Jo Curtis, Director ad Co-Founder of Jackanory, shares how brands can emotionally engage with consumers in this data driven age.

There’s no doubt that more and more of our lives are becoming automated. From smart phones to smart cars, from music streaming to mobile banking, whether we like it or not, the rise of Automated Intelligence, or AI, is affecting our lifestyles every day.

AI has revolutionized the technology landscape, bringing about huge societal benefits by driving innovation in healthcare, transportation and farming; by creating smart cities and smart homes, undeniably enhancing our day-to-day lives. Rather than stripping people of their jobs, many argue that AI could in fact deliver a boost to the economy by enabling humans to still work but in a more efficient way. It’s no surprise that there’s a continued interest in AI, with budgets being diverted to automated marketing. But those holding the budgets should remember that AI has its limitations. While it works to mimic human intelligence, it’s only one-dimensional; it’s driven by data and algorithms, completely lacking the human feelings that guide our everyday thoughts.

So what does this mean for brands looking to embrace the ever-changing technological landscape while still connecting to their consumers’ hearts as well as minds?

Clearly brands need to balance the increased use of AI with marketing activity that will truly connect with their consumers’ thoughts and feelings, tapping in to emotions that AI simply can’t.

Machines, for all their automated intelligence, data and algorithms, do not and cannot have the complex emotions or moral values that we have as humans. As human beings we’re highly sensitive and emotional intellectuals; we see, hear, think and feel. Surely in this increasingly data-driven, automated world, brands need to work harder to really connect with their consumers on an emotional level? This means working to engage hearts first, then minds, which can be tricky with automated intelligence alone. It requires something more, a means of connecting emotionally through shared experiences, stories, pictures, metaphors. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we all make decisions emotionally and then justify them rationally. We may not like to think of ourselves operating in this way, but if we want to persuade someone to buy or try something, then we have to first connect with them emotionally, get into their world and find out what makes them tick. When people make purchases, they are motivated by emotion and once they’ve decided emotionally to buy or try something, they’ll grab at any proffered reason to justify it. It’s only once we’ve won them emotionally that we should provide reasons why buying or trying a product or service is a good thing.

So how can brands connect emotionally with consumers in this data-driven age?

We’d argue that experiential marketing – face-to-face interactions, harnessing the power of emotions – is more important than ever. Done well, experiential marketing really can connect with people emotionally and make them think or feel differently, ultimately persuading them to try or buy. The best brand experiences are thought-provoking and engaging, appealing to people’s senses, curiosity and feelings. What’s more, they allow us to tell stories – and it’s these stories that help create emotional connections with consumers – it’s not data, facts or figures. And while we believe that every brand has a story, as individuals we too are constantly collecting stories of our own, seeking out events and experiences that will build memories, create stories and make us feel different in some way.

As Maya Angelou said “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In a brand marketing context this is backed up in a report by Forrester which states that emotion and the way an experience makes people feel is the number one factor driving brand loyalty, over and above ease and effectiveness. All of which demonstrates that the power of emotion cannot and should not be overlooked.

While AI is undoubtedly making our lives easier in many ways, the power of human emotions shouldn’t be forgotten, particularly for brands who are looking to stay ahead of the curve, build real consumer relationships and long-lasting brand loyalty.  It’s only by connecting with consumers’ emotions, engaging with their hearts first then their minds, that we can truly balance the one-dimensional aspect of AI. Experiential marketing – with its human, face-to-face interactions that engage all the senses, connect on an emotional level and make people really feel something – is surely more important than ever? After all, without feelings, without real human contact and emotional connections, where are we? Who are we?

To paraphrase the famous beer slogan: experiential marketing – reaches the parts AI can’t.

Let’s keep the human connection going.

For more information on how Jackanory can help you, contact Jo Curtis at jo@wearejackanory.com or call 020 7470 8847.

