Forget giving loyalty points – gifting is the new customer retention strategy. As remote EVERYTHING continues to rise, keeping connected to clients and loved ones will be key.

Gifting companies had record breaking years in 2020 and 2021. 1-800-FLOWERS had record growth, along with startups like &Open and Gracia.

Many of our marketing portal customers have added gifts and merchandise to their sites.

Why Gifting MattersEmployees can order wearables that they want with gifted dollars as a reward for length of employment or going that extra mile.

It’s always a good idea to send “care packages” to employees that are stuck at home and feeling unappreciated. We mailed succulents, candles, Christopher Elbow chocolates and warm fuzzy blankets with personalized cards.

Our latest project is working with a local company to personalize cards that our clients want to send with their gifts that we warehouse here. They have many design templates for birthdays, holidays, Thank You for the Order or Welcome to Your New Home, that we can match up with an appropriate gift that they specify.

Some of our larger companies are adding the feature to their portal so that their salespeople, through their CRM like Salesforce, can send gifts or cards to their clients for special occasions or just because!

If you want to talk more about gifting options through a marketing portal, please give us a call!

Virtual RealityConsumer and Enterprise VR market revenue is expected to reach 6.71 billion by the end of 2022, and 12.9 billion by 2024.

VR, short for virtual reality, is software that immerses users in a three-dimensional, virtual interactive environment – usually by a headset, to simulate a real-life experience. Many VR experiences take place in 360 degrees.

Can you imagine an engineering firm being able to demonstrate what it’s like to walk into a building as if they’re really there? Many businesses are already using VR to demonstrate and promote their products.

The Difference Between VR and Augmented Reality

Before we dive into some examples of businesses that have used VR for marketing, it’s worth noting that virtual reality has a few key differences from another term you might be familiar with, augmented reality. Augmented Reality (AR) is the overlaying of computer-generated objects on top of the real environment. You still use some kind of display device and an application… The application recognizes some element in the real environment and then places objects (graphics) in relation to it with differing levels of interactivity. The biggest advantage of AR is accessibility. Everyone has an AR viewing device within their smartphone!

Seeking inspiration for your own VR marketing campaign?

Virtual RealityBelow are nine of our favorite campaigns.

  1. Gucci Town
  2. Sephora’s Try-on Kiosk
  3. Wendy’s and VMLY&R: Keeping Fortnite Fresh
  4. A Tribal Past: Bear River, a Nation: What can eeling teach us?
  5. Adidas: Delicatessen
  6. Lowe’s Holoroom How To
  7. Boursin: The Sensorium
  8. Toms: Virtual Giving Trip
  9. DP World: Caucedo

Participants can explore art and towns, virtually test makeup, transport beef to freezers, learn about other cultures, follow a mountain-climbing journey, inspire charitable giving, explore cheese and show property around the world virtually.

VR technology can be used in so many ways for marketing products and services… the only limiting factor is your imagination!