CONNECT&GO RFID FOR BRAND ACTIVATIONSV_01

RFID FOR BRAND ACTIVATIONS

USING RFID TO CONNECT CONSUMERS

WITH BRANDS

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CONNECT&GO RFID FOR BRAND ACTIVATIONS V_01

¹Agencies Everywhere See Experiential Marketing as the Next Big Thing, and Brands Want In, October 2017. Patrick Coffee – Adweek.com http://www.adweek.com/agencies/brands-want-you-to-have-an-immersive-experience/

Marketing initiatives have changed dramatically in recent years. Brands can no longer rely on

massive billboards, TV ads or distributed samples to get their product in front of the consumer. In

a world filled with communication outlets, real-time messaging and consumer-generated content,

brands need to be particularly conscious about their positioning, so as to ensure they stand out

from all the other noise. More and more creative advertising agencies are finding the greatest

value for money spent in creating a real life experience whereby the consumer actually gets to

connect with the brand in a tangible way.

Experiential marketing is not a new concept, but, like any other marketing initiative, it requires

constant evolution to stay fresh and pertinent. Today’s consumer has spent his/her entire life

being bombarded by advertising messages and attempts to garner attention for a particular

product or brand. Most consumers are becoming more discerning and less easily impressed by

basic marketing efforts. Brands are, therefore, turning to creative agencies to come up with new

ways to showcase their product and their message for the consumer. From VR (virtual reality)

and AI (artificial intelligence) to drive-to-store initiatives and app-driven games and contesting,

the marketing experience has become a lot more engaging for the consumer. Experiential

activations have proven to be very effective, as noted in an Adweek article by Patrick Coffee,

“One might attribute this change to basic human nature. Consumers can easily skip, mute or block TV

and digital ads, but attending an event or absorbing an experience is a decision.”

¹Having the consumer’s attention is the ultimate goal, and brand activations open a

world of opportunities for this type of real-time engagement.

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WHAT MAKES FOR A SUCCESSFUL

BRAND ACTIVATION?

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In the early days of experiential marketing, it may have been sufficient to put a car in the

centre of a shopping mall and allow consumers to sit in the driver’s seat and pretend they were

driving. With so many advancements in the experiential marketing sector in recent years, today’s

consumer expects much more. The concept needs to be exciting and new, and the execution

should include surprising elements that will delight the consumer and build a memorable

experience they will want to share.

Some brands choose to centre their activation on a particular theme; in 2015, Target created

a Winter Wonderland pop-up shop in New York. Connect&GO worked with the major brand

to create an activation that allowed shoppers to add items to their digital carts by scanning an

RFID-enabled card. Holiday-themed games and contests added to the joyful atmosphere of the

themed activation. This year, Target hosted an interactive Halloween event in Los Angeles and

Connect&GO worked with the major retailer, and partnering design firm David Stark Design,

to create a digital scavenger hunt where guests scanned RFID wristbands to unlock prizes. From

start to finish, the themed activation offered fun and surprising elements that guests were eager

to participate in and share with friends.

There are many working parts involved in a successful brand activation. The first, and most important step is the concept.

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The creative minds behind the activation will want to consider any and all possibilities for encouraging

consumers to post about their experience. Having established hashtags and posting incentives will go

a long way towards making the social component of the activation a success. Of course, the specific

numbers of posts, shares and social interactions are of most interest to the brand when determining

the NMC (net marketing contribution) of the entire activation.

The need for tracking and data-gathering tools is what generally leads the most innovative agencies

towards the integration of technology into their brand activations. RFID technology offers a variety

of useful ways for brands to make a real connection with their consumer before, during and after the

experiential activation. From on-site registration to scan checkpoints and instant social media sharing,

RFID can be used to streamline the experience for the consumer and collect valuable behavioral data

for the agency and the brand.

Social media sharing is clearly a large motivating factor for any brand activation

CONNECT&GO BRAND ACTIVATION

PROJECTS

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Connect&GO has worked on a number of exciting brand activation deployments, and the

company has been able to test and develop new and innovative uses of RFID for activations,

tailoring the functions of the technology to the needs of each particular brand. From multi-day

music festivals to Super Bowl events and activations at the Olympics, Connect&GO has provided

RFID technology for a wide range of clients and major events. The endless room for innovation

and possibilities for creating incredible experiences is what drives us to explore this ever-

expanding market even further.

The endless room for innovation and possibilities for creating

incredible experiences is what drives us to explore this ever-expanding

market even further.

WHY RFID?

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RFID The main goal of a brand activation is to create a connection with the consumer. The challenge

most brands and agencies find throughout the process is how to determine whether that

connection was actually made. A brand ambassador standing on a street corner can hand out

1,000 sample products, but there is no way of knowing whether those samples were used,

enjoyed, or tossed in the garbage. Brands want to know how many people they have reached, and

what the reaction actually was.

