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Augmented Humanity Trends Report 2019
Augmented Humanity 2
“2018 has been another year of Over the last year we’ve witnessed This has impacts on everything from Throughout this report we aim to
enormous, constant change. With major the rise of a concept that centres on how we work and play, to how we highlight the benefits that technology
developments in areas like voice the relationship between technology experience art, to how we travel, shop, brings to our lives, but we won’t shy
technology, unattended retail, extended and humans and the way in which this spend our leisure time and engage away from the challenges.
reality, artificial intelligence and machine impacts our daily lives. We call this with our favourite brands. Crucially it
learning, our world continues to evolve. concept Augmented Humanity. So, also has major implications on the time We’ll explain why we believe that this
what do we actually mean by this? we spend on repetitive manual tasks is an important moment in human
Technology today plays a key role in that can be automated, optimised or history, outline some of the myriad
driving relevance, scale, and elevating Augmented Humanity is what happens digitised. opportunities that these developments
human experiences. The changes we’re when humans work in harmony with open up and shine a light on some
seeing have the potential to transform technology and machine intelligence These changes fundamentally impact of the challenges posed by these
fundamental aspects of our human to expand and enrich life, helping us to key aspects of our existence. As a developments. Crucially we’ll also
existence, helping us to live better lives. experience more and in deeper ways, to result we believe that this state of highlight why businesses can’t afford
It is our job to harness its wonderful make better decisions and to fulfil our Augmented Humanity is another key to close their eyes to change and we’ll
power and potential for businesses and potential as humans. stage in our evolution as humans. offer advice on navigating this new
brands, in serving people better. landscape in order to benefit in the
future.
More and more, intelligent machines We see this development as a
Our 2019 trends report shines a light are dramatically transforming how potentially hugely positive step for
on key themes for the coming year – we imagine our relationship with humankind. But we acknowledge that
and highlights the role that businesses technology. The dramatic speed of there are potential risks – some of
and brands can play in the age of development in areas such as AI and which we’re already beginning to see in
Augmented Humanity.” machine learning means that the master our daily lives, played out in the current
and servant relationship is shifting and political climate and the emergence
– Jean Lin, Isobar Global CEO we’re increasingly moving to a point of a backlash against technology
where we as humans work in harmony companies. After all, technology
with the technology that surrounds us. amplifies the good – and the bad.
Augmented Humanity 3
The context for change
If we look back 60 years and consider This modular, mix and match approach
Digital as a force for good?
where we thought we’d be in 2019, is much more appropriate for humans
it was a widely held belief that by with very individual needs and demands While the digital economy has driven growth and
this stage robots would now be – rather than a one size fits all solution. brought benefits to many, technological change
also brings major challenges. As part of Dentsu
rolling around our houses doing the Aegis Network’s Digital Society Index Report from
housework and releasing us from This approach now means that as
earlier this year, 20,000 people from around the
world were surveyed to determine their openness to
domestic drudgery. Like the Jetsons. a species we’re living in a state of technological change. The report found that just 45%
But that didn’t happen. Augmented Humanity where technology
of respondents believe that digital will be a force for
good. A further 57% of people believe that the pace of
scales our most human attributes – technological change is too fast.
Instead, it’s become obvious that a both good and bad.
Digging further into the stats revealed intriguing
large, multi-purpose robot isn’t as differences by country. China emerged as the most
effective as taking the components that optimistic country with 73% seeing digital as a force
As a result we now have faster access for good - perhaps explaining why the country leads
make a robot useful and incorporating much of the major advances in this area. The US on
to information that can help inform our
them into our own lives. the other hand was more cautious, coming joint 6th on
decisions. More and more, technology 41%. The UK finished in 8th on 40%.
also enhances our life experiences and
Overall, the report concluded that while people are
The features that those robots would allows us to interact and engage in generally confident that the positive impacts of digital
have offered now become part of our ways we didn’t know were possible. In technology will outweigh the negative over the next
five to 10 years (65%), when it comes to the more
indoor environments or integrated the right hands, technology increases specific measures of its ability to create future jobs
into everyday things. And so, instead our capacity as humans – and indeed (29%) and to address societal challenges such as
poverty, health risks, or environmental degradation
of a single machine that does many has the potential to redefine what it (42%), people are more pessimistic.1
things, we have many machines that means to be human.
each carry out small tasks, essentially
turning our environments into their own
connected ecosystems.
Augmented Humanity 4
Our five themes for
2019
We will be exploring five key themes
which we believe demonstrate how
the relationship between humanity
and technology is evolving. Each of
these has implications for businesses
and brands in the coming months and The evolving interface The human algorithm The fluid vs the collective self
years. How the intersection between humans How data can help us to better How the digital world enhances
and technology is changing. understand ourselves and enable personal and collective experiences.
In each chapter we’ll cover evolving better decisions.
trends and developments alongside key
learnings for businesses and brands
– and showcase some of the best
examples of these trends.
The trust paradox The transformed experience
How technology can help – or hinder – How Augmented Humanity enables
our understanding of the increasingly us to feel and experience the world
complex world around us. differently and in deeper ways.
Augmented Humanity 5 The evolving interface How the intersection between humans and technology is changing.
1. The evolving interface 6
First, we look at the starting point of
our interactions with technology –
The guiding principle
the interface between humans and behind these changes
technology. This is a key point in any
evolutionary journey – learning how to
is the ambition to
use tools more effectively. remove friction from
our interactions with
Developments in voice and gaze as
human machine interfaces allow people technology and brands.
to go hands free when interacting
with machines. The removal of this As ease of access continues to
physical layer reduces friction, opening improve, this will undoubtedly impact
up the possibility that we can access on our behaviours as consumers –
information as quickly as we can think something that should be of interest to
about it. all brands.
