“The way to consumer’s hearts goes through genuine work for society”

Manish Bagga

In the world of marketing, consumer lives are the canvas for brands to create masterpieces like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. Tools of digital technology are the brushes for this creation. It is not every day that we all come across amazing applications of digital.

On the recent hunt for this blog, I liked case studies by these three brands – UNESCO, PILSEN CALLAO and DOVE. These brands genuinely worked for society to create masterpieces in the lives of consumers.

Extraordinary Idea for Saving World Heritage – Back-up Ukraine

Brand: Blue Shield Denmark, Virtue Futures and UNESCO using Polycam app

thedrum.com talked about the digital initiative Back-up Ukraine. It is a digital tool to capture and store the artefacts of Ukraine for future reproduction using 3D printing. Moreover, it feeds Metaverse. Click and upload the pictures of artifacts having cultural significance using Polycam app. How amazing using the mobile phones of locals in Ukraine to contribute to saving their culture! It will help future generations to witness their heritage in a new manner. I loved the new non-commercial meaning given by the technology especially mobile phones and apps.

Click here to download the Polycam App

Metaverse

In the future, it opens up new possibilities for the re-creation of the entire Ukraine’s heritage experience in the Metaverse. This will be unique. As per WARC, Metaverse can create the entire experience of the virtual environment with richness and fidelity. It is an extension of the real world which allows people to access similar experiences and interact with each other.

What is possible in Metaverse?

It can arrange virtual events, meet-ups, concerts, performances and get-togethers in the virtual space. Ukrainian brands in the future can co-exist in the same space for connecting closely with the nationalistic feeling. Even, artefacts of various countries will be brought together in Metaverse for the support and mixed global cultural experience of the world culture. Last but not least such experiences will create commercial motivations. Buying and selling a particular metaverse will be common, creating Metaverse Marketplace.

Positive Use of Technology

Education, Entertainment and Engagement are experiencing a new high with Metaverse. On one hand, humans are using technology for destruction through war and on the other, it is saving the history, culture, and heritage of Ukraine for future generations. We can see how Polycon is doing it. An application which is re-creating the real world in the virtual space bit by bit.

An optimistic view of the future will showcase opportunities not just for the countries, but brands and individuals who can interact with the real person. However, showcasing violent and sensitive content for the younger generation certainly will need stringent regulatory frameworks like GDPR updated for the Metaverse.

Superb Execution for Inclusivity for Hard of Hearing – E-nterpreters

Brands: PILSEN CALLAO – Fahrenheit DDB & FTW DDB Peru

Be Authentic

A lot of times brands create a tagline based on some consumer insight and further create marketing campaigns around that imagery, just to reinforce the brand proposition. The brand creates an impact by doing what it says for society at large and not just for the transactional purpose.

As discussed by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) real-life example was witnessed recently in 2022 when a Peruvian beer brand developed a gaming tool for Deaf gamers, to convert voice messages into sign language through online avatars so that they can understand what their other gamer friends are talking about throughout the playing of the video games.

The brand tagline says, ‘championing friendship without differences’ and connecting deaf gamers to their friends delivers on the brand promise not through some random campaign but with authenticity. Building on the brand promise that people can have a good time with friends irrespective of creed, race, sexual identity or disability. It is certainly seen as a big step by the brand in terms of creating a better and just world.

Why was it needed?

Online gaming requires both hands so gamers keep sending voice messages to each other for better coordination of the players and achievement of the gaming tasks. Deaf gamers generally miss out on the opportunity for better coordination as they cannot listen to the messages and hence it is often left behind in the game. Most gamers are the young audience in their twenties also the right target group to be focused on by the beer brand i.e., the age group of 18-34 years.

How was it done?

Using artificial intelligence (AI) a bot listens to every voice call on the Discord server and converts these messages instantaneously in real-time into sign languages. It then displays them through avatars on the screen of the deaf gamer. Every voice represents a unique avatar which keeps displaying the conversation held by fellow gamers.

Click the link to download the open-source from the website. It took 10 months for the brand to develop this software with the team consisting of the ASL Group and hard-of-hearing gamers.

Gaming World

Overall, there are 300 million deaf gamers worldwide and this initiative will help each one of them. Globally, 2.9 billion players are generating $178.37 billion annually.

The Result

At the launch, the AI tool was using 120 servers within 24 hours. Within a week 75% of the deaf gamers in Peru were using it. Moreover, the translation speed was 35 words per minute, translating total of 453,000 words, along with 260,000 minutes of bot learning.

This is what I call beautiful use of technology. Lives will be enhanced and numerous other opportunities will be created. WOW!

Powerfully Countering Negative Impact of Social Media: Toxic Influence

Brand: Dove Self-Esteem Project

Mother Daughter Relationship

A mother would not give her daughter negative advice in life but children and teenagers being on social media are exposed to negative advice every day in one way or another.

Global Social Media Venom

Dove did research in the USA and found out that one in two girls is exposed to toxic advice on social media and due to that they have low self-esteem, which is completely unacceptable and this has to change. Unfortunately, this is a phenomenon around the world for most girls and is seen as acceptable behaviour. According to DOVE, 9 out of 10 girls in the UK and Ireland with low body esteem put their health at risk by skipping a meal and not seeing a doctor when needed.

Efforts for the Change

#Detoxyourfeed is a part of the self-esteem project from DOVE. It takes action against the toxic beauty advice on social media so that girls can define beauty on their terms and reach their life’s full potential, come what may.

DOVE’s self-esteem project

The project put the right resources and mentoring material- videos, activities, case studies and professional advice from the experts to support parents and teenagers cope with growing years beyond the narrow definition of beauty.

Various interesting topics are covered for the overall subject which can be explored by clicking the above link.

The world of social media influencers

Social Media influencers are go-to for the teenagers for inspiration, the latest tips and trends. The content they provide on social media is more relatable than the celebrities hence they have a real-life image. Children follow the hashtags, videos, captions and images on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook which shapes their thought process.

The trap of social media influencers

They are seen as authentic and genuine and create an emotional bond with the child and unconsciously child starts following them for the brands they carry with them including clothes and accessories. This is a fact that 86% of the brands today pay them to endorse their brands and services.

Solution: Exposing the influencers

 A lot of influencers use digitally enhanced images which they will post like naturally taken images. DOVE created videos to educate kids and teenagers, by helping them develop critical thinking and social media literacy skills.

Selfie

These videos certainly help create an understanding of the:

• Distortion of the Digital World
• Avoid the comparison trap
• Take away the negative influencers
• Create positive real content on the social media
• Spotting the advertising than the real-life videos
• Follow the positive feed and unfollow the toxic posts

The effort on Dove’s end is a real attempt at the brand’s promise of real beauty, which is not just on the skin but is skin deep.

From my perspective, these are the top digital brands of 2022. The three initiatives are beyond the transaction between consumers and the brands, these brands are thinking about society and are using the latest technology for their brand promise.

Thanks for sharing your time.

Watch out for this space for more information on ‘Brands creating social impact through data analytics’, in my next Blog!

NEXT BLOG IS TO BE PUBLISHED SOON!

Don’t forget to drop a comment below.

Signing off for now,

Manish