ORBIT

Great example of an activity that happens in the relationship between customer and company, but is totally unrelated to the purchase or use of the product. You don't have to make origami out of the chopstick paper to enjoy eating at a sushi restaurant... but the paper's there so why not add a little value and meaning to the experience? And wouldn't it be cool if brands co-created this with customers by printing chopstick sleeves with patterns intended for origami? I noticed some customers have already come up with designs which use the pattern on the paper in creative ways.

Personalization has been a buzzword in product innovation and marketing for years, but many brands are challenged to find ways to personalize that are efficient, relevant, and valuable. Adidas succeeded in finding that balance—leveraging cutting edge tech just enough to create valuable personal take-aways for this shared physical experience.

Convenience stores + DIY food prep + social media = milkshakes as social currency. Imagine all the free marketing Chevron and F'Real are getting from this. What's the key? Customers become co-creators by making the shakes themselves, which makes stopping at a gas station into a shareable event.

Dangerous or negative things can occur in an ORBIT too. Shared interests often come with other shared traits or demographics, which can make customer communities a prime target for third party manipulation. Brands and products which are fostering peer to peer co-creation and communication should be aware of how those communities may be exploited. The challenge: finding the right balance of empowering customers to freely connect and managing peer-to-peer spaces as a reflection of your brand's Shared Purpose and values.

One way co-creation and shared purpose can show up between brands and customers is through supply chain transparency. It's interesting to see how blockchain can make it possible to offer supply chain information directly to the customer as they shop, with very little friction. We're curious to see how this data-driven conversation between brands and customers evolves, and excited to see the customer-to-farmer tip option facilitated by this tech!

Forbes highlights a trend in gender-targeted brands that are aligning with  socio-cultural conversations relevant to their customers. Especially appreciated this quote from a marketing executive:  “Brands must first look at their mission statement and ethos to ensure that the messaging they want to deploy aligns with their core. Consumers can sense when something isn’t authentic and it will instantly set up the brand for unwanted backlash.”

"All Porsche models have something in common: They have a soul. A certain feeling you get as a driver as soon as you get behind the wheel." Porsche knows that music is a major factor in shaping that "certain feeling," so they leveraged a partnership with Apple Music in a playlist representing their new electric vehicle the Taycan. Smart move in giving a digital vibe to this new-tech vehicle, while also adding to the ongoing experience of the brand as atmosphere.

Interesting use of mobile and AI to enhance a brand ORBIT around a shared purpose with little data

The long term relationship between tech users and sellers includes more interactions related to usage and repair than new purchases. Pulling more of those interactions into their ORBIT—regardless of where the products were purchased—is a smart move.

Talk about generating brand gravity—"I invest in brands who invest in me."