SWITZERLAND/INTERNATIONAL. Research agency m1nd-set is to introduce virtual and augmented reality solutions that test shopping behaviour.
Called m1nd-set 360º, the service will launch during the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes next week. Switzerland-headquartered m1nd-set has partnered with research technology agency Checkmate VR.
The virtual and augmented reality solutions aim to help optimise key points of engagement throughout the passenger journey, from home to airline seat, m1nd-set said. The technology is used to analyse “near real-life” retail experiences, the agency said, enabling brands and retailers to better understand shopper behaviour.
A consumer research module uses virtual reality retail environments which enable m1nd-set to plan, research and test elements of the shopper journey. These are: store design, layout and signage, packaging, POS, display and merchandising, brand activations and both digital and printed communication.
“The research can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like,” said Checkmate VR Creative Director Robert Thorpe. “From simple heat mapping to complex conjoint studies, the VR research can be carried out online or through VR headsets, making it fast, flexible and affordable.”
The company’s patent pending ‘Scenario Manager’ technology allows every component to be controlled and changed in real time, offering the ability to test thousands of different iterations.
“This enables us to understand shopper behaviour at a level of granularity that has been impossible to achieve previously. It significantly reduces development time, eliminates prototyping and enables fast, efficient decision making before major capex investment,” said Thorpe. “In global domestic markets our system is being used by the likes of ExxonMobil, Estée Lauder, Hewlett Packard, Target Stores and Mars Pet.”
Among the range of products within the m1nd-set 360º portfolio is the ‘Playbook’ B2B app. It is described as “an interactive digital tool which provides an engaging visual platform to create and share insights, strategy and execution reports and best practice between central management, international retail operations and shop floor sales teams”.
The app is the first of its kind in the travel retail sector, according to m1nd-set. It works across mobile, tablet and desktops, with a content management system (CMS) which allows individual company users to upload the data gathered from the experiences of new product launches, brand activations and new store openings.
“Retail consistency is one of the major challenges facing retailers and brand owners in travel retail today,” commented m1nd-set owner and CEO Peter Mohn. “The financial benefits of increased conversion and spend are enormous, and can only be delivered by creating a great shopping experience every time.
“We are confident that the industry has reached the tipping point where this type of technology will become standardised in understanding shopper behaviour in research. Both retailers and brand owners understand the importance of delivering flawless retail execution; m1nd-set 360º will enable them to achieve it.”
