Marcos Terenzio, VP of Creative and Strategy, sat down with LAVNCH [CODE] DeCoded to share his insights on “Integrated Brand Experiences: The Future of Retail is Now” ahead of his DSE 2022 session.
Learn more about his DSE 2022 Speaking Engagement, where Marcos will discuss how to create emotional connections with consumers through immersive storytelling and highlight how we created a show-stopping experience as part of a new global launch for one of the largest luxury retail brands in Canada.
Episode Transcript
Hello and welcome to LAVNCH [CODE] DeCoded where we go behind the scenes of the hottest tech events, products, and services. Today I’m joined by Marcos Terenzio of iGotcha Media who will be talking about integrated brand experiences ahead of his session at DSE 2022. Thanks for chatting with me today, Marcos.
MT: Well, thank you for having me. It’s great to be with you guys on the show.
So, you’re speaking at the digital signage experience, which is being held in Las Vegas next month. Tell us a little bit about your sessions.
MT: Yeah, sure. So, the name of my session is Integrated Brand Experience: The Future of Retail is Now. So, it really is focusing primarily on how retail brands have been disrupted obviously through the pandemic and everything that has evolved over these past couple of years. How it’s really expedited digital transformation, digital adoption, and the need to really focus on that omnichannel experience for consumers to think about, you know, how they want to shop, where they want to shop when they want to shop and be able to come up with a cohesive strategy accordingly. So primarily I’m going to focus on the luxury retail category, which I mean they are really the ones that are tasked with setting the benchmark and the blueprint for the rest of the retail industry, they are usually the first to kind of adopt new trends and try new things and really look at a diverse strategy across their different markets and sectors around the world. So, it’s looking at how things have evolved to being experience rich and the importance of having integrated digital experiences within the physical retail store that complement and interact together with other channels. So, that really the premise of my session.
One of the things you talk a lot about is emotional connection. So why is it important to have an emotional connection with your customers?
MT: Yeah, I mean, primarily when we’re talking about retail, mall shopping is done based on emotional impulse, right? And if we start looking at today’s Gen Z consumer, which is obviously the growing population and soon going to be running everything, they’re very much driven by emotional connectivity to different brands, and what they stand for. The way that they perceive badge value has changed considerably. So, it really is important for brands today to think about how they can connect with this target audience that really is driven by emotional connection. I like to look at it across three different levels of engagement, the first one being, how can you just connect? How can you attract the consumer? How can you make them take notice? How can you make them look up and want to be intrigued by your friend? Then from there, you can look at a layer of captivation. So, once you’ve connected with them, once you have their attention, how can you deliver communications? How can you deliver experiences that are going to be meaningful and really have them engaged in the space? And obviously, we know it’s all about conversion, right? So, if you’re talking about retail, what can we do to empower customers? As I was saying, consumers want to shop when they want and how they want. What can we do to empower sales associates’ brand ambassadors to have the tools they need to complement that human interaction and connection that they’re making with the shoppers in a physical brick-and-mortar? By allowing those digital tools to really stand out, be the ones that empower communication.
So, obviously, this show is all about technology. Do you have any tips you can share on how we can use technology to create those emotional connections?
MT: Yeah, I mean, if we look at that same progression between, you know, connection, captivation, and conversion, the first thing we need to look at in a retail context primarily, which is what I’m going to be focusing on, is the exterior of the physical space. What are we doing to echo and amplify communications? How are we attracting and drawing consumers in from a distance? What are we doing to stand out to be different, to really make that wow factor which is critical now because to be able to own a consumer’s time which is really the currency that brands are looking to own right now is peoples time in hopes of you have more other time hopefully, you’ll get more of their spend. So, how can you amplify that to draw people in? So, you know, obviously, exterior facing digital experiences that have become larger than life, that have come down in cost, that have evolved in canvases, so things like transparent technology, things like large immersive technology, those are all some of the technical aspects that can drive people in. And then, once they are in the physical store, what can you do to provide that perfect blend of aspiration, information, and education that shoppers need and want to be able to make informed decisions, even though they’re driven by impulse and emotion, are still going to be educated and people want to know what they’re buying into, not just as far as the product of their buying, but also the brand that they’re supporting. And then what can you do to amplify and echo that communication post-visit? How are you integrating with the consumer’s mobile devices, with their social media, and with online channels? How do you open the door? So, even if they don’t transact right away in your store and they choose to transact later, bad communication and handshake are a term that is then used in the tech world, you know that handshake is done not just at a technical level but also at an emotional level to keep that communication. So those are some of the technologies.
Strategic drivers are important to look at, and then as far as the physical tech itself, looking at everything from interactive experiences that have evolved. It’s not just touch screens these days. There are all kinds of triggers and ways that you can interact with experiences and then obviously, how important it is to really embrace the consumer’s digital device of choice, which is their mobile device right now, and how that can play a part in the physical experience as well.
I’m so excited to hear you speak at DSE next month your session is on Thursday, November 17th from 9:00 to 9:45 AM. If people want to connect with you or want more information, where can they find you?
MT: Yes, connect with me on LinkedIn, follow me on Twitter, or send me an email. Also, happy to connect with everybody in-person at DSE!
Thanks for joining us today. We will see you at DSE 2022. Don’t forget if you haven’t registered for the show yet, go to digitalsignageexperience.com.
