Emakina is a full-service Digital Native Agency that wants to build brand experiences that get the attention of consumers and incite them to interact with brands via a multitude of touchpoints (sites, applications, e-mail, social networks, television, radio,…).
The brands of today are the synthesis of all these experiences.

To meet this objective, a multidisciplinary and experienced team was put together. They are called Emakina/Agency. Strategic planners, planners, analysts, creative people and brand keepers will develop innovative brand experiences and make sure these experiences are coherently executed throughout all different communication channels.

Emakina/Agency will work in different fields: concepts, strategic brand advice, brand positioning, strategic planning, develop brand stories, create long-term dialogues with consumers etcetera.

Each brand will be managed by a brand keeper who will guide the client throughout all new media, will support him in his tactical choices and allow him to focus on his strategic objectives.

More information in our French and Dutch press release.

In het continu veranderende medialandschap wordt het steeds moeilijker om een duurzame relatie met de doelgroep op te bouwen. Daarom introduceerde Unilever Benelux een multi-brand community platform waarmee op basis van relatiemarketing wordt gebouwd aan trouwe klantrelaties in de Benelux.

Emakina ontwikkelde dit multi-nationale platform door en voor vrouwen: elke vrouw kan zelf haar steentje bijdragen. Het belangrijkste onderdeel van Yunomi is de online community waar vrouwen ontroerende, interessante en inspirerende  verhalen kunnen lezen of zelf schrijven. Ze kunnen er ook persoonlijke ervaringen, recepten en praktische tips uitwisselen. Uniek aan Yunomi is dat de leden worden beloond voor hun deelname: door actief te zijn (artikels schrijven, reacties posten,…) sparen ze Nomi’s die ze elk kwartaal kunnen inwisselen voor een leuke prijs. In de dagelijkse rubriek ‘Vrouw van de dag’ deelt een lid haar persoonlijk verhaal met alle Yunomi-leden uit Nederland of België.

De Interactive Media Awards worden elk jaar in de Verenigde Staten georganiseerd en bekronen de meest creatieve internetcampagnes ter wereld.

An original concept to remind us that only the quality of the campaigns will succeed in seducing the jury.

This online community, created and updated daily by Emakina, allows users to consult practical articles, share personal experiences and discover new recipes to save time or to be more efficient in their professional lives. Every day a member is put in the spotlight and gets an opportunity to share her experiences with the other visitors. For each type of interaction with the site, visitors receive loyalty points that can then be exchanged for product vouchers or gifts.

At the beginning of this week, Forrester published a study on LBSNs or Location-based social networks. Only 4% of adult US surfers have already used an LBSN service, and only 1% uses it at least once a week.

Although it is connected to Facebook and Twitter, the real interest of Foursquare is limited to the ego boost when one wins points and badges.

But back now to the enormous potential of LBSNs, especially when it comes to click & mortar strategies. We see two reasons for that. First of all, the mobile phone is gaining field in the buying process and context. In its 2009 study, called The Emerging Opportunity in Mobile Commerce, Forrester found that of all Americans having used their mobile to buy a product, 62% have used it to find a shop nearby with the product on stock. 42% used their mobile to look for information on a product in the shop and 39% used it to compare prices within the shop itself.

To those who can’t see what this may lead to in the near future, we would recommend they have a look at this demo by Pattie Maes of the MIT.

Retailers such as Fnac have understood. They offer a barcode scan in their mobile application. And they link it to their loyalty card system.

This week CardStar announced it would link its application with Foursquare. CardStar’s mobile application has already been downloaded over 1,4 million times. It offers the possibility to group physical loyalty cards in just one mobile application.

This functionality is interesting because it increases levels as the customer knowledge increases. The activation of the card is only done when a payment is made but when you link the app to Foursquare, it is active the moment you step into the store.

Just like an e-commerce site that can track the number of connections of a client and his or her interest in products, the interconnectivity between the LBSN and the loyalty card is the key to a better customer knowledge in the physical network.

Taking things still further, it could lead to an integrated physical and digital customer knowledge.

As a result, retailers but also restaurant chains should digitalise their loyalty cards and link them with LBSNs, whilst pushing offers that reward customers who flag their shop.

The LBSNs offer the opportunity to enhance the offer, service and customer knowledge: it would be a pity if retailers didn’t take it…

by Olivier Legris

post by Manuel Diaz

post by Manuel Diaz