a primary driver of innovation, as can challenging situations which force companies to find new methods to survive.
Being able to adapt, innovate and succeed is a survival strategy across the natural world, and it is a winning strategy in business too.
It can bring efficiencies through smoother processes and increased outputs, but it also has a secondary benefit; being seen as an innovative company will positively change the public perception of your brand.
People love innovation, and they’re happy to talk about it. A conversation about ‘how we can help innovate’ will get more enthusiastic engagement compared to a traditional sales call about ‘what can we do for you’. Because the concept of ‘innovation’ already assumes a solution exists, clients can feel more comfortable in identifying areas needing improvement or to think about new possibilities.
It is not always easy, however, to communicate entirely new concepts to new audiences.
"Being able to adapt, innovate and succeed is a survival strategy across the natural world, and it is a winning strategy in business too."
How does Innovation Marketing fit in?
There are two sides to Innovation Marketing. Firstly, the fact that your company is innovating makes the basis of a compelling story that helps form a brand identity. Secondly, and moreover, Innovation Marketing is about taking a customer-centric approach to the heart of your business model; identifying the needs of your target customer and creating new solutions to fill that need.
With entirely innovative solutions on offer, your company is providing something the market demands but has no existing direct competition.
The real challenge however is to communicate something so novel to the customer. Not everyone is gifted with an equal imagination, and sometimes the customer needs to actually see something in action for them to fully get to grips with it. Being able to demonstrate a new concept within your customer’s context is sometimes the best way to secure a deal. The solution is Experience Marketing – an ideal partner to innovation.
Experience Marketing leverages digital storytelling and immersive solutions to provide a ‘first hand’ experience of your innovation in action - something that is otherwise impossible to do.
The power of Experience Marketing.
Using immersive experience and customer experience centers, innovative companies can directly demonstrate new ideas and solutions in a context the client is familiar with. This kind of experience marketing has become a gold standard for customized interaction with potential clients, using rich digital storytelling experiences that speak to the client in terms they understand and relate to.
The technology for this is powerful and varied, meaning it can be applied in a number of different ways. Using a versatile CMS and digital storytelling software like Hyro (developed by Purple) makes it possible to use the same digital content in numerous configurations, once this has been set-up. This leaves you free to choose from a full-spectrum solution like a fully-immersive experience room, or something more modest like a touchscreen wall or tunnel.
Experience marketing is the ideal companion for innovation marketing, because you can directly connect to specific audiences by showing them how your innovation makes their life better. Being able to customize your message has special value here, because each type of audience has their own priorities and motivations, as well as a preferred way to experience this story.
Whether you choose to run a hybrid event hosted simultaneously online and in an experience room, or another immersive solution - your ‘innovation story' can be customized to every audience using versatile software like Hyro.
Putting something new on an old screen.
Before making the jump to investing in a big experience room, it makes sense to get your digital strategy up to speed, starting by identifying which assets you already have.
It is surprising just how many companies have underutilized digital resources and AV setups.
That old touchscreen array in the office reception area – it played the same video on a loop for 18 months before the screens went dark. It still works, but it wasn’t offering anything new, so people started to ignore it, and eventually it just got disconnected.
In many cases, setups like these were instigated under a ‘digital drive’ that was never fully realized as the company refocused on more core activities. Given the cost of setting up these kinds of experiences (and the potential power when they are used well), it is a real pity not to make use of even simple tech in new ways. Now, as the ‘Age of Digital’ has truly come into being, it's time to dust off those old screens and put on a new show. To get this started you need the right digital toolkit.
So, which digital tools are needed to bring an old experience center back to life, or to create an entirely new setup?
The right tools for a digital immersive experience.
One of the main reasons companies lose momentum with their digital experience marketing drives is a lack of easy access. A customer experience center has the most impact when it is used by different departments for different purposes, which keeps it engaging and helps maintain a flow of fresh content.
The Content Management System (CMS), needs to be accessible to all authorized users and simple to use. It needs to have a powerful range of functions too, to ensure it can keep up with growing demands.
You also need a digital toolkit that can work with all of the possible systems, AV technologies and configurations that might be used, so versatility is a must. Purple realized that a lack of powerful and easy-to-use digital storytelling software was impeding progress, and they needed software that would meet the challenges of today and remain equally capable in the future. For this reason they developed Hyro, which is both an easy to use CMS and a way of opening up the possibilities of digital storytelling to the entire company.
The importance of having the right CMS and library cannot be understated; this is your ‘one source of truth’ – the choir sheet from which the whole company can sing. Hyro makes your library of digital content easily accessible, with users around the world being able to use a simple dashboard to create engaging and complex digital experiences.
"The importance of having the right CMS and library cannot be understated; this is your ‘one source of truth’ – the choir sheet from which the whole company can sing."
Hyro digital storytelling software offers four main benefits:
Customization – you can create endless fully-customized branded experiences that speak to individual target audiences.
Contextualization – you can show your brand story or your innovative solution to clients in a context that resonates with them. Your story becomes their story too, because it applies to them.
Collaboration – talented creatives can collaborate on projects no matter where they are. This fits perfectly with home- and hybrid-working, and it means you can source the best talent.
Cloud Working – Hyro works using a secure and stable cloud-based architecture, making your digital library secure and accessible from anywhere (by authorized users)
Purple’s commitment to creativity and innovation is clear in everything they do. They offer support to clients to help them achieve the best possible outcomes, and their Client Success Program gives Purple an opportunity to work with clients to identify new ways of showing their innovations to potential clients. Purple uses this interaction to see what functionalities clients need and how Hyro can be made even stronger.
The Hyro software is continuously updated with new features, smoother processes, and more powerful capabilities. This ensures that it remains future proof, because it will always be up-to-date. For any company devoted to innovation, it’s good to know you have a partner who is equally forward-looking.
