If you think that the Internet completely changed the way we live and do business, just wait and see the impact that the Internet of Things (IoT) will make in the next few years. According to the research, the number of IoT devices should reach 30 billion by 2020 but even today we are talking about hundreds of millions of already existing items based on this technology.
As always, brands and companies are eager to make the first move and exploit the new possibilities. For them, IoT is the ‘all or nothing’ situation because entrepreneurs who don’t embrace IoT as part of their business evolution will fall behind competitors quickly.
Marketing is especially important here as IoT gives you the opportunity to lift customer experience to the much higher level. For this reason, you need to learn how to brand your product using IoT. In this article, we will give you a few hints.
Improve customer experience
One of the biggest advantages that IoT gives marketers is the potential to drastically improve customer experience. Using nothing more than simple gadgets or wearables, you can make consumers more comfortable and add value to the overall notion of the brand.
For instance, Disney is using the so-called Magic Bands to unlock various theme park features. With this IoT tool, you can gain access to all premises, connect Disney Photo Pass to social media accounts, or purchase food and other commodities. At the same time, Magic Bands enable Disney to create special surprises for each user individually, based on his personal preferences.
But this is not the only type of IoT gadget. According to the recent study, wearable devices will surpass 82 million units in 2020, which is a 31% growth compared to 2016. The reason is simple – wearables will help you to learn more about users, giving you the chance to improve customer experience in the long run.
Strengthen social media presence
IoT can integrate customers’ offline and online activities, allowing you to strengthen the social media presence of the brand. For example, a product can have a sensor and make a post automatically whenever someone uses it.
With the approval of its owner, a simple football could let the Internet community know that there is a game going on at the moment. It raises brand awareness on one hand, while on the other it contributes to the social media activity of the user.
It’s a huge potential for every brand because digital network posts represent a powerful social proof, improving the word-of-mouth marketing. At the same time, it encourages user engagement, comments and discussions among friends, making the brand visibility even stronger.
Prove your point
A merger between products and the Internet has the purpose to make consumers’ everyday activities easier. Completing this integration, you add value to the brand. But as the marketer, you need to be direct and demonstrate the new value coming out of the product. You need to show buyers that this product is now better and more advanced, which significantly improves its performances.
This is what Tesla Motors did when they introduced the first smart car solution. The vehicle was able to upgrade software remotely and improve acceleration while the owner didn’t even have to move his finger. The only thing Tesla Motors did was informing the owner that the procedure has been completed – and it couldn’t get easier, more transparent or convenient than that.
Real time insights
What makes IoT so special is that it enables products to interact with owners in real-time. A product understands the habits of the owner and responds to his everyday needs at just about the right time. It can open the curtains wide early in the morning and make a cup of coffee at 7:30AM precisely.
Just like this Lenovo IoT mobile device platform, a product could turn on the favorite TV channel, give clothing recommendations according to the weather forecast, suggest the best driving routes, and many other tips. In this case, Lenovo smartphone provides people with real-time help, which is what your products should be able to do as well. And speaking of mobile devices, don’t forget to integrate branding strategy with the mobile app because most consumers will interact with the brand through this channel.
Don’t let them forget about you
IoT products have another quality – they can tell when it’s time for replacement, refill, or a new purchase. That’s why you need to use this and keep reminding customers of the brand. An empty refrigerator should inform the owner that it’s time for the new loading. And not only that – it will suggest the owner a whole list of items to purchase based on his personal preferences.If a shoe is torn, a runner should immediately receive a push notification with an offer to buy a new model. There are countless possibilities, so you just need to find out what works well for your brand.
Product details transparency
Product background is extremely important, especially for premium brands. People want to be sure that you are not selling counterfeits and IoT can get that burden off their backs. Every product can display an interactive map including all details about the origin and specifications. Consumers should be able to trace the production chain all the way to raw material suppliers.
That way, you can sell items as 100% original and authentic. For instance, your target group can consist of environmentally friendly buyers or people who protect animal rights. In this case, IoT allows them to see the ingredients and rest assured that they match the quality standard.
Generate new ideas
Besides being super-useful for owners, IoT devices also bring a lot of benefits to insightful marketers as well. One more way to exploit IoT is to accumulate and analyze customer-related information. Namely, IoT is collecting gigantic volumes of data on a daily basis.
According to the research, 1.7 megabytes of data will be created every second, for every person on Earth by 2020. IoT will gather most of this information and if you are able to draw meaningful conclusions out of it, you will have a chance to generate fresh ideas and give the brand a new boost.
Overcome privacy concerns
Brand credibility in IoT environment doesn’t only depend on the quality of your services. On the contrary, it is extremely important to make your customers feel safe and well-protected in the digital world. To put it simply, you have to overcome privacy concerns.
First of all, consumers need to know that their privacy is guaranteed. Show them that you won’t sell personal information to third parties or jeopardize security using cheap and inefficient data protection programs. If you can handle this requirement, you can count on user interest and increase sales. But if can’t do that, the brand itself will lose credibility and pace in the race against other – more reliable – competitors.
CONCLUSION
Marketing has always been a matter of creativity and trend-setting activities. IoT is one of the biggest challenges in that regard because it completely changes the way businesses approach target consumers and promote their brands.
In this article, we showed you how to brand your product using IoT and utilize new technologies to the fullest capacity. Make sure to remember our suggestions and put them into practice soon – it will help you to boost the brand and take your business to the whole new level.
As an active constituent of the MyMathDone.com website, Sarah is creating new content and maintaining it. She is also consulting young start uppers using her knowledge of commercial allowed matters, commercial off-the-shelf systems, merchandise and engineering.