Undoubtedly the key discussion point
in this space over the last year has
been the growing importance of voice
technology. However we will also
be discussing major developments
like unattended retail which rely on
technology such as facial and retina
recognition to change the way that we
interact with technology in everyday life.
1. The evolving interface 7 1.1 Voice
1.1 Voice 8
It has been impossible to avoid talk of
voice technology in 2018 and there’s
While this doesn’t
no sign that this trend will slow down necessarily mean that as
throughout 2019. a species we’re ready to
Research now suggests that already abandon screens – some
20% of the US population2 has access voice assistants now
to smart speakers.
incorporate screens after Case study: Commerce-enabled voice solution for Bonafont
The popularity of technologies such as all – the move from visual Isobar Group Brazil created the country’s first commerce-enabled voice solution for
leading water brand, Bonafont. The application, called Bonafont Em Casa, allows
Alexa, Google Home and Xiaomi’s Xiao to verbal represents a customers to purchase water supply to their homes by voice command. Each customer
AI smart speaker are starting to make is served by the distributor closest to their home address. Delivery is made within one-
voice assistants a common feature in fundamental shift. and-a-half hours after the order has been placed, or by appointment if the customer
prefers, with payment also being made through the platform.
many households across the globe.
In addition to practicality and convenience the voice solution provides customers,
The development of this trend will Bonafont Em Casa was also designed to give more transparency to customers, giving
them the option to schedule the orders, monitor the status of delivery, and enabling
Elsewhere, we’re finally seeing require a new way of thinking about them to evaluate the quality of service of more than 85 registered dealers in Greater
podcasts deliver on their early promise brand identity, and calls for a new level São Paulo.
with the medium now firmly in the of creativity in voice search. Tellingly,
mainstream.3 Gartner Research5 suggests that voice-
driven search queries are on track to
become the dominant search mode for
We’re also seeing news media
mobile users.
experimenting by moving from print
straight to voice, as in the case of the
recently launched Guardian Voice Lab.4
1.1 Voice 9
Amongst other things, brands now need starting with “who”, “what”, “where”
to consider how easily product names and “how” has increased by 6% in the
translate for voice. The importance of UK since 2015.6
this can’t be understated. Many brands
have several different pronunciations.
This development will make natural
Brands must now consider how they
language search increasingly important.
can standardise pronunciation.
It’s also important to note that voice
Beyond this, tech providers need to technology will allow brands to have Case study: Voice-enabled cocktail solution for Diageo
resolve how to deliver results in a their ‘own voice’ for the first time. In Isobar worked with Diageo to create The Bar, an Alexa skill designed to help customers
work on their cocktail skills at home. The Bar enables people to create their favourite
medium where multiple search results this new world, brands will be forced to cocktails and learn new techniques using the Amazon Echo Show, tapping into the
don’t work. More and more we’re consider what they should sound like. latest voice technology and the visual functionality of the device. Users are presented
with three different options for a complete 360 degree cocktail making experience. The
entering a world where the first result This presents a great opportunity, but Bar is also enabled with commerce functionalities, allowing users to order the right
returned will be the default decision – also a challenge. ingredients directly through Amazon Prime.
resulting in the equivalent of the screen-
based Google “I’m feeling lucky”
The Conversational Canvas:
search. A tool for businesses and brands
The world of chatbots, digital assistants and smart
Voice technology is already speakers like Google Home and Amazon Alexa
fundamentally changing the way we is rapidly maturing. More and more brands are
using these platforms successfully, the number of
search. As consumers become more applications is growing exponentially and the user
used to having conversations with experience is getting better. But how do you design a
good conversational interface?
assistants, so searches will likely
Case study: Voice-enabled mobile banner for Godrej Security Solutions
become more conversational. Microsoft To help businesses and brands understand how to Isobar collaborated with Godrej Security Solutions (GSS) to launch India’s first voice-
research shows that we’re already do this better, Isobar Netherlands has developed The enabled mobile banner promoting the brand’s latest security camera. On Mother’s
Conversational Canvas7, a free template that helps you Day, GSS created an emotional digital video, #MomsJustKnow, focusing on maternal
seeing an increase in questions as part to design a digital assistant that really adds value. instinct. Isobar created a digital media campaign for GSS that leveraged the mother’s
of search phrasing. The use of queries lullaby in the form of a ‘Voice Driven Banner’ ad to trigger a video, which was executed
for the first time on a mobile device.
1. The evolving interface 10
1.2 The retail
interface1.2 The retail interface 11
When considering the Earlier this year, Amazon opened its
first Amazon Go9 store in Seattle. The
evolving interface, one launch brought to mainstream attention
of the most interesting the concept of unattended retail. Here,
shoppers pick up items in the store and
areas of development leave without paying. Amazon later bills
is in the physical retail the shopper’s credit card based on the
items they selected.
space.
