Helen Hanson, Founder of Hel’s Angels shares the importance of the people behind the technology in brand experiences, and how this combination can be used to curate great brand activation.
2019 may be the year of event tech BUT brands still need engaging and intelligent event staff to bring technologies to life and take consumers on a journey.
It is now the responsibility of experiential agencies to design experiences where technology adds value rather than purely supplying a novelty factor but it is just one element of successful brand experiences. It’s true that technology can transform people’s relationship with, and expectations of brands. However, the tech alone can’t tell a great brand story, we still need people for that.
So how can we curate great brand experiences where technology and humans go hand in hand?
Let Humans be the Guide
Consumers want a journey and a good story. There is no doubt that technology can provide an intuitive, personalised and multi-layered journey but the guide through the story still needs to be physical – hence the need for brand ambassadors. Multisensory experiences which make the best use of the virtual and physical world, held together by engaging staff, are still richer than an experience which uses technology alone.
True Brand Ambassadors
But the humans still need to match the complexity of the tech. So poorly trained, disengaged staff lazily handing out free brand samples do not make for a good partner. Staff need to be properly trained both in the brand message and the use of the tech, so they can be true ambassadors, who consumers can identify with. They need to be storytellers, authentic, culturally connected, tech and data savvy and most importantly content. The importance of well-trained staff for brands is clear, as only they can put their consumers at the heart of a brand’s experience.
Human to Human
It is now a fact that customers are looking to buy experiences, rather than products. Consumers want stand-alone experiences with multiple layers. Giving them a simple branded environment, a few free giveaways and an Instagram moment, no longer suffices. People want high quality events conducted by people they identify with and brands they care about. Tech can be intuitive and multi-layered but it doesn’t have empathy, it can’t laugh, or speak to someone’s heart. So tech can enhance an experience but the most lasting communication will always happen between humans. Peer to peer connection creates trust for brand.
Technology has a vital place in the future of experiential activity but it should be used to enhance human interaction, not replace it.
For more information on how Hel’s Angels can help your brand, contact Helen at helen@helsangels.net or 0203 3013 845
