How Brands Are Using Digital to Spread Holiday Cheer

Brands are making the holiday season more fun and immersive by applying digital in smart ways. For years, retailers especially have embraced digital to inject interactivity into the holidays. But the rise of the digital economy and buzz about the metaverse has sparked a renewed interest in applying immersive technologies ranging from augmented reality to voice assistants. For example: 

• Snapchat recently launched the Snap Holiday Market, which makes it possible for businesses to operate a dedicated virtual store environment inside the popular app. Snapchatters can browse products and holiday deals in an augmented reality space custom-built and unique to each brand. Amazon, Coca-Cola, Hollister, Under Armour, Verizon, and Walmart are among the businesses joining the fun. For example, the Under Armour lens takes Snapchatters to a wintry, Olympic sized stadium where they can virtually explore – and purchase -- winter-themed gear. Coca-Cola gives Snapchatters a chance to hang with Santa. Amazon Prime Video offers a movie screening room featuring previews of new content such as The Wheel of Time.  
• Walmart launched the first shoppable livestream on Twitter on Cyber Monday. The event was hosted by celebrity Jason Derulo, who acted as a master of ceremonies, comedian, and brand ambassador for Walmart. All told, Walmart is hosting 30 livestreaming events during the holiday season, thus continuing a tradition for Walmart that began when the company hosted a live streamed shopping event on TikTok in 2020. 
• Amazon has created “Alexa in a Pear Tree,” which delivers an interactive experience through motion, sound, and lighting effects. Alexa in a Pear Tree features Amazon's Alexa and other devices like Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle. Through the experience, a consumer can ask Alexa to turn on holiday smart lights, call Santa, and play seasonal music. 
• A number of brands have been creating nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, to generate holiday buzz. For example, Macy’s launched a “Macy’s Parade NFT” series on Thanksgiving. For a limited time, people could bid on a chance to win a digital representation of iconic balloons from the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Proceeds went to charity. 

In these examples, businesses are: 

• Creating engagement – and fun engagement at that. 
• Including direct-response calls to action. 
• Capitalizing on the immersive attributes of digital. 
• Staying true to their brands. These experiences all connect somehow to each brand, perhaps the most notable example being how Macy’s has extended its iconic Thanksgiving Day parade tradition.  

Question for All Brands to Ask 

You don’t have to be a retailer to learn from the businesses creating holiday magic through digital. Any business with an audience – and that means all businesses, ranging from publishers to service providers -- should ask: 

• How do digital touchpoints such as Snapchat fit within my customer’s journey? Where are there opportunities for me to create engagement with my audience? 
• How might I create immersion online? This does not mean everyone needs to adopt an NFT or augmented reality experience. But the stakes are being raised for businesses to get more creative and interesting in how they engage with their audiences. For example, more than 90 percent of American consumers currently use or would consider using augmented reality for shopping.  
• How might I incorporate immersive technologies for multiple audiences – shoppers, job seekers, employees, and investors?  
• Where might I incorporate immersive technology – such as in events? Digital events especially open up opportunities to create engagement beyond the predictable talking heads online. We recently published a guide for digital events here.) 

Contact Investis Digital 

At Investis Digital, we incorporate technology into experiences such as events to create compelling and engaging content. Contact us to learn more.