Page 74 - RLI March 2019

SPECIAL FEATURE: RETAIL & BRAND EXPERIENCE

IMMERSIVE RETAIL:

THE NEXT GENERATION

Curt Doty is CMO of Now Now Events and a creative entrepreneur with over 25
years of experience in branding and marketing in entertainment. Here he takes a look So, what truly is the next generation idea that will shopping experiences abound and are data driven.
succeed? I believe it is Immersive Retail (IR). Though I wish Holographic product selectors, interactive kiosks, and
at the future of retail and how technology is changing the landscape for customers the best of luck to all of these VRcades and their backers, to AR shopping gives the girls a new playground and fun
and landlords alike. stop at EXPERIENCE is short sighted. People want to buy experience to try a new lipstick or hair color. Instead of free
roaming a Star Wars landscape, free roam an experiential
stuff. Brands want to sell stuff. Retailers want acquisition.
The formula for success should be CURATION> retail landscape that allows you and your friends to explore,
EXPERIENCE>CONVERSION>TRANSACTION. purchase and have that Instagrammable moment. Instead
Selling a ticket is not enough to qualify as a transaction. of a carny atmosphere, there is a bright, fun-filled shopping
emember the headlines from not so long ago? For any technology to cross the tipping point there needs Closing the CRM Loop and allowing the consumer, experience that dramatically increases footfall and social
VRcades: The Future of LBE or This is the year of to be a cultural zeitgeist that creates a MUST GO fervor. mall-goer, etc. to experience a variety of interactive engagement. Instead of finding the sweet spot of cinema,
VR. Well, the jury is still out but after two years of Though VR has become part of a much wider multi-media shopping experiences is THE FUTURE OF RETAIL. game mechanics, and theme park attractions, secure the new
Ra strategy that was thought of to save malls, it may entertainment landscape, the more recent rise of AR and These hungry landlords looking to move beyond hybrid of fandom, beauty, fashion and brands wrapped in an
not. The strategy was to save sagging sales and adoption of advertisers love of it, has created a much more accessible way traditional models of renting space are finally warming to immersive and entertaining experience.
VR by bringing the experience, at a much lower cost, to the to connect to users with only a smartphone. Lessons can also the idea that their future is intertwined with technology, Mall operators need to move from multi-player
people, where they gather anyway, at the mall. The problem is be learned from the shopping phenomenon of DROP-INS, consumer behavior and immersive experiences. Enter the experiences to multi-shopper experiences. This gets
that the notion of EXPERIENCE is NOT enough. Will it keep where a celebrity designer can make an appearance at a store, Age of IR. back to their core demographic and aligns with existing
people coming back or actually provide enough through-put or pop-up, draw an amazing crowd and sell out the latest luxury It isn’t just about the guys! Women remain the primary marketing strategies for long term growth. Instead of free
to make it profitable? street gear. All created and amplified through social media. shoppers and the beauty category is booming. Interactive roam VR, everyone can free roam SHOP!

30 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2019