2025 CES Review: Beyond the Buzzword: The Rise of Consumer Experiences

by | Jan 8, 2025 | News and Event

Beyond the Buzzword: The Rise of Consumer Experiences

The discussion featured insights from industry leaders on brand experience. Christine McGuire highlighted Elf’s gender and racial diversity campaign, showing a 27% success increase with gender equality and 13% with racial diversity in boardrooms. Anne Bellow shared Coke’s emotional New Year’s Eve tribute in Quebec, enhancing brand loyalty. Mark Weinstein discussed Hilton’s innovative suite experiences, like the Paris Hilton-themed room. Michael Komasinski emphasized the importance of technology in enhancing brand experiences, citing Dentsu’s work with Adobe. David Anderson focused on leveraging AI and cultural moments to create memorable brand engagements, using Google’s partnership with “Wicked” as an example.

Action Items

  • [ ] Explore opportunities for Cirque du Soleil to incorporate acrobatic robots.
  • [ ] Follow up on the measurement framework and KPIs for brand experience initiatives across the companies represented.

Outline

Brand Experience Insights from Industry Experts

  • Speaker 1 introduces the panelists: Christine McGuire, Anne Bellow, Mark Weinstein, Michael Komasinski, and David Anderson.
  • Emphasizes the importance of brand experience in the era of AI and numerous distractions.
  • Asks panelists to share a memorable brand experience from the previous year that was not their own brand.

Memorable Brand Experiences Shared by Panelists

  • Christine McGuire discusses Elf’s “So Many Dicks” campaign, highlighting its impact on boardroom diversity and business success.
  • Anne Bellow shares a personal story about a New Year’s Eve program in Quebec, where Coke honored a legendary singer, creating a memorable emotional connection.
  • Mark Weinstein talks about American Express’s innovative headset experience at the US Open, enhancing fan engagement.
  • Michael Komasinski mentions the Olympics as a significant media event, with brands like P&G activating in creative ways.

Brand Activations and Customer Engagement

  • Anne Bellow elaborates on American Express’s entertainment partnerships, creating unique experiences like pop-up restaurants for card members.
  • Discusses the importance of connecting with audiences through meaningful IP relationships.
  • Christine McGuire talks about Tripadvisor’s research on travel preferences, particularly among young parents and college students.
  • Emphasizes the need for travel brands to understand and cater to different generational travel needs.

Adapting to the Experience Economy

  • Anne Bellow discusses Cirque du Soleil’s evolution to a 360-degree customer experience model, from shows to studios and collections.
  • Highlights the importance of maintaining creativity and quality across all touchpoints.
  • Mark Weinstein talks about Hilton’s innovative suite experiences, like the Paris Hilton-themed room, and the importance of integrating physical, service, and technology experiences.
  • Discusses the role of technology in removing friction and enhancing the guest experience.

Transformative Creative and Technology Integration

  • Michael Komasinski discusses Dentsu’s focus on technology enablement for brand experiences, using the example of their work with Adobe.
  • Emphasizes the importance of a robust tech stack and data identity resolution for effective brand engagement.
  • David Anderson talks about UTA’s approach to AI and its impact on creative processes and audience connections.
  • Highlights the importance of leveraging technology to enhance storytelling and audience engagement.

Balancing Human Creativity and AI

  • Mark Weinstein emphasizes the need for brands to focus on creating compelling content that resonates with audiences.
  • Christine McGuire discusses the potential for AI to disrupt and improve various touchpoints in the travel experience.
  • Anne Bellow talks about Cirque du Soleil’s use of AI to streamline talent discovery and management.
  • Emphasizes the importance of human creativity and understanding in creating memorable brand experiences.

Measuring Brand Experience Success

  • Anne Bellow discusses the importance of engagement as a key metric for brand experience success.
  • Christine McGuire talks about the balance between short-term and long-term business goals.
  • Michael Komasinski emphasizes the need for a holistic measurement framework at the enterprise level.
  • David Anderson highlights the challenge of measuring partially measurable or soft outcomes and the importance of having clear goals and measurement frameworks.

Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

  • Anne Bellow reiterates the importance of engagement and emotional connection in measuring brand experience success.
  • Christine McGuire discusses the need for a balanced approach between short-term and long-term goals.
  • Michael Komasinski emphasizes the importance of a robust measurement framework.
  • David Anderson talks about the challenge of measuring partially measurable outcomes and the importance of having clear goals and measurement frameworks.
  • Speaker 1 thanks the panelists for their insights and concludes the meeting.