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A study launched by Gekko titled ‘Service not Sci-fi’, reveals that UK shoppers would rather deal with real people not robots or artificial intelligence when it comes to shopping.

The study found that 81% of UK shoppers claim the personal touch has disappeared from retail customer service in modern Britain, with almost a third (32 percent) blaming an over reliance on technology for this decline. Half of those polled think that companies in the UK are using technology to save money, rather than improve customer experience.

Despite living in a world driven by technology, most people don’t want technology at the sacrifice of humans’ opinions and experience.  Only 30 percent said they would like to see ‘smart pricing’ initiatives adopted by retailers, where prices change in real time depending on demand, 22 percent smart mirrors that show a 360 view of themselves, 16 percent a virtual reality changing room, 14 percent augmented reality to help visualise products in the home and 9 percent a talking robot assistant.

When it comes to buying online, 43 percent of UK shoppers have had their screen freeze while trying to make a purchase, so when asked what makes a great bricks and mortar shopping experience, 49 percent of those polled said it was down to having good staff on the shop floor, staff that know the products (49 percent) and staff that go the extra mile (47 percent). Coupled with this, 61 percent of the nation would prefer to deal face to face when complaining, 59 percent when enquiring or trying to find out more about a product and 73 percent when getting a refund.
And businesses take heed – a third of Brits say that the personal touch is more likely to make a repeat purchase, and more than a fifth (22 percent) claim they always spend more money in a shop if they are served by a good assistant, incrementally adding to sales. Over a third (34 percent) of shoppers stated that a poor experience has driven them to buy from another retailer.

The research also highlights the impact of the decline of the local shop, with a quarter of Brits saying they miss shopping somewhere where people recognise them, 16 per cent confessing they preferred the days when they could talk through a purchase with a someone in-store, and a quarter saying online shopping is less fun than buying something in a real shop.  The convenience of a store’s location is also stated as important by 43 per cent of respondents which means that as retailers consolidate their estates, many will notice the effects, further emphasising the need to carefully consider the experience being provided in-store and the staff needed to deliver the experience.

According to the research, we waste almost an hour and a half a month – which is 17 hours a year, the equivalent of more than two days at work – interacting with automated technology, only for a human to have to step in and help.

Bug bears include getting someone to rectify a problem with the self-service checkout, and ringing customer services and dealing with a recorded voice, only to repeat the details to the person you end up talking to.

It’s little wonder, then, that 51 percent of Brits have slammed the phone down during an automated call, as the system didn’t recognise what they were saying.  And 47 percent of shoppers have experienced self-service checkout failure that’s had to be rectified by a shop assistant.

In fact, more than three quarters (77 percent) of UK shoppers admit they’d much rather use a checkout with a person on it, rather than taking the self-service option.  More than 4 in ten (43 percent) British shoppers would rather speak to a person than an automated system when making a phone enquiry, with almost a quarter (23 percent) ending up having to complain on social media when their query hasn’t been responded to via the automated service.

Daniel Todaro, MD of Gekko said: “Everyone is talking about technology and innovation within retail, but our research clearly shows that what consumers really want is the human touch.  With traditional retail under more pressure than ever and an astonishing 81% of people feeling that the personal touch has disappeared from shopping, businesses need to focus on the customer experience in these tough trading times to help keep the high street alive.”

By understanding your brand, its target audience and your channel, Gekko Field Marketing are able to create campaigns and strategic teams that actively enhance the shopper journey and increase profitability within crowded categories.

The omni-channel continues to drive change within traditional retail, and through our research and understanding of high ticket, considered purchases, we help brands complete the customer journey from ATL to purchase. Gekko deliver insightful and effective Field Marketing solutions, converting shoppers into customers of your brand.

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Holidaymakers are not yet ready to hand over all their travel needs to chatbots. According to a new travel report by Edit, they are still sceptical and nervous about trusting AI to perform key tasks such as taking payment and making bookings, but they are largely happy to use chatbots to research potential holidays and receive recommendations.

