How brands are helping us to stay connected
The human desire for connection is one of the biggest drivers of innovation. From the meteoric rise of Facebook and Airbnb, to the dedicated collaborative work spaces within ACE Hotel, brands are fervently creating new ways to bring people together.
In May this year Net-a-Porter launched their own fashion social network. A targeted community of designers and fashion lovers, The Net Set is the world’s first luxury ‘shoppable’ mobile social network, where fashionable digital women all over the world can connect and enjoy a unique social shopping experience across all devices. To enable this accelerated desire for connection our devices are becoming more sophisticated. This month Chinese firm Huawei and Japanese telecoms giant NTT DOCOMO conducted the world’s first large-scale field trial of 5G mobile broadband technology. At 1,000 times the capacity of 4G there will be more space for everyone to access this advanced network, 100 times faster.
On top of this universities and tech companies are joining forces to overcome the limitations of standard lithiumion batteries, to develop new products that will charge quicker and last infinitely longer. The implications of these two technologies combined is massive. From mobile devices, to wearable tech, electric cars to the internet of things, this technology will allow us to be more connected more of the time.
The combination of new mobile technology and the human desire for connection is driving brands to look closely at their customers and spawn new communities. By developing new ways to nurture customer passions, brands like Net-a-Porter are creating platforms with the customer at the heart. On and offline spaces that encourage peer-to-peer collaboration first and foremost, but still keeping the brand a relevant part of the conversation.
Read on for examples…
Moxy Hotels believes ‘Hotels are about people and their stories, not about empty spaces,’ which is why the Guestbook has become the hotel’s new visual identity.
Through collecting and curating the stories of their guests, the Moxy brand evolves along with them.
Moxy Hotels wanted their identity to appeal to a young, creative audience, so they gave guests the tools for self-expression and allowed them to make themselves part of the brand story. Each hotel is set up for guests to take their picture and contribute their creativity to the brand. The stories are posted to video walls in Moxy Hotels all over the world, creating a far reaching sense of community.
To grow the community further the Moxy reached out to well-known Instagrammers, inviting them to take-over the #attheMoxy and introduce the Moxy Hotels brand to their own followers. The latest collaboration is with YouTube talent Taryn Southern, who will host the new web series ‘Do Not Disturb’, from a portable Moxy room. Produced by Marriott’s Content Studio, the show consists of a series of interviews that take place in the hotel bedrooms.
Agency: Moxy Hotels #attheMoxy, Likefriends
As a true leader in luxury Grey Goose needed to go beyond what was in the bottle and firmly establish themselves as a premium lifestyle brand.
They introduced Le Club Goose, an exclusive, luxury member’s club that unlocks extraordinary experiences across the globe. The brand identified key influencers from Courchevel to Coachella and gave them a piece of connected jewellery, their key to the club. The solid silver NFC enabled goose stores personal data, including their own specially designed cocktail and could be used as an entr y pass for exclusive Grey Goose events.
Agency: Le Club Goose, Mr. President
Foot Locker wanted to re-engage sneaker fans and re-establish the brand’s global credentials as the world’s largest sports retailer. Insight showed their customers are sneaker obsessed, yet there was no online space where these “sneakerheads” could get information and chat about sneakers. Foot Locker saw an opportunity to meet this need. Sneakerpedia is the world’s first visual wiki, and it’s the world’s largest sneaker archiving project. A community space where fans can connect, share, discuss, follow and shape sneaker trends.
Agency: SapientRazorfish, London
The Nightlife 100 is a community of 100 of the most progressive and innovative people in nightlife across the US—ranging from DJs and promoters, photographers and performers, to those who are simply in the know. A part of Absolut Labs, a platform that exists to encourage new ways of thinking, the Nightlife 100 help to develop new products and experiences that shape the future of nightlife and inspire people to create richer social connections. Positioned at the intersection of technology, music and art, Absolut Labs marries artists and creators from different disciplines.
Agency: Forever Beta NYC
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