Category: General Content

French Bank BNP Paribas Dives Into Virtual Reality With An App & A Pod

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
French banking giant BNP Paribas is the latest company in the financial service sector to explore virtual reality as a tool to improve its customer experience. The Paris-based bank announced earlier this week that it will demo a branded VR app at the upcoming Viva Technology Fair in Paris, which will allow users to virtually access their account activity and transaction records.

In addition to the app, the real estate arm of BNP Paribas partnered with French startup Vectuel & RF Studio to develop “the POD,” a VR experience “capsule,” which aims to help customer visualize their real estate investments by offering virtual tours of the properties, some of which are still under construction, as well as a step-by-step guide through all the necessary steps of a real estate purchase.

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What Brands Need To Do
The dubious necessity of a VR app for checking bank balances aside, BNP Paribas’ VR initiative is notable for the fact it is actually leveraging VR to enhance the service it provides for customers, unlike the experiential marketing approaches that banks like Citi and Wells Fargo have previously taken with branded VR content.

With a slew of VR headsets of various prices became available in the past 18 months, starting with the release of the consumer version of Oculus Rift in March 2016, consumer adoption of VR has been steadily on the rise, with an estimated 11.4 million U.S. consumers having purchased a VR headset by the end of 2016. As more and more consumers become accustomed to VR technologies, brands seeking to stay ahead of the curve will need to start developing a VR strategy and experimenting with VR to improve client experiences.

How We Can Help
Our dedicated team of VR experts is here to guide marketers through the distribution landscape. We work closely with brands to develop sustainable VR content strategies to promote branded VR and 360 video content across various apps and platforms. With our proprietary technology stack powered by a combination of best-in-class VR partners and backed by the media fire-power of IPG Mediabrands, we offer customized solutions for distributing and measuring branded VR content that truly enhance brand messaging and contribute to the campaign objectives.

If you’d like to learn more about how the Lab can help you tap into the immersive power of VR content to engage with customers, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Barrett ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.

 

Source: Bank Innovation

Featured image and video courtesy of BNPP Real Estate’s YouTube video

Microsoft Overhauls Skype In The Camera-Centric Mold Of Snapchat

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Microsoft released the latest update to its IM and video call app Skype on Thursday that brought a complete overhaul to the app. Most significantly, the revamped app now makes the camera just one swipe away from the chats, encouraging users to snap more pictures to share with each other. The app also added a Highlights section, which functions very similar to the Story feature that was popularized by Snapchat and imitated by Facebook’s messaging platforms.

What Brands Need To Do
It seems unlikely this overhaul alone is enough to put Skype back into competition with the other popular consumer messaging and social apps, given that it has neither the user base or engagement that its competitors have. Last year, Microsoft shared that Skype has 300 million monthly active users when it introduced bots to the chat platform, an initiative that has gained little traction over the past year. In comparison, Facebook Messenger recently hit 1.2 billion monthly users, while Snapchat, an app much younger than Skype, now has over 166 million daily active users.

Nevertheless, this update underlines Microsoft’s intention to bring Skype up to speed in the messaging space and better cater to the shifting consumer preference towards ephemeral sharing. It also points to a larger trend in mobile UX design where the camera start to take the center stage as it increasingly becomes an input source for capturing content and understanding user intent.

For more information on how brands may tap into the rapid development in camera-based mobile AR features to create engaging customer experiences, please check out the Advanced Interfaces section of our Outlook 2017.

 

Source: TechCrunch

Header image courtesy of Skype

Google Confirms “Preinstalled Ad-Filter” Is Coming To Chrome

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
A month after the initial reports about Google planning to integrate ad-blocking features into its Chrome web browser, the search giant confirmed the plan on Thursday, announcing that it will preinstall an ad filter in Chrome starting early 2018. Chrome is the most used web browser in the world, owning over 54% of the global market share of web browsers as of this month.

As previously reported, the ad-blocker will aim to filter out ads that are deemed “annoying” by the standards of Coalition for Better Ads, a group that Google formed with advertising companies to improve online ad experiences. Google says it will give publishers at least 6 months to prepare for the ad filter coming next year, offering a self-service tool for analyzing ads on their sites to make sure they meet the standard set by the Coalition.

What Brands Need To Do
Back in 2015 when ad blockers were taking off and became a hot topic in the media industry partly thanks to Apple’s decision to enable ad-blocking extensions in Safari in iOS 9, we advised brands to counter the trend of Ad Avoidance – subpar online ad experiences and increasingly ad-free options are driving online users to actively avoid ads – by trying new ad formats, sponsored and branded content, and generally improving their online ad experiences. Two years later, new unblockable ad formats, such as sponsored selfie lenses and VR product placements, have emerged or become viable for brands to explore.

