During this time of Coronavirus Pandemic, we have become accustomed to recognizing the incredible resilience of businesses as they adjust their strategies, comply with safety regulations, and re-invent themselves in order to remain relevant in their respective fields during these difficult times. What we seldom do, however, is to associate pandemic-imposed restrictions with fun.
But EFMP German partner, HTWO, have managed to do just that.
Together with their client, Vodafone; HTWO, using the moniker ‘Exceptional Times-Digital Measures’, have embarked on a pilot scheme in Dortmund, Germany, to make the waiting time to gain access to their store fun for the customer. They did this by means of live-streaming a video display to the front entrance of the store whereby the digital door manager entertains the waiting customers by playing games with them on screen, such as, ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, or other similar games or puzzles, while also controlling customer flow and entrance to the store. In this way contactless admission control is done in a fun way by digital promoters.
Furthermore, in an initiative that HTWO call, ‘Digital promoter meets classic sales promotion’; by activation of passers-by in the pedestrian zone by speaking directly to them in real time via a built-in microphone, this also serves the purpose of sales promotion and a drive-to-store mechanism to encourage new customers. Give-aways, either as prizes or rewards, added to the fun element.
The technology required to implement this contactless process included having a video booth with a loudspeaker, microphone and display in front of the store, and recording technology in the studio (or place set aside for this purpose) with a green screen , microphone, lights and camera. An important non-technological aspect was to employ video promoters with the type of fun personality required to attract and entertain people.
The main goals were two-fold. One was to ensure customer compliance with Covid safety measures relating to social distancing in-store and to entertain customers while doing so, and the other was to attract passers-by with a view to sales promotion of Vodafone products. While roll-out of the initiative is still pending, the feedback after the first test flight was very positive. Customers in-store reported having been favourably impressed, and the activation of passers-by worked well by arousing their curiosity and engaging their interest.
While many stores now use promotional video material outside the front of their stores where their customers have to queue, the distinguishing feature of this activation is the ‘live’ interaction, and the element of fun that it presents.
It would seem that in times of relative seriousness and social isolation, this would be just what the doctor ordered!
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