While Amazon Go is the most high-
Here, changes in how we interact profile unattended retail launch in the
with technology and brands are being west, a number of retailers – particularly
driven by developments in facial, retina in China – are trialling similar systems.
and finger print recognition, driving
us increasingly towards the cashless From a retail perspective, this
society. development has huge implications for
the store of the future, with the capacity
Facial recognition is already playing to transform all aspects of shopping as
a growing role in the mobile space. retailers look to introduce increasingly
Counterpoint Research predicts that frictionless experiences.
more than one billion smartphones will
include facial-recognition features in
the next two years – that’s 64% of all
smartphones in 2020, up from 5% in
2017.8 This is a trend which is set to
impact many sectors.1.2 The retail interface 12
As a result of these trends, at Isobar They can introduce, cross-sell or up-sell
we’re seeing increasing demand for you in a language you understand. They
physical retail innovation from our can also temporarily remember your
clients. One particular area of interest to face and offer you a coherent brand or
us is in the global trade environment. product narrative as you move between
physical displays and product portfolios
In airport retail, it’s common to find a within the retail environment.
broad mix of shoppers from different
cultures, all speaking different Case study: ‘Shop as a design’ prototype for Clarins
languages. They might also be Isobar Taiwan created an experimental space to accelerate the idea-to-launch process.
The team launched a ‘shop as a design’ prototype in their NowLab space – Isobar’s
unfamiliar with brands that don’t exist global innovation accelerator – to simulate customer experiences, collecting data,
in their home countries. To address behaviour insights and experimentations to develop an innovative business process. In
this space, clients can experience the brand commerce process and learn how to use
this, clients with physical retail spaces digital technology to stimulate sales and optimize brand engagement.
often engage brand ambassadors to
explain their products. However, the
ambassadors can’t be there 24/7 and
they can’t all be master linguists.
To help with problems like this, we’re
investigating ways to augment physical
retail shelves with computer vision and
multi-lingual product knowledge bases.
With these, the ‘shelves’ can recognise Case study: Voice-enabled ordering for KFC
Isobar used Baidu’s NLP & UNIT to create a system designed to configure multiple
what products you’ve just picked up. scenarios based on users’ information. KFC’s brand templates, corpus, and Q&A library
were integrated to enable AI ordering. The platform allows consumers to interact with
the brand using voice and text through mobile devices. The AI barista then delivers a
quick service and user-experience, such as selecting food from a personalised menu,
adding food to a shopping cart, confirming orders and making payments.1. The evolving interface 13 What it means for businesses and brands: A word of caution Don’t lose sight of the visual A new canvas Convenience versus data privacy Despite the hype, it’s important to note While it’s true to say that we’re Consumer adoption of voice technology When thinking about developments that adoption rates of voice technology beginning to fall back in love with the opens up a rich new canvas for brands in the retail interface, a key issue that in the home still aren’t the runaway medium of voice and its ease of use, looking to communicate with customers will drive future conversations is the train that many would have us believe. as a species we still love screens. in new ways. Interactive narratives protection of personal data. Retailers True mainstream acceptance is still After decades of training ourselves to for example offer a glimpse into the still have a long way to go to convince some way off. Another important use screens, our brains are now very future of this evolving space. As the consumers that the sacrifice of consideration is that most of the conditioned to screen life. Humans are role of voice technology develops, increasingly personal data in the name development from the major tech also very visual animals. The idea that there’s no doubt that it’s creating new of convenience is an acceptable trade companies in this area has so far we’re desperate to untether ourselves opportunities for brands looking to tell off. Legacy brands are finding it hard tended to focus on the big international from the bondage of screens is perhaps stories in different ways. to gain a level of digital trust simply languages, meaning that there is work stating the case too strongly. So while because they are an unknown quantity to be done to make this a truly global it’s vital to keep ahead of evolving when it comes to gathering personal trend. Businesses and brands now interface trends, brands should be wary data from sensors. Starting off on the need to focus on testing and learning of losing sight of the visual element of right foot is therefore essential. so that they are geared up for success their branding efforts. when mass adoption occurs.
Augmented Humanity 14 The human algorithm How data can help us to better understand ourselves and enable better decisions.
2. The human algorithm 15
As we become increasingly reliant associated with the tech sector than
on digital technology, a necessary healthcare, have entered the market.
by-product is the data that these
interactions produce. In this chapter, Alongside digital healthcare start-
we’ll focus on how we’re finding ups, tech giants such as Google and
ways to put this personal data to use Apple are increasingly seeing health
to augment our understanding of as a growing area of their business
ourselves and to make our lives better. and bringing disruptive thinking to the
sector.
A key development in
The use of personal data also has the
this space is the way potential to transform our experience
in which personal data of a range of services we make use
of in our daily lives. As a result we’re
is now used across the seeing service providers across a range
health and wellness of sectors offering services tailored
to an individual level based on our
sector. behavioural data.
We’ve seen a recent explosion in the
number of companies with an interest
in healthcare. As advances in digital
technology have transformed the
sector’s ability to develop services
which are designed to inspire behaviour
change, new entrants, often more2. The human algorithm 16 2.1 Wellness
2.1 Wellness 17
A key example of this disruptive Wearables help in the process of
thinking has been the wearables space getting to root causes. Faced with
where a wide range of companies offer financial and resource constraints,
customers the opportunity to access healthcare professionals (HCPs) have
and analyse their own personal data, been relatively slow to this trend, but
making them better able to monitor all alternative healthcare and the health
aspects of their physical health from and wellness movement is tuned in to
measuring sleep patterns to monitoring these new technologies.
fitness and self-diagnosing illness.
Illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart
What we’re seeing in this trend is the disease and chronic pain conditions
ability for consumers to take control are all best solved with changes in
of their health data to make more lifestyle, diet and exercise. It may be
informed decisions about their personal the case that the giant leap in progress
care. is the technology to measure, diagnose,
and recommend made possible by
wearables, IoT devices and machine
More and more, people are taking learning.
their own personal health seriously
and using technology and the internet
to bypass doctors. The future will see With the rising costs of healthcare,
chronic health problems being solved and an increasingly elderly population,
by rigorous accession of data which will wearables of course offer a cost-
encourage changing health habits, diets effective solution to a growing problem.
and exercise routines, the lowering of
stress and the ending of addictions –
which people often don’t even know
they have.2.1 Wellness 18
Aligned with this, AI-powered chatbot As an example we recently worked with
technology is transforming the way Tivity Health in the US on a campaign
in which people interface with HCPs, to encourage seniors to lead more
putting less strain on public services active lifestyles. We also worked with
and allowing patients to take more Australian brand Sleeptite10 to develop
regular control over their own health a product that can help understand
decisions. movements and key biological factors
in the elderly when sleeping.
Machine learning is also being used Case study: Empowering millions of older adults to live healthier lives
more and more in the health sector, Tivity Health, a leading provider of fitness and health improvement programs, wanted to
increase new enrolments, member engagement and brand advocacy for their lifestyle
helping to improve patient diagnosis brand, SilverSneakers, the nation’s largest fitness program for older adults.
and care. Meanwhile, biometric
data has multiple applications in SilverSneakers is a lifestyle brand that “gets” active seniors. Their core offering is a
free fitness benefit included with most Medicare plans. Membership includes access to
the healthcare sector. For example, more than 15,000 fitness locations with specialised exercise classes for all abilities led
biometric patient ID allows HCPs to by SilverSneakers trained instructors.
quickly access medical histories and Using proprietary Emotional Science techniques, we developed creative campaigns
ensures that they are pulling the right specifically designed to empower the target audience, a key emotional motivator to
start a fitness habit. The result: Isobar increased the number of SilverSneakers sign-ups
data for the right patient. This cuts by 792% year over year. Campaigns were tested using Isobar’s proprietary research
down on time consuming administrative tool MindSight®. Biometric analysis showed how to further maximise engagement and
optimise messaging impact. Our solution included development of a customer data
work, allowing patients and HCPs to platform for audience segmentation, with feedback loops to update propensity scores
focus more attention on healthcare based on campaign analytics and attribution data.
solutions.
Isobar’s Consumer Engagement Management strategy also guides the brand
experience to drive sustained engagement with members. SilverSneakers marketing
At Isobar, we’re seeing more and more communications, as well as the website and blog, were redesigned to enable true
omni-channel integration for a multi-touchpoint full lifecycle experience.
demand for this type of work across a
range of clients.2. The human algorithm 19
2.2 Personalised
services2.2 Personalised services 20
A key development as part of this The connected car offers the
trend is the use of data by the financial opportunity to make use of a multitude
services and insurance sectors in order of data to augment our experience
to tailor packages for the individual. The of driving, from providing advice on
increased availability of real-time data improving fuel efficiency to remote
is beginning to help insurers tackle the coaching to prevent accidents and
uncertainty involved in assessing risks unnecessary vehicle wear and tear.
and premium levels.
Case study: AI-based distracted driver tool
There are also benefits Nine people per day die in the US because of preventable distracted driving, and 60%
of teen crashes involve driver distraction. In answer to this issue, Isobar in Detroit
for consumers who prototyped ‘Third Eye Drive’, an AI-enabled distracted driving assistant.
can take control of their The solution recognises faces and actions, tracks behaviours and rates level of
distraction, provides metrics, scores and videos of distracted moments in the mobile
premiums and decrease application. ‘Third Eye Drive’ uses machine learning to impact and celebrate long-term
behaviour change of drivers.
their costs by adapting
their behaviour.
Connected to this, the use of driving
data to improve personal performance,
efficiency and safety – and to improve
the collective experience of driving –
is a key area of development in the
connected car space.2. The human algorithm 21
What it means for businesses and brands:
The growth of connected devices Accurate predictions Data ownership
We’ve witnessed steady growth in the uptake of Dramatic advances in AI and machine learning Very real concerns exist around the security and
wearables as a means of tracking personal fitness and technology will see this area experience rapid growth ownership of this hugely personal data – especially
wellness. According to Statistica Consumer Surveys, in the years to come. Developments will make when thinking about how it can be used to assess
30 percent of US consumers own a fitness wearable predictive analysis much more accurate across a health insurance and life insurance premiums in the
and 44 percent use them daily.11 range of the services that we make use of. As a result, future. Trust issues around data are sure to continue to
in the healthcare space we’ll see an increasing interest be a major concern throughout 2019. As an example
in prevention rather than cure, cause rather than of this, Tim Berners Lee’s new project Solid is an
The future of this space will see more and more of the
effect. attempt to give individuals more control over their data
devices in our day to day lives being used to provide
in an effort to create a fairer internet for all.12
useful data about our daily routines. As more devices
become connected, expect to see the growth of
services built around understanding this data in order
to help people live better, healthier lives.Augmented Humanity 22 The fluid vs the collective self How the digital world enhances personal and collective experiences.
3. The fluid vs the collective self 23
A feature of the development of digital A knock on effect of this is a growing no longer so pronounced as people personal computing to a new
technology is the extent to which it has interest in personalised products, are increasingly more able to explore world of collaborative computing
enabled two very different realities to services and experiences which is different aspects of their character – especially with the advent of 5G,
flourish. driving a movement away from the through combinations of many different cloud computing, and easier access to
mass production which drove the decisions and choices. Augmented Reality.
