Cross Media 2013 - A review

Cross Media 2013, held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, was focused on advancements in Marketing, Digital and Print. The exhibition was light and full of space, never feeling too crowded despite the high volume of visitors. Seminars covered all manner of topics including metrics, segmentation, digital, social media and print innovation. I was particularly impressed with Gareth Davies – Head of Digital for Waggener Edstrom. Gareth tackled personalisation of content for your target audience with great humour. A likening digital media to the world of dating and relationships, creating a memorable and relevant seminar.

The show featured cutting edge Augmented Reality in action. My personal favourite was the caricature feature from Documobi Ltd. I was drawn by a charming caricature artist, filmed and photographed. This data was then applied to the app, where I could scan my caricature and access the digital content associated, with instant social media links. The pictures were a really light hearted but memorable way of demystifying the concept of AR. Another highlight was the Interactive Portrait from Specialmoves. The feeling of being followed by an inanimate object was disturbing but really effective. AR was the underlying theme of Cross Media and is key to the success of future campaigns. Linking print and digital for a truly integrated campaign, AR gives the target audience immediate links to additional content, purchase opportunities and social media calls to action.

I think it was clear to say that the kings of VR were Inition who demonstrated their Virtual Reality Skydive and Vertigo Experiences. This was the most popular stand at the show and was never without a queue. VR is the next big trend for experiential marketing says Inition. My favourite seminar of the day was the House of Print vs. The House of Digital debate. The speakers were passionate and knowledgeable, issuing their point of view with true force. The House of Print won with a vast majority audience vote. This debate truly represented the feeling with in our industry and the conclusion was that if print combines closely with digital, creating a holistically integrated campaign then this is far more effective than adopting either as a solo strategy. AR, VR and social media are easy to use and the potential to start conversation, encourage brand engagement and maximise ROI is demonstrably clear.

Top tips from Cross Media 2013 are;

1. Treat social media like a relationship. Long term relationships need targeted and effort and attention to grow.

2. Augmented reality is key to the integration of print and digital. With a little understanding and engaging content from AR links, audience interaction can be maximised.

3. Experiential marketing engages with the senses of your target audience to create an emotional response to your brand. Using consumer behaviour psychology, you can really create memorable brand engagement that your audience will share to their wider environment.

4.  Integrate print and new digital techniques such as AR to create a holistic experience for the audience. Clear calls to action can ensure your campaign achieves the desired results. 

 
5.  Finally make sure that you sense check all experience or emotional campaigns. Music and video can often evoke stronger emotional responses that still images. Ensure that your campaign creates the behaviour or feeling that you desire by testing to destruction before release.

Cross Media 2013 was a slick and well organised exhibition, with engaging seminars and a wide range of stands. The highlight for me was the special features, which clearly demonstrated the new trends and developments for 2014. I would have preferred all of the seminars to be informative, as two were distinctly aimed as a sales pitch, which was a shame, but the majority were excellent.

By Maria Parker - Harris

 Group Marketing Co-ordinator

The SPS Group

www.thespsgroup.co.uk

Cross Media - http://www.crossmedialive.com/

#print #digitalmarketing #crossmedia #augmentedreality #virtualreality #experiencialmarketing