As anyone who reads the news or pays attention to the national conversations knows, there are two contending hypotheses dominating our culture. The first is that people are more connected than ever, thanks to both smartphones and increasingly smart connected living technologies, which offer more ways to engage with content, people and experiences. Conversely, we’re hearing how consumers, driven by tech burnout as well as fears around security and personal health, are officially “unplugging” — actively installing ad blockers, shuttering select social media accounts or even just limiting digital activities.
For every available statistic you read about screen time usage going up in record numbers, you’ll find another about people being nostalgic for the simpler, low-tech days and searching for ways to reconnect. With both sides factual and surprisingly complementary, they are muddying the waters around the broader adoption of many new and emerging technologies. Take this article, for example, which covers research that includes arguments and supporting data highlighting the juxtaposition of consumers limiting their digital activities while being active participants in the world’s most dynamic digital economy.
This begs the question: Which is it? Are we more screen and tech-obsessed than ever? Or are we making concerted efforts to go back in time? The answer may be as confusing as the question. But it’s questions like these that marketers, myself included, need to be asking ourselves. With innovation being a central part of what my company does, my job is to help create and recognize these new ways of thinking, which gives way to emerging ideas and fresh insights to drive consumer interest and brand engagement.
For many, our phones are a direct line to the world. But for some, these always-on handheld devices are the anchor dragging us further and further away from the rest of society. The reality is that the majority seems to exist somewhere in the middle. With screen time not disappearing anytime soon, the real question becomes: Are consumers passively participating or actively engaging while on their devices? For marketers, this is an important distinction in how they reach and connect with audiences. Is scrolling just a habit to pass the time? Or is scrolling resulting in engagement?
Regardless of the answer, if brands don’t offer consumers a reason to engage more deeply, passive scrolling could represent a bland future for digital behaviors. Ultimately, the debate isn’t about whether consumers are or aren’t digitally connected, but rather, what consumers look to gain when leaning into these moments of connectivity. How can brands bring utility and purpose to each digital engagement, whether through technology or experiences?
A great example is Burger King’s recently launched quick-order app. It incorporates an augmented reality component that allows users to scan competitor OOH ads for a fun, interactive in-app experience (animation burns away the ad and replaces it with a Burger King ad) and receive coupons in return. Others, such as Adidas and Warby Parker, are testing Instagram’s in-app shopping features to enable consumer purchases directly into the app, turning a passive scrolling experience into a point of sale.
Ask yourself: What do consumers really want when experiencing my brand? Based on what we’ve seen in our work and research, most audiences want to be actively sought after, not accidentally “found.” They want a brand to know their likes, dislikes or even their preferred locations. They seek value, whether that be in the form of entertainment, education, experience or purpose. And most importantly, they are eager to participate in brand conversations as long as they believe it’s authentic and provides both a genuine conversation and connection.
The results of these engagements are stronger relationships between brand and consumer. This is creating a new paradigm where it’s no longer about how much screen time one opts into but rather how brands leverage that screen time for a more rewarding human experience.