On the one hand, humans can now industrial revolution. Instead we’re
enjoy more and more choice in almost moving towards a future of bespoke
On the other hand however, digital In this world, all interactions with
everything they consume. From production at scale.
technology has also enhanced technology can be social and offer a
products to music, we are now able to the human ability to enjoy group deeper connection to people and things
choose at the click of a button things experiences, making it easier for us to within the ecosystem.
which previous generations would have As a result of this connect with large, like-minded groups
had to work hard to hunt down in the drastically expanded wherever they may be in the world, The fact that digital technology enables
physical world. to come together and share a tribal,
range of choices, collective experience.
these two very different realities poses
major challenges for all brands from
Factors such as widely available we now have the a strategic and tactical perspective
computer components and
manufacturing efficiencies have driven opportunity to behave in This powerful capacity to appeal to the
human need for a sense of belonging
– and leaves serious questions to be
asked about the right approach on an
the rise of the maker movement much more fluid ways – allows big, established brands to reach individual brand level.
which has also benefited from the
availability of 3D printers, affordable making us increasingly a mass market seeking to rally round a
central concept and enjoy and be part
microprocessor platforms and open hard to categorise and of a collective experience.
source software. Companies that
previously couldn’t scale up to actually therefore hard to target.
Further, we’re beginning to witness
produce goods, prototypes or other
a movement from individuals being
hardware and software applications For those who seek out unique fixated on personal computers and
quickly are now able to do so – and experiences, old, easy tribalism is
much more cheaply.3. The fluid vs the collective self 24
3.1 Embracing the
individual3.1 Embracing the individual 25
The proliferation of digital channels has Membership schemes and
made it more possible for small, niche crowdsourcing now play a bigger role
players to target an interested audience in the creation of what feels like an
with segment-specific marketing exclusive, unique, authentic experience
messages – instead of using the mass for consumers. The guarantee of orders
scale ‘spray and pray’ method of old. through these schemes also allows
As a result, we’re seeing a growth in smaller players to produce the right
small brands which focus on issues amount of product for the right time,
such as their environmental impact, cutting down on waste and the need to
organic credentials and authenticity store unprofitable stock.
which are growing in importance for
modern consumers. We’re seeing similar changes in
product discovery with new digital
Connected to this, tools helping us to discover these
more niche products. This trend can
new business models be seen across all aspects of the CPG
made possible by space for example. In the drinks sector,
discovery apps like Hello Vino13 offer
digital technology allow consumers the ability to specify wine
smaller players to disrupt characteristics that they like and are
then matched with a wine tailored to
existing models. their requirements.3.1 Embracing the individual 26
Artificial intelligence is also playing This focus on creating personalised
a key role in personalised product products and experiences at scale does
development – at times in the most of course open up myriad challenges
unlikely places. for brands – especially those used to
operating in the mass market.
In the drinks sector for example,
artificial intelligence is now being
applied to the brewing process with Increasing levels of competition
companies like IntelligentX offering Case study: AI chatbot to recommend hotels
The Dentsu Aegis 2018 CMO Survey was published in
what they describe as the world’s first July, drawing on a survey of 1,000 CMOs from around HowRU is an AI chatbot delivered through WeChat to help users save time finding and
beer brewed by artificial intelligence. the globe and across industries. CMOs were asked: booking hotels in China. Based on voice recognition and NLP technology, the HowRU
“What are the key barriers you face when building chatbot is able to understand customers’ commands via multiple rounds of dialogue.
better relationships with consumers over the next 2-3
years?” At 56%, “increasing levels of competition”
The provision of personalised products was the biggest barrier to better consumer
Users trigger the chatbot by selecting HowRU in the WeChat menu or by saying “Hello
HowRU”. The bot responds with a greeting, and asks for details on where the user
is an especially developed trend within relationships. would like to stay, check in and check out dates.
the Generation Z audience who are
CMOs were also asked to name what they thought Using these parameters, the HowRU bot serves recommendations on where to stay,
increasingly open to giving up personal was their key strategic opportunity. “Using data including images of the hotels. Alternatively, if the user knows exactly where they want
details in return for personalised to reach real people” emerged as the number one to stay, the dates and how long for, HowRU can complete the full booking process
opportunity with 29% saying that the ability to using voice or text-based dialogue.
brand experiences.14 The growth of use data to reach real people, rather than proxies
personalised shampoo products is a or customer segments was the biggest strategic
opportunity over the next 2-3 years.15
good example of this trend.
In these cases, personalisation
becomes a form of social currency – a
way of obtaining something personal
which others don’t have.3. The fluid vs the collective self 27
3.2 Augmenting
the collective
experience3.2 Augmenting the collective experience 28
The other side of the coin is the extent This opens up major questions for
to which digital technology can help brands about what side they want to be
create and augment mass movements, on, but creates enormous potential for
where the internet is a tool which reaching individuals strongly invested in
creates increased tribalism. We have of a collective cause.
course witnessed this trend in recent
political campaigning tactics. This in
turn has resulted in the growth of more
politicised marketing campaigns.
Case study: Re-imagining China’s cultural history for KFC
KFC wanted to create a collective experience for young people in China. The Awaken
History with Technology campaign tapped into young people’s love of their country,
The ability to rally the millions is still drawing on China’s rich cultural history, while re-imagining it for a tech-savvy audience.
a key ambition of the biggest brands. Collaborating with the National Museum of China and acclaimed new media artist
Junting Lin, KFC sought to use technology to bring history back to life.
In essence they’re aiming to create a
crowd experience. Think of a major
music festival as an analogy. If the
whole event took place as a silent
disco and everyone had a unique
performance tailored to their own
personality, would it not be boring?
