Tag: Mobile

Google Starts Public Testing Of “Instant Apps”

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Google has started the initial live test of its “Instant Apps” product, which allows users to use an app without downloading it. This cloud-based product was first introduced last May at Google’s 2016 I/O event, and allows fast, temporary access to Android apps with just one click. Google says it is working with developers for a number of popular apps, including BuzzFeed, Periscope, fast-growing ecommerce app Wish, and Asian drama streaming app Viki, for this limited public test.

What Brands Need To Do
Google Instant Apps gives users the power of native apps with instant loading and without the usual commitment of download time and storage space, which could benefit many brands seeking to overcome the app-download hurdle and reach customers on mobile.

For example, an auto brand could use this product to drive potential buyers to a build-your-own feature that works better natively than as a website, and an entertainment brand could leverage this feature to reach more users with their in-app content. Since Instant Apps works with Android Pay, it supports frictionless payments and checkouts that will help retailers boost conversions.

Therefore, brands need to work with developers to break their branded apps into appropriate modules in order to enable this feature, as well as look for ways to convert Instant Apps users into habitual app users.

 

Source: TechCrunch

 

Realtor.com Previews New App Feature Powered By Augmented Reality

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Realtor.com is developing an AR-powered new function for its mobile app. Aiming to make it easier for users to access details about the real estates available on the site, the company has created a new Street Peek feature, which allows users to point their camera at a house to see information such as listing or rental price, recently sold price, and the number of bedrooms from the real estate website’s database. Additionally, Street Peek would also display a map of the houses nearby when you tilt the screen. Realtor.com is set to officially launch this feature first in Android app later this spring, with the iOS version to follow.

What Brands Need To Do
This upcoming feature showcases how augmented reality technology can help brands bridge the physical world and their digital assets. French department store chain Galeries Lafayette is using mobile-powered AR to create a unique in-store narrative to lure in holiday shoppers. Beyond retail and real estate, AR can be a great way for customers to envision your products in their lives and to launch interactive digital experiences from signage or product packaging. With more and more consumers become accustomed to AR-powered app features thanks to the popularity of Pokemon Go, brands need to start exploring ways to use augmented reality to deliver a next-level user experience.

Source: Engadget

Bacardi Hacks Instagram Stories To Create An Interactive DJ Experience

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Liquor brand Bacardi found a way to create a fun interactive DJ experience on Instagram to connect with its music-loving customers. Working with BBDO, Facebook’s Creative Shop, and Swizz Beatz, Bacardi hacked Instagram Stories, the Snapchat-inspired feature that Instagram debuted four months ago, to create a unique musical experience where users navigate back and forth through a series of sound clips by tapping on a simulated two-turntable DJ set. Like all Instagram Stories, this initiative will only be available for 24 hours, but Bacardi plans to publish this set of Stories to its feed and other social channels for later viewing (but no longer interactive) after it expires.

What Brands Should Do
This initiative from Bacardi offers an innovative take on Instagram Stories and, by extension, Snapchat Stories that more brands can learn from to develop this kind of interactive experiences on social channels. Too often, brand marketing on social media is focused on resurfacing marketing materials or driving conversions with special offers, whereas mobile-native experiences like this one or the Kik campaign we developed for Sony Music can truly help brands to achieve organic engagements. With consumers increasingly shunning traditional ads and spreading more and more media time on mobile, it is imperative that brands be creative with their mobile and social initiatives and explore new ways to engage with customers.

 

Source: AdWeek

Lead image courtesy of BacardiUSA’s YouTube 

French Department Store Deploys Augmented Reality For In-Store Experience

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
French department store chain Galeries Lafayette is using mobile-powered augmented reality to engage shoppers with a unique in-store experience. Working with startup Sky Boy, the retailer has launched an AR experience that turns its Paris flagship store into a winter wonderland. Shoppers can follow the story of a family of polar bears leaving home for Paris due to climate change by downloading a free mobile app or with tablets provided by Galeries Lafayette when they are at specific spots on the store’s second floor.

Sticking to the campaign’s arctic theme, Galeries Lafayette will be offering a number of handbags in ivory or pastel hues from brands such as Dior, Gucci, and Chloé as part of its holiday shopping guide.

What Brands Should Do
This holiday campaign serves as a cool example of how retailers can leverage emerging technologies to engage with shoppers with a good story. With more and more consumers choosing the convenience of online shopping over physical retail, brick-and-mortar retailers need to shape up and embrace digital technologies to attract customers to visit the stores.

The Lab has extensive experience working with retail, beauty, and CPG clients to create and implement digitally-enhanced experiences for their stores. Our recent work with NYX Cosmetics incorporated the brand’s social assets into its in-store experience and offered an innovative take on sampling with a digital beauty bar. Please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) if you’d like to learn more about how to develop a mobile-driven retail strategy that bridges the gap between physical and digital shopping experience.

 

Source: Luxury Daily

Lead image courtesy of Galeries Lafayette‘s Instagram

IKEA Partners With Uber And Influencers For “Friendsgiving” Campaign

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
For its upcoming “Friendsgiving” holiday campaign, IKEA is working with Uber and social influencers to deliver free meal-planning kits to lucky customers. For a limited time on Nov. 19, Uber users in NYC will get the opportunity to have one of 200 free IKEA Friendsgiving kits delivered to them. To push this campaign, IKEA is also working with influencers Katie Quinn and Jordan Ferney to created branded content about how to prepare a meal using the kit for IKEA’s owned channels.

