Interactive Content: The Future of Marketing?
Engagement. Content. Curate. Experiential. Interactive. In regard to marketing, these are terms we hear so often anymore, it almost seems like overkill. Everything is about consumer engagement, and the overall “experience” a brand can bring to the table. This is of course in the hopes that they are remembered in a world that has become so brutally competitive. The stakes are simply too high anymore to sit back and not attempt to engage consumers in the way that want to be engaged. With that said, let’s dive into the concept of Interactive Content marketing.
So, what is Interactive Content? It is described by ceros.com as “content that requires active engagement from its consumers. More than just a passive viewer, the individual becomes an integral part of a dynamic,
two-way experience.” Essentially, the consumer interacts with the brand — is the campaign in itself. This can take many forms, such as interactive polls, surveys, questions etc. It can also be an experience — which actually leads me to my next point…
The brand Heineken this passed December launched an interactive billboard in Rio de Janeiro, that doubled as a drive up bar. I know what you’re thinking right now — a drive up bar?! Yep — this is what makes the campaign even more amazing, it was a campaign specifically for the brands alcohol-free lager. Not only is a billboard/bar cool and different, the fact that probably nobody reading this can say that they’ve been to a drive-up bar is also a huge attention-grabber. It essentially highlights what the product is in a very unique way by saying — “you can drink lager and drive, as long as it’s with this product.” Personally, I think this campaign was totally genius.
Although Heineken’s interactive billboard approach was exciting and buzz-worthy, typical interactive content is mostly done online, through the brands website. Other forms can include quizzes, free quotes or information from a brand etc. For example, Clinique offers a “foundation finder” tool via their website, that engages consumers by helping them to determine the best foundation for their skin type. Brands themselves can benefit from interactive content, because this allows for direct feedback from the consumers themselves about what they like or dislike that the brand is doing, future suggestions etc.
It is obvious that in current times, consumers want to be engaged with. We want to have an experience. And overall, this is probably what is going to be the most memorable form of advertising — people remember something that they experienced. So, going forward, interactive content is not just a fad that will phase out, in fact, I believe it to the future of marketing. Of course, some brands are only as far along as a customer survey or poll here and there, but thats not to say that they are well on their way!
