2015 Vol.13 Ed.1 INTERVIEWS Carlos Becil, Connected CMO, Equinox Peter Duffin, SVP, Brand and Marketing, Spaces, Lincoln Center Connected Experiences Features: More Than a One-Click Experience Participation Can’t Be Pirated R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 2 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 3 Contents R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 2 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 3 00 Introduction 04 Reclaiming Life Outside the Screen Andrea Ring, SVP, Managing Director, Insights & Planning, R/GA 01 Spaces: More 6 - 33 Trends: More Than a One-Click Experience Than A One-Click 34 - 39 Conversations: In Pursuit of Connected Cycling Carlos Becil, CMO, Equinox Experience Jonathan Greene, VP, Managing Director, Mobile & Social Platforms, R/GA Rather than trying to compete with e-commerce on 40 - 43 Perspectives: 21st Century Experiences for convenience, brick-and-mortar stores are revamping their physical spaces to better showcase their strengths. Analog Beings Fabiano Coura, VP, Managing Director, R/GA São Paulo 02 Experiences: 44 - 67 Trends: Participation Can’t Be Pirated Participation 68 - 73 Conversations: Re-Engaging the Live Audience Peter Duffin, SVP, Brand and Marketing, Lincoln Center Can’t Be Pirated Erin Lynch, Group Executive Creative Director, Experience Design, R/GA Similar to physical retail spaces, marketers are 74 - 75 Perspectives: Technology in the Live using technology to restore live performances to the you-had-to-be-there events they used to be. Event Space: A Perfect Storm Louis Marino, Executive Creative Director, Experiential, R/GA Kai Tier, Group Technical Director, Experiential, R/GA About 76 - 77 What Is FutureVision? Appendix 78 Sources R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 4 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 5 Introduction: Reclaiming Life Outside the Screen Andrea Ring SVP, Managing Director, Insights & Planning, R/GA The other day on Canal Street, in two areas: the reinvention of experience. And the burgeoning field I bumped into an entire class of brick-and-mortar stores and the of virtual reality promises an even more high school juniors from Sioux renaissance of live events. realistic way to see an event without Center, Iowa. They weren’t looking having to be part of it. The ease and up at the buildings, checking out As digital screens compete for customers interactivity of these innovations knockoff handbags, or searching by offering shoppers a hassle-free, have put pressure on brands to offer for illegal fireworks. They were convenient way to make a purchase, one-of-a-kind experiences that can’t buried in their phones: screening. brick-and-mortar stores are focusing on be pirated or replicated. Even in one of the liveliest shopping engagement, creating connected spaces districts of the greatest city in the that invite interaction and give consumers Technology is at the core of the changes world, their digital screens were additional reasons to visit in person. we’re seeing in these two areas, shifting winning the attention war. Brands are realizing that purely digital the paradigm from the all-too-common services may not be enough to satisfy scenario where devices make us miss While these teens were buried in their consumers, and are creating hybrid out on the best parts of life, to a new phones, I couldn’t help but think of experiences that combine the ease and reality where we use them to augment my own behavior, and the behavior immediacy of digital channels with the and enhance the in-person experience. of my peers. We’ve all had those tactile nature of physical stores. At the This doesn’t mean that digital screens out-of-body experiences before, core of this experience is a human will disappear; it means that we will engrossed in our phones instead of connection: technology is enhancing learn how to harness them to provide what’s going on in front of our faces. the relationship between the sales more engaging experiences in the real associate and the shopper, not world. We’re entering a period when our But things are starting to change. replacing it. devices will make the main attraction People are beginning to react against even better—not serve as a distraction. this real missing out on life. They are Live events are undergoing a similar Things are about to get really good. beginning to demand rich, human rebirth. Just as commerce has been experiences that may use screens, hijacked by e-commerce, digital but don’t depend entirely on them. screens have eroded the appeal of live entertainment. High-definition screens, As marketers, we have the opportunity live streams, and ubiquitous social to help brands reclaim life outside updates have commoditized what used to the screen. This is most evident be an exclusive, communal, in-person R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 4 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 5 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 6 01/ More Than a One-Click Experience R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 7 