From a brand perspective then, digital
technology makes it possible to tap
Case study: A cutting-edge art installation for Shiseido
into and – in some cases – create mass
The Nuit Blanche festival’s 2018 program sponsor Shiseido partnered with Isobar
movements. Canada to bring a cutting-edge art installation to life that fused face-mapping
technology, reactive artwork, gesture and play to create a multi-sensory interactive
experience. The installation was fuelled by audience gesture interaction, inviting visitors
to manipulate a world of colour, pattern and sound and demonstrated the extent to
which evolving technology can enhance artistic experience.3. The fluid vs the collective self 29
What it means for businesses and brands:
Personalisation at scale Increased polarisation Striking a balance
As consumers continue to search out unique products The power of digital tools to help create and shape Brands are facing fundamental questions about their
and experiences, personalisation as a trend is set to collective experiences and movements has helped operating and marketing strategies. Marketing may be
continue and develop throughout 2019. This poses fuel increasing polarisation within society. This means moving to individualised spaces, but brands need to
new challenges and opportunities for all brands that brands are increasingly facing a choice about the think about how this fits with their ambitions to create
– big and small. In extreme cases it will involve a extent to which they want to be involved in important collective experiences. Will hyper personalisation lead
fundamental shift in supply chain processes. cultural discussions – and indeed what side of the to the erosion of the brand? Will humans soon have
discussion they want to be on. too much choice? Are the majority of people really
unique – and do they want unique offerings? Brands
need to understand where they sit when considering
the balance between doing things for everyone and
engaging in personalisation at scale.Augmented Humanity 30 The trust paradox How technology can help – or hinder – our understanding of the increasingly complex world around us.
4. The trust paradox 31
The rise of fake news and content We are still prone to buying into these In an increasingly connected world, mechanisms to keep us honest and
alongside developments like deepfake myths – but only until we can prove a brand’s advertising, products and leveraged new concepts such as
technology and advanced audio them to be objectively false. Digital services are now more and more digital certificates of authenticity
spoofing is making it increasingly technology gives us increased ability to interconnected and, as a result, enabled by blockchain to do so. The
difficult to distinguish between the fake lift the curtain and see the truth behind our relationships with brands have public ledger serves as a means to
and the real. these myths. After all, we live in a world changed. track transactions, but also any type
of online reviews and platforms such as of data that humans can benefit from
Trustpilot which offer us quick access auditing – locations, movement and
To help humans decipher the truth, in
the future machines will need to assist to opinions. Brands are now more ownership – leading us to assurance of
humans by augmenting our own ability than what they say. authenticity. In short, blockchain offers
an opportunity to provide the essential
to recognise the small details that make
us human – identifying patterns that act
However, just as we live increasingly in
a world of fake news, the problem of
Brands are what they do. checks and balances on our new digital
as signals of a false reality that perhaps fake reviews is growing just as fast. reality.
we can’t identify ourselves. As digital Consumers are now more cynical about
technology has made it possible for brands – and the stories that they tell. There are now a number of ways for
Recent research by Which?, the UK’s
us to manipulate the truth, so we will As a result, the brands that will flourish us to check the authenticity of brand
largest consumer association, shows
also need to use it to verify the truth, in the future will be those which move claims. Blockchain is one of these.
that 97% of people use online customer
leveraging machines to see through the away from unattainable mythology We’ll explore this technology in more
reviews when researching a product,
false veneer that has been delivered as and instead focus on purpose in detail throughout this chapter – and
meaning that £23bn a year of UK
a mask to false realities. order to create experiences that talk assess the extent to which it can also
consumer spending is influenced by
meaningfully and truthfully about the revolutionise the very business of
online customer reviews. However, the
Of course, advertising used to be about brand. marketing.
Which? research revealed that 31% of
building myths – for example the idea people had bought a product because
that buying a certain deodorant would of excellent customer reviews and had To ensure authenticity and truth in the
make us more attractive. subsequently been disappointed by it.16 digital world, we’ve come up with4. The trust paradox 32
4.1 Augmenting
authenticity4.1 Augmenting authenticity 33
With the continued growth of the global Similar technologies are being deployed
economy, luxury and FMCG brands across the food sector where food fraud
including alcohol, fashion and tobacco is a growing concern. The ability to
companies are increasingly seeking track and trace products from paddock
to protect their brand and develop to plate, allowing consumers to verify
systems that ensure local market the provenance of food products, will
compliance and product protection. therefore be a key trend to watch in the
There is also a need to tackle fraud months to come.
head on to ensure brand security.
Case study: Track and Trace solutions to ensure supply chain integrity
Isobar Switzerland helps ensure full compliance and supply chain integrity, bringing
over 10 years’ experience in helping preserve brand integrity. Since 2004 the team has
As an example, the global tobacco deployed the Track and Trace solution in 105 countries, on 400 production lines, across
company, Philip Morris, uses a suite 1,600 tracking locations.
of solutions with digital serialisation,
The solution offers packages and services to deploy, operate and manage track and
Track and Trace17 and authentication trace technology in the Tobacco, Luxury, Pharma, Beverage and FMCG industry
built in and deployed across over 400 verticals. Our tracking technology identifies, authenticates, tracks and traces finished
goods across entire supply chains – from factory, warehouse, third party logistics
production lines, across 1,600 tracking providers, up to point of sale. As products travel in the supply chain, movements are
locations in 105 countries. scanned by warehouse operators and logged in the journey history recorder.
