How is IoT Disrupting the Way Marketing is Done

In today’s era, the technology is to the business what a book is to the words.
The statement might sound a bit of exaggeration but it is very much true. 

A significant part of marketing communication is now done through various technical platforms (real and virtual) like Smartphones and internet. However, what matters the most is the suitability and timing of the ad and if this major puzzle is cracked the marketers can experience the next level capabilities. 

IOT can play a vital role in gearing up the abilities of marketers while saving the consumers from annoying ads by fetching them the ads that really make sense for them. Every day we watch ads- some engaging, some are useful and (honestly) most of them are annoying! However, with the help of IoT enabled devices the marketers would be in a better way to understand their potential and existing consumer and design e-marketing strategies to engage with them in a better manner.

In this blog, we will discuss the various innovative aspects of IoT that make it a vital platform for marketing communication and will also explore some less known marketing and branding strategies enabled by IoT and implemented by leading brands.

Getting viewed is the major concern

Viewability plays a major role in IoT and how to attract the consumer’s eye is the initial and major concern for any serious brand. Investing any fresh efforts in this regard could be tricky and unpredictable. So it is best to identify those specific devices that naturally attract the maximum views due to their very nature and usability like smartwatches. Right from checking the time to knowing about the biological stats the consumer checks the smartwatch umpteenth times in a day. It increases the chances of a positive result when the advertisers choose the smartwatch screen as a medium to display their ads.

Solving What-Why-When puzzle

• With a few more efforts it is also possible to get the valuable customer data like whether s/he is sleeping, stressed or is engaged in some sort of physical workout with the help of heart rate stats. It helps in scheduling the ads.
• By understanding the daily routine of the consumers the brands can identify the products that they are likely to be interested in. A daily workout enthusiast is more likely to give  a positive response to the health-boosting supplements while a light morning walker would most probably prefer natural juices and light organic cereals 
• The ads on smartwatches can assure great returns if exercised wisely. The best thing is that after understanding the clients’ routine the ad could also be fetched at the time when it matters the most- like telling the consumer about nearby Health Supplements shop just when they are returning to their home after a morning stroll in the public park.

Read More: 5 Practical ways in which IoT can help the businesses

IoT devices as a chain of messengers

Another purpose-specific quality of the IoT devices is that they can act as a chain of messengers relaying the important consumer data to the tech-savvy businesses and marketing companies. For example, the smartwatch can communicate with the smart fridge and the fridge can finally send usable data to the marketing companies that can use it for understanding the customer needs in a better way. 

Collaborative Marketing made easier

Collaborative Marketing- one of the most important marketing strategies- could be an easier feat as different IoT devices can be a medium to trigger the sales of associated products. A smart fridge can not only inform the consumer about any technical issue that needs attention but also recommend them the nearest service stations and their contact details?

Other examples…

• The health-savvy consumers engaging in heavy workouts can be told about the latest refreshment drinks for a quick rejuvenation- just at the time they are on their way to the gym.
• The people who frequently browse the latest information about different recipe shows on the internet can be told about the workshops conducted by celebrity chefs in their area.

Real Life implementation 

The major question here is-

Is it really a practical idea in today’s world?

Fortunately, the answer is yes! In fact, many new age marketers have already started thinking seriously in this direction and some have already started reaping the benefits out of the same.

Here are a few examples:

Smart bottle that communicates 

With the help of a smart bottle, the most reputed Whisky Brand Johnnie Walker can not only know about its status (opened, closed, sealed) but can also engage with customers by sending them the tailored messages depending upon the bottle’s status. This innovative feat has been achieved with the help of Thinfilm Electronics that holds a strong position in the IoT market. It is intended to be used by the signature offer by Johnnie Walker.

Highlights

• With the help of this smart bottle, the Johnnie Walker can real the most suitable messages to align with the occasion or status. 
• A closed bottle, for instance, can suggest a quick weekend party idea to the consumer on Saturday afternoon or it can also be used to make the party merrier with occasion-based hilarious party specific content if the bottle remains opened for unusually long time indicating that a party should be going on. 
• This facility is available to the people who possess NFC equipped phones. 
• However, instead of marketing, such stunts are more useful for the brand engagement and gaining/strengthening customer loyalty.

Sing your way through Uber 

Apart from better brand engagement, allowing the consumers to personalize their experience as per their desire is another major way in which IoT can help the businesses. One case is Uber-Spotify collaboration in 2014.

Both the services are accessible through a Smartphone. Hence, the consumer who uses Uber is also likely to use Spotify. So the brands came up with a novel idea to enhance the riding experience of the user by empowering them to use the sound system on Uber cars for streaming the Spotify playlists.

Highlights

• This type of joint brand association can be a great way to boost the brand identity of multiple brands by identifying the common areas were the USP of both the brands meet and finding innovative ways to utilize the same for the mutual gains. 
• In this case, the Uber riders on long distances or the families riding for a picnic can decide to sign up for Spotify and personalize their experience. 
• Spotify gets a new user and Uber strengthened its customer engagement by offering them a better, more personalized experience.

Read More: 5 Major industries benefitted by IoT

Order Pizza from the comforts of your car

Another major example of brand association powered by IoT is that of BMW and Pizza Hut when they started a strong platform that helped the people to order the pizza right from the comforts of their car using a convenient ordering platform that could be activated by voice! This system was developed by the collaborative efforts by Accenture and Visa Checkouts payments and GPS was used for alerting nearest outlet regarding the order.

Highlights

• It is thrilling to have the ability to get a hot pizza as soon as you arrive at your favorite pizza shop. 
• It offered a dual advantage to both BMW and Pizza Hut while obviously benefiting the car owners and passengers. 
• The Pizza Hut could start preparing the Pizza at him right time so that the car owner should get it hot as soon as he arrives at the outlet. 
• It helped in enhancing the staff productivity and saved them from unnecessary workload during peak hours. 
• For the car owners passengers, it was a great way to save the time by deleting the delay period while waiting for their pizza to arrive after ordering. 
• For the BMW it certainly helped the company to offer a premium experience that could mean a lot during picnic times – the strategic times when cars are used the most. 
• The owners could utilize the service for making their experience all the more rewarding. Besides, there was also an element of status symbol attached to it. 

Conclusion

IoT is a great way to enhance the experience of the consumers and help them get the most out of their everyday devices like oven and fridge. At the same time, it also possesses the potential to help the businesses adopt the new and innovative ways to engage with the consumers in a better manner. With the right strategies, the IoT can be utilized by the businesses and marketing companies for effective marketing and branding strategies with maximum RoI by connecting with the consumers at the most suitable times and offering them the time/occasion specific ads/communication.