Interactivity

Interactivity has become such a commonly used word within the I generation, almost every form of media is becoming interactive; we can be interactive through our phones, through the internet and even through our televisions. It can be defined as a mutual or reciprocal action or influence however over time many different definitions have been developed. We see ourselves more often than not being interactive almost everywhere we go, online we can take part is discussions, on game consoles we can talk and play with other people logged on and we can play games on websites. While the internet did open up a whole new world of communication and interactivity, technological advancements also mean that we can interact with objects, groups and people within our everyday lives.

Interactive media is also on the up rise and has been surprisingly successful with using experiences to reinforce a brands reputation; here are two examples of interactive brands:

Coca cola released these posters in France in 2009, it attracted an array of curious customers. 

Apple’s stores are allow customers to interact with products, staff and other users creating a familiarity with the products and allow room for opinions of the brand to develop.

The book Branding at the digital age by Herbert. M Myers says that loyalty can be lost at the click of a mouse and that we are finding that as technology develops more traditional brands need to develop an online and interactive presence and that online brands must also enter into traditional media types. Overall brands need to find a balance between being interactive and being traditional. This can be seen with PSA’s encouraging the use of online games to promote sexual health, Amazon straying away from online advertising and into print and other forms, with television stations asking opinions and at the press of a button linking you to new pages or channels, radios promoting discussions etc. By staying interactive it can keep a consumers interest.

While being an interactive is not the most important aspect of advertising it is becoming increasingly important, and also having positive effects on the brands images and relationships with consumers. A few weeks ago I had an experience with a brand that in turn convinced me that I should try the ‘product’. When home for Christmas I was shopping in Westfield’s and on my way to the bus stop walked past two teenage boys jumping repeatedly on a platform and waving their arms about like animals until the screen in front on then burst in to colour. Naturally I stopped to watch, while watching the next group of people I was approached by a woman asking me and my friend is we wanted to try, so we agreed, she then went on to explain it was a promotion for the browser Google Chrome and that we had to try and fill the screen with colour as fast as we can. So we did and now I have Google Chrome as my browser, although the activity did not relate to the browser it did lead me into conversations with a few friends on to whether it was worth downloading or not and after some positive feedback it turns out it was.