by Auditoire’s Founder and Co-Managing Director, Antoine Croise.
To say that times are tough right now would be an understatement. In a matter of weeks, our world came from being in constant acceleration to a complete stop. The Coronavirus outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting billions of people around the world. As we speak, it is impossible to imagine how deeply that crisis will impact the world as we know it. However, in business, as in life, the question begs to be answered: What’s next?
What’s next for a creative industry that has come to a sudden halt? What’s next for the future of brand experiences? Whilst it may be too soon to tell, the past few weeks have certainly given us food for thought.
1. The future of experiences will be a fusion of virtual and IRL moments
Analogue or digital, the two spheres have become so intimately interlinked it becomes painfully awkward for anyone to truly engage in that debate. Truth being, both of these worlds only find their uniqueness if seen or experienced through the lens of the other.
We can’t deny the impact Covid has had on amplifying the role of digital in our lives. Recently we’ve experienced first-hand that humanity can rapidly adapt to working remotely and is developing more imaginative ways to stay (and feel) connected. We’ve found new ways to enjoy life online, interacting through screens and sharing little snippets of life with our friends and family like never before. In a post-Covid world surely these aspects will be retained and attending the intimate showcase of your favorite artist playing from their living room may be as frequent as it is now.
“We should stop asking ourselves “what if” but rather “why not?”
We can imagine that experiences will be thought out with the “what if” always in mind and virtual events considered the new “contingency plan”. But the switch will not only be driven by fear of what may happen but rather the excitement of what could be. Virtual experiences will unlock new realms of creativity that rather than mirror real-life will amplify and augment it. Yesterday’s add-ons will become tomorrow’s must-haves. In real life we engage all of our senses; the same should be true when it comes to a digital experience. Brands that are able to find new ways to provoke natural reactions from their audience based on their senses will breakthrough in ways they never knew possible.
2. A heightened sense of responsibility
These challenging times have reminded us how much we value relationships, meaningfulness and togetherness. The things that, sadly, sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of a “business as usual” context. Tomorrow, more than ever it will become paramount that we will all have a role to play in our communities, a role that transcends a service or a product.
“Conscious-commerce is more relevant now than ever before”
The impact of the brand-experience industry cannot be limited to sales. How can we drive this force for good to help shape & shake the world around us and ensure we carry the values and lessons we learn now into the post-Covid world? Let’s start by making our events more responsible. Taking into consideration our communities, sustainable efforts and legacy when we plan.
At AUDITOIRE, our approach to meeting these new challenges is met through our people. By introducing our clients to our open ecosystem: a pool of fresh local and international talent who all have a unique outlook on life and bring their own know-how to the table, further anchoring our stories within our communities.
3. Finding the sweet spot between craftsmanship & innovation.
To thrive in a post-Covid world we believe agencies will need to aim for that perfect balance between their expertise and stretching the limits of the current creative boundaries.
“Harnessing the power of innovation to deliver relevancy in the cultural context of now”
As a French born agency, it goes without saying that we pride ourselves in the couture approach we take in all things experiential. Craftsmanship is in our DNA, however now more than ever we understand the importance of harnessing the power of innovation to deliver relevancy in the cultural context of now. The innovation referred to here has little to do with a specific piece of technology or a new social tool but rather a mindset that helps us come up with more sustainable solutions that deliver real-time value. We call the next big stage of our industry the Augmented Experience, one that is as meaningful as it is engaging, one that is as human as it is elevated by technology.
The next few months will be challenging for all of us, the way brands think of an experience will have most likely evolved, but the task at hand for us at AUDITOIRE remains unchanged: our job is and will always be to craft stories and experiences that help our clients solve challenges and connect the dots between themselves, their audience and an emotion, regardless of the medium it manifests itself.
So yes, tomorrow everything will have changed, but we’re ok with that.