There is a general lack of ‘comfort’ when it comes to chatbots handling anything more than simple info

rmation gathering. When asked, over half felt comfortable using chatbots for holiday searches and 46% for travel queries. In contrast, only a third were happy using a chatbot to book flights and hotels and a quarter to pay for flights and hotels.

Revealing a need for AI to prove its reliability – many of people’s worries are based on ‘gut feelings’ rather than facts or experiences. Over a third have used a chatbot on a website and when they did, three quarters got a relevant and useful answer and 60 per cent found it an easy process. There is also a significant knowledge gap – 39 per cent know what AI is, but would struggle to define it.

The reticence stems from general nervousness about data being accessed, regardless of who (or what) is accessing it – over half of holidaymakers are concerned about their data privacy on travel websites already. When imagining a future interaction with a chatbot, two thirds of people would be more concerned about the security of their data if speaking to an AI compared to a human. Over half say talking to a human is preferable when booking, even if the process takes twice as long.

The data does however reveal a rich area for travel companies to exploit. On the whole, consumers are happy for AI to read and interpret online reviews they have made in the past to help make a holiday recommendation, and over half believe that AI would be able to accurately recommend their next holiday.

There are many other ways in which AI could easily improve the customer experience within the travel industry. Almost two thirds of those surveyed would be interested in AI being used to provide automatic updates on flight delays or gate changes, and more than half welcomed the fact that AI could reduce time spent navigating through call centre menus. Over half also think that introducing AI to handle simple travel queries is a good idea – mostly due to the time saving element.

Toby Brown, Head of Strategy and Engagement at Edit, the marketing communications agency that commissioned the report, explains: “Our research demonstrates the need for travel brands to tread carefully when it comes to incorporating AI into the customer experience. It is imperative that travel marketers work within the parameters that customers are comfortable with and don’t just introduce technology for the sake of it. There is real potential for the travel industry to boost awareness of how chatbots can assist customers as they research holiday options and explore ideas and locations that they might not have previously considered but that sophisticated algorithms can suggest.”

“There is enormous potential for AI to transform the industry and use data to provide an even more personalised and friction-less customer travel experience, but we mustn’t forget that our holidays are a deeply personal thing too. Get the balance wrong, automate too much and holidaymakers may become alienated. The stakes are high – our holidays are so important that there will always be some things that require a human touch. Understanding this tension and working around it is the key to success when it comes to introducing technology to the travel sector.”

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From 18th to 23rd September, one of Trafalgar Square’s iconic lion statues was joined by an additional florescent red lion to promote London Design Festival. The interactive installation was created by ES Devlin in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture as part of a year-long project. Exploring the parameters of design and artificial intelligence, the installation incorporates a deep learning algorithm developed by Ross Goodwin, creative technologist at Google.

Following the Festival, the sculpture will be digitised as part of an online exhibition on Google Arts & Culture so people all over the world can experience the groundbreaking artwork. The project is supported by digital commissioning body The Space as part of its work to ensure the broadest access to the arts through digital technologies. Cast in 1867, the four monumental lions in Trafalgar Square have been sitting as silent British icons at the base of Nelson’s Column for the past 150 years.

This new lion was not silent: it ‘roared’ poetry, and the words it ‘roared’ were chosen by the public who were invited to “feed the lion,” words. By daylight, the ever-evolving collective poem was shown on LEDs embedded in the mouth of the lion. By night, the poem was projection-mapped over the lion and onto Nelson’s Column itself: a beacon of streaming text that invited others to join in and add their voice.

Devlin says the idea for the sculpture was prompted by a walk through Trafalgar Square with LDF Chairman Sir John Sorrell during last year’s Festival. “He said: ‘Landseer never wanted those lions to look so passive; he proposed a much more animated stance, but Queen Victoria found it too shocking.’ The thought lodged in my mind. What if we could invest the lion with a diversely crowd-sourced collective poetic voice?”

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