Today, the retail space has evolved from simply being a quick stop into fuller immersive brand experiences. Shoppers have turned into retail 'tourists' who are after an environment that exudes brand feeling, culture and relationship. It's a perfect opportunity to build on these offline brand experiences and initiate a lasting conversation online. When done right, it can result in deep meaningful connection with the customer and retain brand loyalty.

As you walk through the shopping mall, there are highly styled concept stores displaying latest promotions. Designed to make shoppers walk in, experience the brand's atmosphere and ultimately purchase. However, often that's where the connection ends.

On the other hand, corporates recognise the power of digital. They invest into social presence and email to nurture customer relationship. The visual merchandising on ground often don't work with the social team and this is where there is wasted marketing investment. Using cost effective Interlike platform, retail brands can link the social and visual department leveraging on ground activity to social connection.

After working with many retailers or brands in mens/womens fashion, footwear, technology, sports, beauty and more, we discovered the most effective way to fight this disconnect. And that is to create an environment where it is easy and simple for customers to share branded content created in store. By enabling this, brands can leverage the activity in store and maximise ROI.

Providing customers with an interactive booth enables them not only to engage with the brand on site but also continue the connection online when they leave.

Below are some brands that used Interlike platform to meet brand, social and experiential marketing objectives in retail.

Sportsgirl already have that online presence retailers love to keep up with. With their constant release of creative campaigns, loud brand personality and character, it's only right for their customers to feel like they can be a part of it too. Using Interlike technology they built a Sportsgirl Digital Photobooth. Located in Melbourne and Sydney flagship stores it allowed customers to create branded content of photos and live photos (GIFs) always tying in with their current above the line campaigns.

Not only did this fit in with their aesthetic which drove in foot traffic, it also enabled them to connect with the customer after they left the store. Their innovative thinking meant the branded content created brought in more organic reach, carried their brand #hashtag to travel on Instagram and facilitated them to collect customer database.

Clinique, trusted prestige beauty brand producing quality Skincare and Makeup worked with Interlike on below the line component of the #FaceForward campaign. The main objective was to bring the campaign experience to the everyday people in the retail environment and achieve deeper brand connection with their customers. View full blog here.

The campaign allowed customers to become ambassadors and also share their photo with their peers. People today do not engage with brands if they are not interested in them. They want authentic connection or none at all. Clinique tapped into something that was really important to their customers. It empowered young women to love themselves and share their feelings on Clinique's brand page. From this case study, we saw just how powerful personal connection is with consumers and why this should be a priority for marketing managers.