Our expertise includes serialization, aggregation, traceability, product authentication,
application development, business intelligence and analytics, IoT, blockchain, ITIL
With over 10 billion items to trace, PMI service management, integration, training, and more.
is working with Isobar to ensure the full
transparency and integrity of its supply
chain, and then deliver exceptional
customer service.4. The trust paradox 34 4.2 Blockchain
4.2 Blockchain 35
Supply chain transparency Security of payments Blockchain in media and marketing
Beyond proving authenticity of Blockchain has the potential to There is much discussion within the
Blockchain playbook
products, we’re increasingly seeing transform the world of online digital marketing and media industry
companies turning to blockchain commerce, bringing with it the promise around the potential of blockchain In our recently published Blockchain Playbook, Isobar
technology in an effort to improve the of a future of increased security – to help solve issues of transparency, unpacks blockchain’s potential beyond value stores
and currency replacements, and in areas such as
transparency of their product offerings. and improved efficiency – for online privacy and fraud. It’s still early days, Supply Chain, Commerce, Transparency and Identity
payments. but a number of start-ups are making Management.
A good example of this trend is the progress on solutions to advertisers’
The playbook looks at blockchain in practice, and
online clothing retailer Everlane.com18 As the adoption of bitcoins and challenges, and 2019 will be a year of how it’s developing in high growth markets including
cryptocurrencies grows, traditional testing and learning. The programmatic Brazil, India and China. Isobar’s experts dive into its
which uses blockchain to provide a impact on the Media and Marketing industry, including
payment methods and operators are ecosystem is the primary area where
more transparent breakdown of how looking at Media Supply Chains, Transparency, Brand
facing disruption. One disruptor is blockchain has the potential to offer Management and Creativity.
much it costs to manufacture and
OpenBazaar, an open-source, peer-to- most benefit, with the opportunity to
sell their clothes. This allows them to For more information, download our Blockchain
peer network developing decentralised increase the transparency of processes Playbook here.20
provide greater pricing transparency to
blockchain utilities to connect buyers that can involve many third parties.
customers.
and sellers, without an intermediary and
the associated charges, and with no Due to the inherent relationship
restrictions on goods sold. Elsewhere, with cryptocurrency, it’s also being
CyberMiles offers a blockchain platform considered to bundle payment
for e-retailers that claims to be 20,000 facilitation across the different
times faster than Ethereum19, has a programmatic players. Identity
smart contract template for ease of management is another area of interest
development, and is free of charge for for marketers, as blockchain has the
standard use. It’s worth noting that potential to assist companies comply
many of these early bitcoins may fail. with privacy laws.
But many more will come in their wake.4. The trust paradox 36 What it means for businesses and brands: The future’s now Revolutionising marketing An omnichannel revolution To an extent, blockchain still feels very much like Blockchain has the potential to change fundamental The world of online commerce is set for dramatic an “on the horizon” type of development. But what elements of the business of marketing. The likely upheaval. There is potential for traditional online should savvy businesses be doing now to make sure common denominator is that it will be used to verify payment systems to be transformed as blockchain they stay ahead of this trend? Brands should be components of the advertising ecosystem across moves more into the mainstream. One knock on effect aware that the mythologies that they may have relied the supply and buy sides. The verification element of this is blockchain’s impact on online to offline brand on in the past aren’t going to be enough to convince will focus on the presence of desired outcomes like experiences. Instead of retailers relying on cookies consumers to buy their products any more. Instead, human browsing, attention, viewability and the validity and other customer identifiers to track shoppers embracing blockchain technologies has the potential of sites or audiences. across channels, blockchain, with its non-repudiable to help them prove the truthfulness and authenticity of logging attributes, could help retailers identify their product claims. customers easily regardless of channels.
Augmented Humanity 37 The transformed experience How Augmented Humanity enables us to feel and experience the world differently and in deeper ways.
5. The transformed experience 38
Beyond the practical applications of Another key area of future development
technology which help to make our lives will be in the telepresence and
easier, there are very real – but harder copresence space. As barriers to
to quantify – impacts that technology international business continue to be
can have on the way that humans broken down, the need to communicate
experience the world. more effectively across continents and
time zones has become ever more
As part of this, we anticipate a growth urgent.
in the uptake of hologram-like 3D
objects or content. As a result, telepresence and
copresence technology is developing
For example, the start up HoloMe21 dramatically, allowing individuals to be
“present” in multiple places at the same
works with fashion brands to allow
time. Spatial23 is a good example of the
consumers to test out items of clothing
possibilities in this sector.
in 3D visual space from the comfort of
their own home.
We will also see technology playing a
bigger role in enabling and improving
real world interactions. Hellofriend22
is one such example, a decentralised
shared economy for real life activities
such as meeting new people over
coffee. The company’s stated goal is
to tackle social isolation by connecting
people in real life.5. The transformed experience 39
5.1 Extended
reality (XR)5.1 Extended reality (XR) 40
As augmented reality (AR), virtual reality As an example of the possibilities of
(VR) and mixed reality (MR) have moved this technology, Isobar recently worked
increasingly more mainstream, at Isobar with the musician William Patrick
we’ve adopted the term extended Corgan to create Aeronaut, a fully
reality (XR) to more accurately capture immersive experience which invites
the possibilities offered by these users into a unique world allowing them
technologies. to experience the music in a deeper,
more personal way than ever before.