Since then, ad-blocker adoption has continued to grow worldwide, particularly on mobile. The 2017 Internet Trends report by Mary Meeker pointed out that nearly 400 million mobile devices ran ad blockers last year. This upcoming Chrome ad-blocker will only serve to accelerate the mainstream adoption of ad-blockers, further pushing publishers to optimize their ad experiences. For brands, this should be an opportunity to start exploring digital ad formats that are better integrated into the user experiences.

 

Source: AdAge

Denny’s Embraces Conversational UI As It Launches Mobile Ordering Service

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Following Domino’s and Pizza Hut, Denny’s is the latest quick-service restaurant brand to embrace mobile ordering as the fast-food chain announced support for 24/7 mobile ordering and delivery service. Partnering with digital ordering provider Olo, the new Denny’s on Demand service is accessible via its revamped mobile app and Direct Messages on Twitter. In the case of Twitter DM, Denny’s created a menu-guided conversational experience to take orders and complete purchases. The company says it is also working on a Facebook chatbot to take mobile orders as well.

What Brands Need To Do
Adopting a conversational design for its mobile ordering service is a smart move on Denny’s part, as it vastly improves the dull experience that traditional food ordering on mobile presents, while also giving brands more wiggle room to plug their latest promotions and bundle deals. According to eMarketer’s forecast, the number of messaging app users worldwide will reach 2 billion by 2018, which will be 80% of smartphone users. More brands should consider adopting a conversational design for their mobile initiatives to provide a more engaging and user-friendly customer experience.

How We Can Help
The Lab has extensive experience in building chatbots to reach consumers on messaging interfaces. So much so that we’ve built a dedicated conversational practice called Dialogue. The NiroBot we built in collaboration with Ansible for Kia is a good example of how Dialogue can help brands build a conversational customer experience, supercharged by our stack of technology partners with best-in-class solutions and an insights engine that extracts business intelligence from conversational data.

If you’d like to learn more about how to effectively reach consumers on conversational interfaces, or to leverage the Lab’s expertise to take on related client opportunities within the IPG Mediabrands, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Barrett ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.

 

Source: 9to5Mac

Samsung Announces More Live VR Content From UFC, X Games, And Live Nation

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Following up to its refreshed Gear VR headset unveiled in late March, Samsung is doubling down on its VR initiative with a slate of exclusive content aiming to appeal to mainstream consumers. Users with a VR Live Pass will soon have access to 360-degree live broadcasts from mixed martial arts company UFC, extreme sports event X Games, and live entertainment corporation Live Nation.

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What Brands Need To Do
This isn’t the first time Samsung has leveraged live entertainment and sports content to drive VR uptake. Last summer, it teamed up with NBC to produce 85 hours of VR content from the Rio Olympic Games. By aggressively investing in VR content, Samsung is addressing a key hindrance in VR adoption – the lack of good VR content. According to a recent survey conducted by Thrive Analytics, 55% of VR headset owners say they would like to see more VR content, while 45% of them say they want content of better quality. As VR content continues to diversify, it should gradually attract more consumer attention, which brands should follow with branded VR content or virtual product placement.

How We Can Help
Our dedicated team of VR experts is here to guide marketers through the distribution landscape. We work closely with brands to develop sustainable VR content strategies to promote branded VR and 360 video content across various apps and platforms. With our proprietary technology stack powered by a combination of best-in-class VR partners and backed by the media fire-power of IPG Mediabrands, we offer customized solutions for distributing and measuring branded VR content that truly enhance brand messaging and contribute to the campaign objectives.

If you’d like to learn more about how the Lab can help you tap into the immersive power of VR content to engage with customers, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Barrett ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.

 

Source: VentureBeat

Featured image and video courtesy of Samsung’s YouTube

Bud Light Brings Back All-Star Team Campaign To Reach eSports Fans

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Bud Light is bringing back its eSports promotion this summer, as the beer brand aims to remedy the missteps it made in execution last year and puts a greater focus on engaging fans across digital platforms. It plans to announce an all-star roster in late June, with each sponsored all-star player hosting a weekly stream from the brand’s Twitch channel through the end of the year.

Voting for the 2017 Bud Light All-Star nominees has started, covering four uber-popular video games including Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, and Street Fighter V. The company is also planning to create a documentary-style film on each of the all-stars exploring their journey.

What Brands Need To Do
In recent years, eSports has grown from a niche media platform into a massive global phenomenon that brands are starting to tap into to reach the tens of millions of fans around the world. As VC and analyst Mary Meeker pointed out in her 2017 Internet Trends deck, interactive gaming has gone mainstream worldwide, with 2.6 billion gamers in 2017 versus a mere 100 million in 1995. For brands looking for new ways to reach younger audiences across the global markets, eSports provide a fertile platform to explore.

For more in-depth analysis how brands can leverage global mega-channels and niche micro-channels to effectively reach key audiences, check out the Global Culture section of our Outlook 2017.

