As we move into the last conversation in our Emoting Brand Activation series, consider the brand journeys you have encountered and how they have affected your day-to-day life. What is it about those experiences that have created a connection point; a memory; an encounter?
Part 3: TACTION – THE ACT OF TOUCHING
If you haven’t connected the dots to this brand activation idea, there is another way, however on the surface you would think it is NOT related to interactivity at all. BUT you would be incorrect. It’s called “face of the brand” (FOTB), and rather than using a logo or slick graphic visual to make a simple statement, it invites the participant into a more complex, dimensional story that is meant to be interpreted individually. Textiles offer this dimensional dialogue with the brand and the audience. By dressing the brand in a tactile sensory experience you are encouraging the journey and anticipation in and around the experience. Seamlessly broadcasting across a visual platform is easy and expected. A lot of companies have ‘relationships’, ‘service’, and ‘innovation’, and even if their attributes are unique they lack realism. Creating a higher level of interaction by embedding the use of smart textiles or tactile materials allows the participant to create a personalized connection with the experience that can only be measured by increased brand loyalty or purchase power.
Psychologically speaking, introducing alternative senses into the audience’s external world affords the brand experience a unique avenue to develop a lasting impression for the participant. In the Annual Review of Sociology, 1978, J.T Mortimer concluded that the role of touch emphasizes an advanced knowledge, emotional control, creativity and a sense of reality for any audience that incorporates the act of touching into an informational gathering exercise. Meaning, if an attendee can touch and interact with some tactile stimulus they are more likely to connect a lasting bridge of remembrance to the place, person or activity they are engaged with. One actual application that can create a taction moment is the introduction of perceptual textured-based materials. The attendee’s sense of sight is validated by their sense of touch. Seeing is believing but touching is validating.
In Conclusion, remember when I asked you to remember a recent encounter with an individual that left a lasting impression on you? Well, equate that to the expansive world of textiles. Each and every material has unique traits and personalities that evoke an emotional response. Some materials might be chameleon in nature, but once you take the leap and apply them in your experiential design you will see how pleasurable a tactile environment can be on both the sense of touch and sight. Understanding the details of dressing any brand will take a deep knowledge of what materials are relatable to the participants of the experience. You would NOT utilize burlap if you were defining an experience around Charmin tissues. Choosing the proper materials will help ensure that the brand experience you are designing will meet the brand’s expectation. Ultimately this idea of activation is really about captivation. You can’t do that if you are dressing your brand in the same old tired materials. Think TOUCH, Think ACTION.
Allison has had a lifelong interest in multiple facets of design. Growing up between a sewing machine and a sketch pad, she went on to fine-tune her skills through studies in fine arts and fashion design. Upon entering the design/build industry, she continuously researches trends in various markets, including retail, hospitality, exhibitory/events, interiors and architecture in order to provide valuable educational and inspirational resources to clients.
Allison has had a lifelong interest in multiple facets of design. Growing up between a sewing machine and a sketch pad, she went on to fine-tune her skills through studies in fine arts and fashion design. Upon entering the design/build industry, she continuously researches trends in various markets, including retail, hospitality, exhibitory/events, interiors and architecture in order to provide valuable educational and inspirational resources to clients.
Allison has had a lifelong interest in multiple facets of design. Growing up between a sewing machine and a sketch pad, she went on to fine-tune her skills through studies in fine arts and fashion design. Upon entering the design/build industry, she continuously researches trends in various markets, including retail, hospitality, exhibitory/events, interiors and architecture in order to provide valuable educational and inspirational resources to clients.