Use Your Words Wisely + Authentically

It‘s 2024, and we’re back... for real. In addition, since everyone is saying it (it being something that we’ve believed for more than a decade), we might as well say it too—this is the year of the brand. And because of the way we define our favorite term, we’d like to start the year by taking a deeper look into this article in Fast Company: Brick-and-mortar retail is back, but without the gimmicks.

Now, if you’ve spent any time in this never-boring advertising and marketing world, you know to expect content regarding the new year’s trends alongside what is on its way out from December to mid-January Thus, as compelling as we found the headline of the article, it was the kicker: Bye bye Instagrammable walls. Retail stores are ditching immersive experiences for good old customer service; that made us feel like we should take a deeper look. 

[Re]Viewing the Landscape

When examining an article, it is easy to start looking at what was written in the horizontal. I also think this level of examination is a great way to begin. 

The written word, especially in a journalistic setting, is best when plain and clear. Yet, an article about this industry can be inherently difficult to understand when the marketing, advertising, and sales space has done so much to mystify words we have all heard before and manipulate them to the point of near ambiguity. So, how do we find the correct translation for it all? Spoiler alert: my colleagues and I have been doing this for a long while, so while the way we view things may not match what the loudest think, our views align with those who do it with great success. But that’s not the answer. The path to understanding runs through a balance of semantics and framing.

I’ve already touched on the semantic issues due to the word’s use in this industry. Associatively, framing actively provides context to the written (or spoken) word that can lead you to an understanding. The key to framing is the direction in which you lead the reader. This particular article is framed around the idea of immersion and immersive experiences. Upcoming pun notwithstanding, this is where we’ll be able to take a deeper look for the right answer(s).

Thinking about this topic from top to bottom

If you scroll back, I mentioned how the article’s kicker was the catalyst that made us want to delve deeper. And as someone who discusses narrative as an academic and a professional, the word “immersive” is one that grabs my attention immediately. 

As I continued reading the article, I gathered that digital/social media-related activity, such as “Instagrammable” walls, was how “immersive activity” was being identified. Is there an argument for this type of activity being immersive? Yes. However, this framing points the focus of the experience on technology as opposed to what’s in now, “good old customer service,” which focuses on the people.

When I talk about narrative design, I emphasize the three critical properties linked to its efficacy: 1) it must be relatable, 2) it must be immersive, and 3) it must be emotional. Additionally, when we refer to narrative design, we do so in a way that is inextricably linked to active branding and overall customer experience. Using the definition of “immersive” that I teach to my students and clients, I would argue that these “new” experiences that center the consumer are more immersive than the ones that tout Instagrammable walls.

The difference between the Instagrammable and 1:1 customer service executions also perfectly illustrates the way we look at tech tactically as opposed to how we should look at it strategically. Too often, we use technology as a cudgel to force our way into what people are doing instead of using technology as a tool to provide access for people to engage with us. And forcing social media is not a sustainable way to find success in its use.

Furthermore, considering that the attention economy is a byproduct of social media’s prevalence, the intention to win is understandable. Nonetheless, striving to win the attention economy with convenient yet forced methods is not sustainable. Creating moments that prove meaningful to your consumer that they can get all the way into is. If you want to get even more technical, performing immersion as a function of surface-level experience design can work short-term, but achieving immersion as a function of a consumer’s personal experience creates a deeper relationship. 

As I’ve said many times before, I understand any business’s need for and concern about meeting sales goals. Revenue is a business’s literal lifeblood, so it is a priority. With that being said, the focus should be on the best set of approaches to get it, not the ways to try to will it into existence. And since all revenue comes from the people, our focus should remain on them. By definition, creating experiences that people will appreciate, like, and even love is immersive because it draws them into your brand. This is the level of experience design for which you should strive and it loosens their grip on that cash. 

Learn how best to make it happen for you.