XR demonstrates how advanced Case study: A fully immersive experience for William Patrick Corgan
technologies and creative processes Staying in the music space, another New technologies have transformed the creative landscape – from how we design
are changing our own realities.24 Isobar project points to a future new experiences, to how we consume content. Musician and artist, William Patrick
Corgan wanted to debut his 2017 solo album ‘Ogilala’ with a launch that could support
where technology and art can fuse to his creative vison, so we created a first-of-its-kind VR experience that could bring his
create new experiences. By joining unique visual art to life.
XR allows users to temporarily inhabit together the Chicago Youth Symphony
and experience a world that may Orchestra Conductor Allen Tinkham
normally be closed to them – or indeed and artist Teek Mach, the Tilt Brush
be impossible to imagine otherwise. Concerto project created an additional
layer to traditional performance by
From a creative using VR to invite people to experience
sound in a new way.
perspective this is
genuinely revolutionary,
opening up the Case study: Transforming experience with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
Isobar partnered with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Tilt Brush artist Teek
possibility of truly Mach to create a live, large-scale, staged collaboration between music and room-scale
3D painting in VR. The Concerto for Tilt Brush and Orchestra was a brand new concept
augmented art forms. for the presentation of classical music. It combined music and art with the latest in VR
technologies to immerse the audience in both sound and light. The project pushed the
boundaries of what’s possible in live classical music performance, demonstrating how
technology can transform music.5.1 Extended reality (XR) 41
While this technology opens up
A Dutch Masterclass
revolutionary opportunities for mankind
and brands seeking to create more The opportunity we have in retail interfaces is to
meaningful experiences for customers, make emerging technologies seamlessly integrate
in the user experience. The challenge is to not force
until now brands have been hesitant people into a technology-enabled experience, but
to invest without a way to measure to look at ways technology can enrich the customer
experience. The starting point is to think of real human
effectiveness and justify the cost. needs. Fundamental needs don’t often change, the
technology through which they can fulfill those needs
will.
As a response to this, at Isobar we Case study: An immersive multi-platform showcase of Australia
In one particular case in the Netherlands we’re
recently launched the world’s first putting this thinking into practice. For a Dutch retail /
In awe of the depth and diversity of Indigenous Australian culture, Isobar partnered
with Red Dogs VR to create Carriberrie, an immersive multi-platform showcase of
virtual reality emotional measurement construction store, we’re building an interactive touch
Australia that celebrates indigenous song and dance. Nine Aboriginal and Torres
experience that helps people envision how they can
and analytics platform – which resulted style their interior in their home. What we learned from
Strait Island cultural groups welcome us on a breathtaking journey through their land,
encompassing the traditional and contemporary, giving us a deeper understanding of
in Fast Company naming us25 one of consumer research is that customers are insecure
Australia’s Indigenous people. Carriberrie is the biggest and most advanced 360 degree
about making design decisions. They don’t have
the top 10 most innovative companies problems collecting interior inspiration, but they have
documentary VR project ever produced in Australia, using immersive technology to
transcend cultural boundaries.
in AR / VR. a lot of difficulty envisioning what this inspiration will
look like in their home. This is a fundamental need we
can solve through 3D rendering of people’s personal
spaces, styled with their own interior inspiration.
In collaboration with the MIT Media
Lab, we co-developed a way to capture Another way we integrate technology in the user
experience is through the use of RFID. What we
and analyse behavioural data in learned is that texture and feeling physical samples
virtual reality with the aim of furthering is very important for people when it comes to interior
decoration. By adopting RFID technology in our
the understanding of the emotional integrated touch experience, we allow people to
response to content delivered in feel physical samples before they add them to an
interactive moodboard.
virtual, augmented, and mixed reality
experiences. These developments offer Case study: AR and facial mapping app for Philips
precise methods to measure ROI from The Philips Beard AR Grooming App is a proof of concept that uses AR and facial
mapping to enable users to try a range of trending beard styles in real time and learn
VR brand experiences. how to pull them off. In addition to AR, the service creates personalised advice with
AI-enabled facial analysis that assists men on an on-going basis to track their progress,
and provide tips and tricks on maintaining the desired facial style.5. The transformed experience 42
5.2 AI and machine
learning5.2 AI and machine learning 43
AI and machine learning provide
the hard computational rigour that
As a result, we foresee
runs throughout most of the exciting a future where humans
innovations in the digital space.
From a creative perspective, these
work in harmony with
technologies now offer enormous intelligent technology
benefits to help us make better work
by understanding human impulses and
to create work that truly
responses. Indeed, these technologies impacts on a human
level.
Case study: Using deep machine learning to create AI Zimmy
open up the possibility that some of the At Isobar’s NowLab in Shanghai - one of 16 global Isobar innovation spaces - multi-
work involved in the creative process disciplinary teams wanted to analyse famous songwriters’ lyrics by using deep machine
learning to see whether the technology could mimic signature styles.
can be outsourced to machines.
Advances in AI and machine learning
There were many great lyricists to choose from but the team elected to analyse lyrics
lie at the very heart of this discussion, written by Bob Dylan between 1962 and 2012. By entering keywords, the intelligent
There are many examples of how allowing us the capacity to test and algorithm then generated new sentences that mimics Dylan’s style. The project
this can be applied. One example learn from creative executions, helping showcases the power of intelligent algorithms, and how they can be applied across
industries.
is Tensorflow26 which uses machine us to create work which truly impacts
learning to remove some of the on its intended audience.
repetitive tasks from the design
process.
Of course these developments are not
without their dangers. But, as the title
of this report suggests, we believe that
technology has the capacity to augment
human creativity, rather than replace it.You can also read
