It is a longstanding tradition for companies to advertise their offerings and products to the general public for the purpose of sales. TV commercials, social media marketing and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are some of the common ways to popularise a brand because of their relatively straightforward and easy execution. However, these advertising strategies are limited in scope. They include little to no immersion value and can only seek to be successful through attention-grabbing visuals and addictive sound design.
As such, this calls for a new approach to marketing, one that envelopes the user in an entirely different world that is chalk full of touchpoints and experiences that promote the company. In-person events could accomplish that feat.
85% of consumers are likely to purchase from a company after participating in an event or experience. As the consumer’s five senses are fully engaged, it is only natural that they would be significantly influenced by what is presented at the event. However, events are not only limited to roadshows and conventions. There are also large-scale, permanent, displays of extravagance that expand the limits of what marketing can do. These are commonly described as galleries and museums.
A Showcase to The Public
(Singapore ArtScience Museum, source: teamLab.art)
The number of visitors to museums and heritage institutions jumped from 5.1 million in 2016 to 5.4 million in 2017. From Science to heritage to civil defence, these galleries have been erected to house vast amounts of information on their respective topics. It serves to amass information deemed to be of value into a single location for perusal from the public.
Singapore’s museums usually come in tandem with an agenda. The Singapore Art Museum prioritises the display of contemporary art pieces that originate from Singapore or Southeast Asia, while the Asian Civilisations Museum devotes their efforts into portraying the historical connections between diverse cultures across the globe. It is customary for local schools to organise an excursion to various galleries to educate the students through first-hand experiences. The most prominent example being a trip to Science Centre Singapore.
(National Gallery Singapore, source: straitstimes.com)
In recent times, museums and galleries have embarked on technological restructuring. The aforementioned Singapore Art Museum started a S$90 million renovation project to implement large-scale installations with more opportunities for interactive art pieces and multimedia works. The Changi Experience Studio, located at Changi Jewel, leverages Augmented Reality (AR) as its centrepiece to house a slew of digitally sophisticated exhibits.
Museums and galleries also give families and friends a chance to bond and simultaneously build up their general knowledge. Typical weekends for citizens here in Singapore consist of strolling through shopping malls and seeking out a hearty meal to commemorate the weekend. Instead of following the norm, galleries and museums serve as a unique choice to spend a relaxing weekend admiring exhibits and exploring the roots of humanity and society.
In retrospect, we can see how museums and galleries have evolved as technology evolves. The common misconception that museums are interlaced with dull displays and boring syllabus is a thing of the past as we approach the next decade. Galleries and museums are equipped with techniques to balance education and entertainment; they have the capacity to enrich the public on pertinent topics while entertaining their audience with interactive activities that embed engaging curriculum.
An Opportunity for a Business
(Merck Sharpe and Dohme Interactive History Projection Wall, by Trinax)
When we talk about galleries and museums, we often think of art galleries or national museums to acquire knowledge of Singapore’s rich history and distinct culture. However, these infrastructures have the ability to grant exposure to practically anything – so long as the company desires it. 9 in 10 marketers agree that in-store experiences improve customer engagement. This applies to galleries and museums as well.
While traditional museums and galleries serve the purpose of storing historical or cultural information, they can also showcase a business’s offerings on a larger scale. Rather than relying on conventional advertising and temporary roadshows, a gallery or museum that houses a company’s goods will not only benefit their sales, but improve brand awareness as well.
Constructing a gallery will be quite costly – planning, resources and construction work will all be necessary throughout the process. However, the return on investment (ROI) can be immense. An enormous exhibition solely dedicated to a company is something extraordinary and usually carried out by massive MNCs. Those that manage to create a praiseworthy exhibit will, in turn, attract consumers to their brand with their massive establishment.
(Changi Experience Centre – Garden of Harmony, source: iwandered.net)
To supplement an engaging experience, we can leverage modern technology to add a layer of immersion. Interactive displays and experiential technologies like virtual reality (VR) can be utilised to inject novelty to the gallery. Augmented reality (AR) and large LED touchscreens can be employed to advertise goods & services or play digital games.