 

Source: Forbes

Blippar Announces AR Ad Unit & Visual Search For Cars

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Augmented reality solution provider Blippar announced two big additions to its platform. First up, the company is ready to launch what it claims to be “the first AR digital ad unit” that doesn’t require an app. This new ad product, named Augmented Reality Digital Placement (ARDP), will work with standard rich media banner ad units. Upon clicking, it would open a web-view window that, after users grant permission to access the camera, can superimpose ad creatives over the environment that the camera captures, and is viewable in 360-degree view. The creatives can be 3D models or static cut-outs from a 360-degree video. 

Secondly, Blippar is adding a “Shazam-for-cars” feature to its free mobile app that allows users to identify the make, model, and year of any U.S. car made since 2000 simply by pointing their camera at the car. The app will then surface relevant content such as average customer rating, price, a 360-degree view of the car’s interior. Blippar says it has achieved over 97.7% accuracy in automotive recognition, making it the highest in the industry. With this launch, the company is releasing a Car Recognition API that is available globally for companies to license and integrate into their own apps and products.

What Brands Need To Do
Although the AR experience delivered by ARDP seems to be pretty rough and limited in functions according to Blippar’s demo video, it is nevertheless an exciting development that marks the commence of the AR advertising arm’s race. The fact that this AR experience doesn’t require any specific app to run is obviously a plus for the potential reach of this ad unit. Mobile-based AR is a great way for brands to deliver interactive content and feature to drive active engagement and showcase products, and AR ads would be a great tool for brands looking to enhance their mobile ad experience.

For auto brands, the car-recognition feature and its API should be a great tool to transform any ordinary environment into a virtual showroom. It would be a great tool for event activations, pop-up promotions, and engaging car enthusiasts. According to CEO Rish Mitra, the company is working to expand this visual search feature to cover more sectors, with fashion being its next target.

For more information on how brands may tap into the rapid development in AR to create engaging customer experiences, please check out the Advanced Interfaces section of our Outlook 2017.

 

Sources: MarTech Today & TechCrunch

Featured image courtesy of Blippar

Google Starts Tracking Retail Purchases For Online-To-Offline Attribution

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Earlier this week, Google rolled out a new measurement tool to help advertisers measure the offline impact of their digital ads by tracking offline purchases people make in merchants’ brick-and-mortar stores after clicking on their digital ads. Through partnerships with consumer data and credit card companies, Google has access to roughly 70% of U.S. credit and debit card transactions, which it now matches with ad clicks to automatically inform merchants when their digital ads translate into sales at a physical store.

What Brands Need To Do
In October, Google launched a Conversions API for its display ad network DoubleClick, which enables advertisers to connect offline activities like in-store purchases and phone bookings to their online campaigns. Measuring offline sales and store visits driven by digital ads is especially important for retailers and CPG brands, as those metrics are the typical KPIs for measuring their campaigns. As Google builds out their attribution tools, brands should learn to leverage the data these tools provide to better inform their campaigns.

 

Source: Fortune

 

Instagram Tests Direct Response Ad In Stories

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Instagram has started testing direct response ad units in its Stories section, which hosts photos and videos that are available for 24 hours. Similar to the ones on Snapchat, this new ad format invites users to swipe up on a full-screen Story to drive sign-up or app installation. SumUp, a digital payment device company, is one of the first brands to use this ad format to encourage people to sign up for its service. In addition, Instagram also updated its direct messaging to add support URLs, allowing brands to utilize the messaging channel to drive web traffic.

What Brands Need To Do
Until now, Instagram Stories ads have only offered standard “reach” objectives based on impressions and not the direct-response formats that have been made available in Instagram’s main feed. Bringing those formats to Stories is a natural next step for Instagram to grow its ad product portfolio. Instagram only started selling sponsored videos in between Stories in March, which are played full-screen and therefore much more engaging, compared to the display ads in its main feed. As Instagram continues to make its platform more brand-friendly, marketers may consider trying out new ad formats available.

 

Source: AdAge & The Verge

Warby Parker’s New App May Stop Customers From Visiting Its Offline Competitors

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Online eyeglasses retailer Warby Parker has launched a new app that allows users to check their prescription at home, without visiting an optician. It assists users to find the correct distance to conduct the equivalent of the familiar Snellen eye exam on a computer screen and send the results to an eye doctor for review. If their vision has not changed, they can also get an updated glasses prescription without needing to visit an eye doctor. The service is only available in California, Florida, New York, and Virginia so far.

What Brands Need To Do
It is a clever strategic move on Warby Parker’s part to leverage mobile to enhance its post-sale customer services and boost retention. Saving the customers a trip to the opticians not only provides convenience for glass-wearers, but also prevents customers from visiting its brick-and-mortar competitors — some of whom host in-house optometrists to offer vision exams — and buy glasses online. More brands should take note and think about similar ways to leverage mobile apps to enhance your user experience and redefine their customer journey.

 

Source: TechCrunch

Header image courtesy of Warby Parker