111111 111111 111111 111111 111 >1 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 8 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 9 TODAY, PHYSICAL SPACES ARE EVOLVING TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR DIGITAL COUNTERPARTS. HOMES ARE OFFICES ARE BECOMING STORES ARE BECOMING BECOMING SMARTER: MORE COLLABORATIVE: MORE PERSONALIZED: While DIY smart home Remote employees can With online services eating solutions have existed for years, collaborate across workspaces away at the informational they’ve been too complex for by using cloud services and and transactional aspects of anyone but tech enthusiasts. teleconferencing. R/GA’s new in-store shopping, retailers The Nest Learning Thermostat headquarters will integrate like Tiffany are using digital is a consumer-friendly solution many high-tech features. information to improve face- that automates heating and HOTELS ARE BECOMING GYMS ARE BECOMING to-face interactions in-store. cooling needs. MORE WELCOMING: DATA-DRIVEN: Mobile-first consumers have Facing competition from new expectations for how Fitness apps and streaming they use their devices while services, fitness clubs like traveling. Hotels like Aloft are Equinox are integrating responding by streamlining user data to offer access to check-in and using robots more than expert trainers to deliver amenities. and “dumb” equipment. R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 8 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 9 MUSEUMS ARE BECOMING THEME PARKS ARE MORE INTERACTIVE: BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED: Cultural institutions like the Cooper Hewitt Design Disney is leading the charge in Museum are introducing tactile providing a complete end-to- experiences that let visitors end experience for guests with interact with, and curate the art. MagicBands, wristbands that replace a room key, wallet, and LIBRARIES ARE BECOMING STADIUMS ARE BECOMING admission ticket at the park. MORE RELEVANT: MORE CONNECTED: With information now freely Addressing the issue of available online, physical connectivity and convenience, resources and human services the new Levi’s Stadium is are in greater demand. At wired to keep 75,000+ fans maker spaces and living connected at all times, watch libraries, visitors can borrow instant replays and order tools and consult experts food from their seats. who know how to use them. R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 10 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 11 TRENDS 01.1/ Experiential Showrooms Stores can differentiate themselves from their online counterparts by creating environments that encourage hands-on trials. While massive shopping malls and bland department stores may be dying a slow death, innovative retailers that embrace the physical space as a way to offer shoppers new ways to interact, and new reasons to linger, stand to win. R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 10 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 11 Virtual Interactions 12 - 13 Save Floor Space Retail Environments 14 - 15 for Testing Products Brand Narratives 16 - 17 and Retail Theater R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 12 R/GA FutureVision Vol.13 Ed.1 13 TRENDS Virtual Interactions Save Floor Space Technology has given online commerce endless scalability, but offline space is limited. Whereas Zappos offers an array of nearly 25,000 women’s shoes online, your local Nordstrom probably has only a few dozen. Digital technology enables retailers to show infinitely larger selections than their physical footprints allow. A realistic rendering of products can help its use of interactive screens to “test” customers test big-ticket items like cars a car. But innovation doesn’t stand still, and appliances. Retailers are attempting and interactive screens in 2015 aren’t that to provide hands-on experiences using big of a deal. big tech installations. For example, the Samsung CenterStage is a digital Audi recently introduced a virtual reality showroom for the brand’s home appliances experience to give dealers an even more that lives in select Best Buy stores. It lets immersive way for consumers to test- customers interact with massive screens drivea car. The company partnered with to learn about the new features of a fridge Samsung VR for the activation, following or the ins-and-outs of a washer/dryer— in the footsteps of Volvo, which had appliances that are usually unplugged introduced a virtual reality test-drive at in showrooms. the LA Auto Show a few months prior. In an industry first, Volvo used Google’s To help extend its footprint in London low-cost, virtual reality solution, Google without taking up additional square footage, Cardboard, to introduce potential buyers Audi created Audi City, a virtual showroom to the new XC90, building excitement for where consumers can see the entire Audi a car that wouldn’t launch until the portfolio. The dealership features floor- following year. to-ceiling digital screens and interactive touch tables that allow consumers to configure their perfect car.