RFID can be used to gain a greater understanding of the

demographic participating in an activation and what their

individual preferences are. Our clients appreciate the

numerous benefits offered through RFID, and we work closely

with them to ensure the technology is being used to suit their

specific needs. We create drive-to-register incentives to

encourage participation in each activation and we tailor the

functionalities of our platforms according to the specific goals

of the client.

At the 2017 Comic-Con in San Diego, Connect&GO worked

with Giant Spoon as they staged a 12,800-square-foot Blade

Runner 2049 Experience that recreated the environment from

the upcoming movie. Each guest was given an RFID wristband

they could scan to activate various experiences and win prizes.

Giant Spoon agency Co-Founder, Marc Simons, found it useful

to know more about who participated in the activation, “At

each touchpoint, we then knew who they were and the actions

they were taking inside the space”. In this way, his agency had

a clear idea of which areas were of most interest, which age

group participated most, etc.

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Virtual queuing is another feature that can be offered using RFID technology. Guests can

make reservations for rides or activities, and then manage the reservations directly from their

mobile phones. Offered as a premium service, this feature can provide additional revenue for the

organizer while generating greater customer satisfaction. Guests receive real-time updates on

wait times, and can spend more time enjoying the other features of the brand activation instead

of spending time in line for one ride or activity.

RFID technology is often used to collect participants’ email addresses, and offer opportunities

for them to share posts about their experience instantly on social media. Because each

participant is registered to a profile, their activity throughout the activation can be tracked using

scan checkpoints, and their social media activity is recorded in real-time. Brands come away

from the activation knowing whom they have reached, how they reached them, and how far that

connection actually extended beyond the activation itself.

Connect&GO has worked on a number of Comic-Con activations with clients looking to create a

heightened experience for their fans. For the 2017 New York Comic-Con, Connect&GO worked

with Amazon Prime on an activation for the Tick. The world of the show was re-created on a giant

Dangerboat for fans to explore, complete with an AI robot that spoke directly to the fans. RFID

was used for registration, photo sharing and prizing. Guests scanned their wristbands to enter the

activation and to participate in numerous activities.

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

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Another benefit of RFID technology is that it can be used to create an entirely unique

experience for each participant. From personalized welcome messages, to photo sharing and

points accumulation – each guest is able to experience the activation in their own way. The best

way to leave a lasting impression with the consumer is to make them feel as if they contributed

to the unique connection and experience they shared with the brand. RFID technology allows for

an extremely personalized experience, which is what any brand/agency wants to create for the

consumer.

According to Brett Hyman, president of NVE Experience Agency, “The right moment will

transform someone forever. An event is an extremely potent marketing vehicle for a brand to

connect deeply with a consumer on a cognitive level. Moreover, new technologies and social tools

are supercharging the ability for consumers to amplify their experiences to exponentially larger

audiences. An event that engages 500 attendees can easily be amplified to 500,000 people or

even more.”

²Once the consumer is engaged with the brand, he/she is extremely likely to want to share

this experience on social media networks. This provides even greater value to the brand as the

consumer has become a willing brand ambassador and will now spread the brand’s message to his/

her contacts. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful means of sharing and consumers

are more easily swayed by the opinions of their peers than by the marketing jargon fed to them

through traditional advertising. Brands need to tap into the enormous potential for “word-of-

mouth” that can be spread on digital platforms, and the implementation of RFID technology is

one of the most effective ways to open those possibilities, and track the results.

A unique experience

² 10 Ways Social Can Expand Your Experiential Marketing Beyond the Event, October 2017. Mary C. Long –

Adweek.com http://www.adweek.com/digital/10-ways-social-can-expand-your-experiential-marketing-beyond-the-event/

CONSTANT EVOLUTION

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Incorporating RFID is a way for the brand to demonstrate it is on the cutting edge of current

innovations, and is looking to create a next-level experience for the consumer. “(…) technology

used effectively to create personalised experiences will help demonstrate a brand’s relevancy to

consumers. Technological advances will enable more experiences to be developed.”

³ With many brands already on board, the move towards expansion of experiential marketing is

obvious. Backed by the experience of successful deployments for major brands, Connect&GO is

constantly working to develop the technology even further to create incredible new experiences that

will connect consumers and brands in meaningful ways.

³ How technology is changing experiential marketing. Blektr.com http://www.blektr.com/how-technology-is-changing-experiential-marketing/

CONSTANT EVOLUTION

INNOVATION FIRST

With the grouping of web Olympians, RF engineers and brand strategists; Connect&Go has been actively involved in the Internet of Things connecting people, objects

and experiences through its proprietary Access Control, Cashless Payment, Brand Activations, Content Sharing, Social Media and Store-of-the-Future systems. Sounds

Intense? It’s Digital for Real Life._

Contact us or visit our website to learn more about our technology solutions to enhance your event.

6600 Hutchison, Montréal, QC, CA H2V 1A5 • T 514-631-8282 • info@connectngo.com

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