How to give physical attractions a digital soul

We all remember as a child that first trip to the zoo. The excitement of seeing in real-life the animals which we had learnt about in books. The smell of the outdoors, the roar of a lion, and the enormity of an elephant or giraffe when you see it up close for the first time.

The re-opening of physical attractions this summer after months in lockdown was one that was eagerly anticipated. Yet whilst Google trends uncovered a spike in online searches for physical attractions, it was unclear exactly what the public’s intentions were - to actually visit them or simply to see what health and safety guidelines were in place?

The future is even more unpredictable, we’re potentially facing another lockdown and customer behaviour is even more upturned. Businesses which traditionally rely on physical experience - zoos, amusement parks and museums - need to future-proof and find new innovative alternatives to enhance their offering. The question is, how do you create the atmosphere and evoke the same emotions in a digital format, and in ways that will leave a lasting impression?

Don’t just replicate. Experiment and complement.

During lockdown, when the nation was confined to the four walls of their homes, many of the best-known tourist destinations and attractions jumped on the opportunity to allow people to experience their offering...virtually. 360-degree views and tours of museums, cathedrals, art galleries, theatres and outdoors landmarks - Louvre, Vatican, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Woburn Safari Park and even Stonehenge - were offered, encouraging visitors to still enjoy their much-loved destinations online. 

However, does this kind of experience deliver the spine-tingling excitement?

Where many businesses have gone wrong is feeling the need to just replicate the physical experience in the digital equivalent. In many cases, in a digital format, these came across as an almost soulless - lacking in atmosphere, and not evoking the same emotions.

"Where many businesses have gone wrong is feeling the need to just replicate the physical experience in the digital equivalent"

With today’s unknown future ahead of us, consumers are desperate for experiences that take them into a new emotional space. Providing an online replica will not connect with or create the emotional experience that the customer is expecting.

Predicting customer behaviour is tough at the best of times. Businesses have never faced situations like this before. Getting more comfortable with the uncomfortable, whilst easy to say but hard to do, is important for our future. Therefore experimentation should be trialled on a small scale to discover how to connect with customers digitally, before investing more into these activities. If done right, physical attractions can use this to their advantage to build and maintain their relationships with their customers, even when they cannot physically get to them.

The power of creating memories

When it comes to judging an experience, Professor Daniel Kahneman, author of the famous book Thinking, Fast and Slow, believes we recall it from how we felt at its peak - the most intense point - and at its end. 

We remember little things such as the smell of the food stands and the sound of the amusements or how long we had to wait in line to go on a theme park ride. Memories, both conscious and subconscious, play a key part in how we feel when we recall an experience - with the emotions they evoke determining if we want to experience it again.

"Memories, both conscious and subconscious, play a key part in how we feel when we recall an experience"

A 2014 analysis of the experience of 41 visitors to amusement parks by a trio of French academics found that emotions such as immersion, emersion and submergence are all key factors to incorporate. A careful blend of these three conditions will help to create a memorable theme park experience.

But how can these emotions which we physically experience, be transferred into a digital format? Customers do not expect to feel the same thrill of riding a rollercoaster or the excitement of seeing a wild animal up close. But they do want to feel connected.

A good example is Sketch Aquarium. This interactive experience allows children to use their imagination to draw and colour in sea creatures which are then scanned into a digital aquarium which is projected onto the walls. This virtual aquarium, powered by projection mapping technology, allows children to see their imagination come to life, emotionally pulling them into the experience. 

How sport is getting it right

The sports industry has been greatly affected by the regulations imposed by social distancing and is facing a bleak future in the current state. New strategies are now emerging as sports companies are recognising that sports fans will never be able to experience the atmosphere of being at a live game from behind a screen, and the need to continue delivering value to loyal fans.

• In English football, when the Premier League resumed after lockdown, fans were able to choose to have artificial ‘fan noise’ in the background. With all games televised due to being played behind closed doors, the idea was that it would enhance the viewing experience for football fans through the use of artificial sound.
  
  

• The NBA took a more visual approach, re-starting their season using Microsoft Teams Together software to display people’s faces on giant LED screens in the stands to replicate the effect of a crowd. Also allowing players to experience their fans' reactions in front of them in real-time.

But whereas sports has a history of being enjoyed through a digital format  - and this is accepted - these digital alternatives will never be able to replace the thrill of actually being in the game. But in the uncertain environment we are currently living in, it’s about finding moments that matter and delivering digitally, genuine value to the customer through new means. 

"It’s about finding moments that matter and delivering digitally, genuine value to the customer through new means"

Where to start - four steps to get your digital experience right

Revisit business objectives and customer needs

Given how affected we all are now and in the future, revisiting your core business objectives and marrying them up with your current customer needs is critical right now. Why now? Both could easily be outdated and irrelevant in today’s world.

Action: Re-visit your business objectives and customer targets, weighting them on the importance to the business in revenue. For each customer group, using the framework Jobs To Be Done (JTBD), map the purpose behind a customer's motivation in using your product or service. Without understanding the real and current driver - motivation - of your customers, you won’t be able to create a meaningful digital experience. 

Revisit your data

There is one advantage that most businesses have gained during the pandemic - data! Given the forced nature of conducting experiences online, the in-depth knowledge we now have on our customers is more extensive, and valuable than ever before.

Action: In collaboration with your data and insights, strategy and digital teams, map out the personal and behavioural insights you have available on your customer groups. Data without insights is worthless. 

"The in-depth knowledge we now have on our customers is more extensive, and valuable than ever before"

Prioritise needs

Coming up with creative ideas is not the most challenging part of this project, it’s prioritising which is critical. Not every super-creative digital idea serves the purpose. Generally speaking, businesses tend to make decisions too quickly, and on a hunch. Through decision intelligence techniques out there, you can reduce the risk of backing the wrong horse.

Action: By weighting relevant business objectives, customer groups and JTBD, you can easily prioritise the area that shows promise of the biggest impact in revenue.

Experiment

Now you have the area to focus on within your customer experience, you can begin experimenting with new innovative strategies and tactics to deliver your experience digitally. By knowing new, accessible technology that’s available, you can begin brainstorming mini-experiments to run. 

Action: Start small and move fast. Run mini-experiments to really challenge new ways to deliver emotional value to customers through technology, and get feedback! 

Don’t just look to technology as a way to replace physical experiences directly. Now is the time to try out new ideas as we are all learning to adapt to the ‘new normality’. Take advantage of this current mindset by staying fluid in your digital approach to customers. If recent events show us anything, it’s that often asking what can seem strange, unrelated questions, can surface that new idea which will help you tackle your challenge.