If we want to sell our products and services, it is inevitable that we need to engage the customer. Companies that outperform its competitors in consumer engagement campaigns gain the advantage of being the first choice when deciding on which brand to purchase from; due to the brand occupying their head space, making it easy for the consumer to recall them. Developing an entire gallery for your audience to familiarise themselves with the brand is an assured way of making a lasting impression.
Singapore’s foray into the industry
(SG Bicentennial Experience, source: straitstimes.com)
As part of efforts to boost Singapore’s tourism industry, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a S$10 million fund aimed to boost visitor experience along with calls for proposals for tour development and technology initiatives.
A few years later, the Singapore Bicentennial event was launched to give insight on our country’s 700-year history. The vibrant gallery portrayed key turning points during Singapore’s formative stages and features replicas of trading goods and native plants to build up the realism factor throughout the exhibition. The event also employed a myriad of visual technology to convey Singapore’s meandering history in an engaging and appealing manner.
(JTC Corporation’s multimedia gallery, by Trinax)
JTC Corporation is a real estate company that frequently deals with investors and clients who wish to gain a better understanding of its previous projects, as well as gauge the suitability of JTC’s upcoming infrastructure in comparison with their own objectives. With the goals outlined, Trinax created a multimedia gallery to display JTC’s dynamic infrastructure – spread across Singapore’s landscape.
LED touchscreens and tables, comprised of horizontal displays, congregate in the showcase room where business partners can access key information on JTC’s past and current projects. Miniature sculptures of JTC designed buildings are also shown for the client’s viewing pleasure and assessment. With the inclusion of modern technology, their massive repertoire of clientele is effectively displayed through this 360-revamped multimedia gallery.
(The Maritime Experiential Museum, source: rwsentosa.com)
The Maritime Experiential Museum at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) boasts narratives about naval expeditions pertaining to Singapore’s history and the configuration of trade ships and their sailing mechanics. To supplement immersion into the museum, replicas of iconic buildings populate the exhibition, along with a life-size merchant ship that visitors can enter. The plethora of hands-on exhibits and woodwork aesthetic to resemble a shipping port gives visitors a unique experience that will pique the interest of visitors aplenty.
(Great Eastern – Circle of Discovery, by Trinax)
With an ever competitive industry, Great Eastern (GE) sought to create waves in the insurance market by harnessing the capabilities of modern technology. The objective is to create an agency recruitment centre that will elicit futuristic and experiential perspectives from visitors.
From a sliding LED touchscreen to a digital overview of consumers’ needs during different stages of life, the whole centre aims to provide visitors and prospects clarity and insight on how the insurance industry operates, as well as convey the benefits GE provides to its new advisors.
GE’s recruitment hub has a myriad of interactive activities to engage the prospect and entice them to join GE. Additionally, a simulation of a conversation between advisor and client is available for interested prospects to gauge how a typical conversation would go – utilising life-size touchscreens to facilitate the touchpoint. This provides much needed exposure and clarity that they possess the required skills to become a policy advisor.
The largest and most impressionistic touchpoint, named the “Circle of Discovery”, is a circular LED enclosure meant to amaze visitors with its sheer size and intriguing imagery. GE’s vast and rich history is put on display through a majestic time lapse video, highlighting key events in history and how the company has shaped current day Singapore as we know it.
Making a Grand Entrance to Consumers
(The Infinite Crystal Universe, source: teamLab.art)
The need for unique advertising becomes apparent as the marketing industry saturates and recycles pre-existing strategies. Consumers will instinctively tune out the monotonous flurry of predictable advertising that is constantly present through their everyday life.
Therefore, to make a grand entrance that is sure to gain traction and evoke curiosity among consumers, businesses should look to more unconventional and splendid marketing strategies. Enveloping a company’s business model with a gallery or museum allows them to make it their centrepiece in consumer engagement, showcasing their latest offerings through the channel. With such a huge investment into cultivating a personalised experience for the consumer, engagement and conversion rates are bound to soar.
Trinax is a frontrunner in creating meaningful and innovative galleries that are technology driven. We emphasise on creating a theme that complements the gallery’s objectives, allowing every touchpoint to be unified in a central theme and making the entire experience memorable. Our team of highly motivated and specialised creatives expand on the imaginary and make it a reality. As the audience takes in what the gallery has to offer, the messages it aims to bring across will be internalised into their hearts and minds, creating positive brand impressions and improving the brand’s overall image.