What Brands Should Do
This is not the first time a brand has leveraged Uber’s booming popularity and logistical prowess  to reach customers who are increasingly shunning away from traditional advertising. Walmart recently partnered with Uber to test on-demand delivery service, and Warner Bros. launched Mad Max-themed free Uber rides to promote the movie. As Uber repeatedly shows its willingness to work with brands, more brands should take advantage of the brand-friendly features and APIs it has to connect with customers on mobile.

 

Source: IKEA.com

Snapchat Gears Up For More App-Install Ads

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
After adding support for programmatic ads to its ad API, Snapchat has confirmed that it is testing support for app-install ads, which the company launched in June. The popular messaging app ran its first app-install ad in February, and adding this ad unit to its API will certainly encourage more brands to try it. Also, Snapchat is reportedly building a self-serve ad platform so brand marketers can set up their campaigns without going through a third-party ad partner or Snapchat’s sales team.

What Brands Should Do
Micro-investing app Acorns reports that it is seeing 40% higher install rates with Snapchat than it does with Facebook, attributing the increase to Snapchat’s swipe-to-download functionality. With the expanding ad API and some new measurement tools, Snapchat’s ad business seems to be catching up to its rapid growth and ready to compete for more ad dollars with leading sellers of app-install ads such as Facebook and Google. For brands, now is the time to consider getting on Snapchat to reach its young-skewing users.

 

Source: AdAge

Hasbro Creates Mobile App That Brings Play-Doh Creations To Life

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Hasbro launched an iOS app that can bring your Play-Doh creations to life on your smartphone. The company debuted the Play-Doh Touch app, which uses the phone’s camera to scan Play-Doh creations made with its Touch SHAPE TO LIFE STUDIO set and transforms them into animated game characters that kids can play with in the app.

What Brands Should Do
With this app and its accompanying Play-Doh set, Hasbro is taking an innovative approach to driving digital engagement and adding a new dimension to their physical products so as to cater to shifting consumer habits. More brands, especially those in the CPG and entertainment fields, can benefit from adopting a similar approach to leverage today’s mobile devices to enhance their products and marketing experiences.

 

Source: Engadget

Header image courtesy of Hasbro press release

Retailers At Westfield’s WTC Mall Opt For Mobile-Driven In-Store Experience

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Westfield reopened its mall at the World Trade Center this week, and many participating retailers are embracing mobile-driven strategies to enrich their in-store experience. Some highlights include:

• Cole Haan will equip its sales staff with mobile checkout devices to speed up the process. A courier service will also be available for customers who’d prefer to have their purchases sent straight home or to their hotels.

• Footwear retailer Aldo is prompting shoppers to download the Aldo app, where they can check inventory, request sizes, and read reviews. The app also features “virtual aisles” that display online-only items that may help inform their decisions.

• Under Armour is integrating its Connected Fitness app into its store for the first time, displaying stories collected from app users in-store to entertain and inspire shoppers.

Why Retailers Need To Do
Even though brick-and-mortar retail still commands roughly 90% of consumer purchases, there’s no denying that U.S. shopping malls are in decline, evidenced by a steep drop in foot traffic and Macy’s closing 100 underperforming stores across the country. It’s no secret that physical retailers need to shape up and embrace digital technologies to appeal to today’s customers. With nearly 90% of retail shoppers already using their smartphones in stores, mobile offers a great tool for retailers to engage with customers and improve their in-store experience.

The Lab has extensive experience working with retail, beauty, and CPG clients to create and implement digitally-enhanced experiences for their stores. Our recent work with NYX Cosmetics incorporated the brand’s social assets into its in-store experience and offered an innovative take on sampling with a digital beauty bar. Please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) if you’d like to learn more about how to develop a mobile-driven retail strategy that bridges the gap between physical and digital shopping experience.

 

Source: Glossy

Virgin America Launches First Mobile App, Includes Spotify Integration

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Virgin America may be late in developing its own mobile app when compared to other major airlines, but last week the airline launched its first app, available on both iOS and Android, with some noteworthy features. To begin with, the app is designed with a streamlined search and booking process allowing users to book a flight as fast as within one minute. The app comes with an integration with Spotify, which provides users with playlists that are inspired by their destinations to get customers in the mood for their trips. The app will also send out notifications about flight status and personalized deals based on your travel destinations.

What Brands Need To Do
As more and more consumers get comfortable with making purchases on their mobile devices, it is crucial that brands provide customers with a mobile app experience that is easy-to-use, fun, and helpful. Virgin America’s app mostly delivers in terms of that, barring an Apple Pay integration to speed up the check-out process. Other brands developing apps to reach customers should take note and learn to design it in a user-friendly way that matches mobile consumer behavior.

 

Source: MacWorld

Yahoo Expands eSports Content With Mobile App

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Last month, Yahoo launched a dedicated eSports site to capitalize on the booming popularity of competitive gaming, Now, the company is expanding the content vertical to mobile with an Android app. In addition to the eSports coverage, stats, and commentary featured on its desktop site, the app will also use push notifications to deliver customizable alerts for breaking news in competitive gaming, tournament analysis, and the latest reports about your favorite teams or games.

What Brands Need To Do
With top eSports tournaments now drawing audiences that rival the biggest traditional sports events and popular live-streams routinely attracting more than 100,000 viewers, brands such as Coke, Intel, and Nissan have been sponsoring tournaments to get their names in front of the massive eSports audience. Now with Yahoo expanding its eSports site to mobile, brands will have one more mobile platform to reach video game fans, made up largely of the coveted demographic of young Millennial guys.

Source: TechCrunch