Much of modern technology has become universal, so the difference in the technology employed by various brands is not great. People tend to purchase tech items based on their design or the image of the brand rather than the technology the product is based on. Motivations for consumption have changed a great deal. Personal experience with products and the atmosphere of the store now play a large role in the decision making process. Companies' marketing strategies are changing and it has become more and more important to add a sensuous and relational element. Experience marketing which stimulates a customer's senses and reinforces ties between the customer and the business has become more common.
Various marketing strategies in the IT industry
One common type of marketing makes use of SNS (Social Networking Sites). Companies have started to announce new product releases via Twitter. They also invite power bloggers to comment on new product launches after providing them with opportunities to sample the products. When power bloggers post about a product on their blogs, the reviews reach a wide audience. These marketing campaigns have a word of mouth effect due to the nature of SNS.
Another method of marketing is modern and sense oriented collaboration marketing. This has led to companies with different characteristics in cooperating and producing goods. Today, IT companies commonly cooperate with fashion brands. For example LG Electronics collaborated with Prada and released the increasingly popular Prada phone in 2009. LG Electronics also released a lap top that was designed on Levi’s jeans and gave a jeans exchange coupon to its customers. Pentech and Dupont, released the Dupont phone.
Today's IT industry is taking special notice of experience marketing. Unlike previous marketing efforts, experience marketing focuses on creating experiences that stimulate a consumer's senses. Consumers respond to unforgettable experiences or memorable service rather than the listed advantages of the product. Therefore, experience marketing that gives experience opportunities directly to consumers is the wave of the future.
Experience marketing
One of the main reasons for the success of experience marketing is that the release period of IT products, with which new technology is developed almost every day, is very short. IT products are also expensive and designed for long term use. Thus, consumers are cautious when they buy IT products. Experience marketing presents a good opportunity for consumers to try the product before they purchase it.
Experience shopping is a way to deliver a distinctive experience to consumers. It is helpful to experience new products. From the company’s point of view, they can learn from consumer responses before releasing new products. The companies also induce purchases and announce new product releases. The atmosphere of stores, such as interior design, can be emotional marketing tools that are processed to create special memories.
T.um by SK
Another experience marketing method is the Theme park. One of the first examples is T.um developed by SK. T.um is a compound word of ‘T’ which is the lead brand of SK Telecom and ‘Museum’ which refers to an exhibition hall. The configuration of this park is divided into Play Dream and Play Real. The former shows the technology of future created by SK Telecom. Depending on their personal details and inclination, consumers can experience various situations. This space is based on a total of six themes. The latter is a place where you can experience diverse services and technologies firsthand that are provided by SK Telecom and its business partners. Moreover, sound and music are also composed as real-time responses created by visitor’s actions.
T.um is open from Monday to Friday and is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. The last Friday of every month is a regular holiday. There are four tours arranged daily, starting at 11:00 am: three tours are reserved for VIPs, and only one is for the general public.
If you want to participate in the tour, you can make a reservation on the T.um website. Then, you can visit T.um located on the 1st floor of T-tower and confirm the reservation at the information desk. Then you can receive a key. At that point, you must bring your identification card to receive it. Now, you will be able to experience the park in full. Under the guidance of a manager, which takes about an hour. When you finish the tour, you can evaluate your experience. The evaluation can be done by e-mail after you return your key. This place has different features from any other hall. One of the features is that only 20 reservations a day are accepted. VIPs are the primary target. Another feature of this experience hall is that it has been created only for experience: It was built separately, and it is difficult to gain enterance under normal circumstances. Although VIP customers are targeted, there are plans to expand the program to reach the general public. In order to make this a reality they will try to accommodate more people. Therefore, they are thinking of complementary spaces and securing more manpower.
The reaction of guests who have used the theme park has been generally positive because it offers service free of charge. In addition, there is the benefit of being able to observe current technology along with SK’s future technology. On the other hand, it is somewhat inconvenient because much of the technology is too future-oriented. Moreover, some consumers feel impatient as they are not allowed to experience the technology enough because of time limit.
Galaxy Zone by Samsung
There is also Samsung’s Galaxy Zone. The Galaxy is a smart phone that is produced by Samsung Electronics. This zone is located in COEX in Seoul and has a large transient population. Its accessibility is especially good because of its close proximity to the MEGABOX COEX. In addition to the Galaxy Zone, there are other experience areas. Accessories, such as cellular phone covers, are also on display, which means accessories as well as the electronics can be experienced together. Samsung has arranged their products and staff members in such a way that customers can experience the shop as well as the outside areas. The site is used for the product education of professional instructors in addition to experience.
This site is our country’s very first experience hall which enables consumers to experience the smart phone expertly. Consumers can experience the latest smart phones and receive information about applications. Sales have increased since consumers have been able to experience the technology in person.
Most customers responded that this format of experience made it more comfortable to use and experience the technology when compared to traditional general stores. Some customers responded that they were able to avoid a lot of difficulty because the equipment establishment was superior to other experience halls.
LOTS by Pentech
Finally, the experience shop LOTS is a new distribution brand of Pentech. LOTS is based on an online shopping mall format and has five stores in the Seoul area. LOTS is a combination of online and offline retailing and is the nation's first IT shopping experience place. The advantage of offline shopping is that consumers can test and buy products directly, and the advantage of online shopping is that there are no geographical boundaries.
Products bought at online shops can be returned and refunded in offline shops because the online and offline stores are connected. LOTS sells various brand name products including IT devices and relevant accessories. LOTS SAFE Shopping is also included. This service guarantees new goods bought from LOTS. LOTS also occasionally sponsors special events. The 'First Touch Event’ allows consumers to experience new mobile products not promoted yet. Some of these products include i Pad, sky Sirius, i Phone 4, and DellStreak. In 2010, LOTS also enabled the flight toy, Airdrone, operated on the i Phone. At first, LOTS was divided into a shopping area and an experience area. The experience area was limited to the 2nd floor, but now you can shop and experience all over the facility.
IT is developing every day at an incredibly fast speed. It is easy to see that experience marketing can allow consumers to easily access rapidly changing IT. This can help us to master the product easily through experience and also allows us to experience products that have not previously been introduced to us. Most consumers who have been able to have direct product experiences responded that it was a very positive development. In addition, we will have the opportunity to better understand what IT products fit us best and how they can enhance our lives.
