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Haptic: relating to the sense of touch, particularly the perception and manipulation of objects using the sense of touch.
Without any doubt, gaming and marketing came together seamlessly by 2024, as their partnership focused оn the success оf gaming.
Haptic: relating to the sense of touch, particularly the perception and manipulation of objects using the sense of touch.
Haptic information is the information we obtain by touching. A handshake or a pat on the back are examples of haptics. Other haptics include taps, vibrations, and even the sensation of pressing and releasing. Haptic marketing is a discipline that focuses on using tactile sensations to influence purchasing.
In the internet and e-commerce era, shopping is mainly done online, and we only get to see, feel, or touch our actual purchase after we have paid for it and it's been delivered. However, 56% of consumers surveyed recently by RetailDive said they still visit retail stores to see or touch products before buying online.
Although it seems revolutionary, haptic advertising is not entirely new; we have been exposed to it for decades. Our tactile sense was involved in every magazine we browsed and every TV we checked in the electrical store. Before the information era, people used to shop in person, and the haptic experience was integral to shopping—we touched fruits, felt fabrics, pushed buttons, and tried on clothes.
How color affects our brains in purchasing decisions is well documented and researched. Yet, the brain is not the only decisive factor in purchasing. Skin, the body's largest organ, also has something to say when it comes to deciding. We acquire and transmit knowledge through our brains and also through direct interactions.
The influence of touch is rooted deeply in consumer behavior. Research shows that the physical sensation of products, such as clothing or towels, can significantly influence purchase decisions. Haptic advertising takes advantage of the physical touches.
Mimosa Ryan
As phone users, we have already been conditioned to this technology: when our phone vibrates, we look at it. Product designers are including this technology to improve product value. The Lumo Sensor, for example, vibrates to prompt users to correct their posture. The vibration from Apple Pay notifies a user of a successful payment without the need to view the transaction directly. Haptic technology benefits the automotive industry, promoting safety by vibrating when the car changes lanes.
Examples of haptic marketing techniques include:
Each technique appeals to consumers and stimulates their sense of touch.
In the digital space, haptic technology, which simulates the sense of touch through vibration, is finding innovative uses beyond personal communication. For example, in a Stoli vodka ad campaign, users' phones vibrated to simulate the sensation of shaking a cocktail.
Similarly, Volkswagen's South Africa campaign used phone vibrations to mimic the revving of a car engine when users interacted with the ad. In both of these campaigns, the introduction of touch substantially increased engagement and conversions.
Kit Kat, the famous chocolate brand, took a creative approach to haptic marketing in Brazil. They installed "Have a Break" benches shaped like their iconic chocolate bars. These benches featured cuttings that resembled the Kit Kat's segmented design.
Passersby could physically break off a piece of the bench, simulating snapping a Kit Kat bar. The campaign aimed to reinforce the brand's tagline, "Have a break, have a Kit Kat."
In the Netherlands, McDonald's marketers created the "McTrax" placemat, turning dining tables into interactive DJ stations. The placemat featured conductive ink and touch-sensitive areas. Customers could tap the placemat to create music beats, remix tracks, and have a playful dining experience. The haptic engagement added an unexpected layer of fun to the fast-food environment.
Adriana Lacy
The TV network Showtime introduced a haptic one-minute trailer for its Homeland Season 4 premiere. The ad activated vibrations to simulate a bomb explosion. The make-believe blast appeared to shake the viewer's mobile device, giving the impression of a bomb detonating in the spectator's hand.
The campaign's goal was to drive app downloads. Downloading the Showtime Anytime app update allowed users to watch the enhanced Homeland trailer.
Additional tests showed that other sound-enhanced product metrics increased by as much as 40 percent.
This example alone shows the power of haptic in products. Tinder, the dominant online dating app, has a swiping functionality (swipe right if interested, left if not). The gesture has migrated to the physical world, where now swiping left with the thumb has become an understood and definitive gesture for rejection.
Advanced haptic technologies' future potential to allow touch within digital e-commerce spaces could bridge the current gap between physical and digital retail spaces.
By enhancing the user experience and creating deeper emotional connections, this technology promises to make our digital interactions more human and memorable – enhancing perceived brand image. With advancements, we could see a future where haptic technology allows for a much more tactile and personalized digital experience, potentially revolutionizing how we interact with brands online.
Without any doubt, gaming and marketing came together seamlessly by 2024, as their partnership focused оn the success оf gaming.
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