Digital changes the future every day

Amazon's latest innovation to hit the UK is The Amazon Dash Button. This physical button uses a household wifi signal to allow consumers one touch ordering of their favourite brands, from soap powder to loo roll. Products then arrive at their door within 24 hours. It may sound like a gimmick but launched in the US in 2015, Dash now processes around two orders every minute, with engagement on a steady increase. Domino's in the UK offer a similar 'emergency' order button, where those desperate for pizza can just hit a button to re-order their favourite deep pan in under an hour or tweet Domino's with the pizza emoji to place their usual order.

Amazon Dash button

Amazon are also investing heavily in drone technology and have recently been working with the UK Government to trial drone delivery, effectively offering a same day service. They are testing the viability of drones carrying deliveries weighing five pounds or less. Just think, you could order your shopping and have it delivered to your back door within the hour. It may sound like fanciful stuff, but brands and companies are innovating at such a rate that our digital world is changing and evolving at a pace it’s hard to keep up with.

With companies such as Uber and Airbnb, you can decide what taxi driver to go with and what you want to pay, you can decide where you want to stay and create your own experience.

Deliveroo allows you to order takeaway from smaller, more exclusive restaurants and LaundryApp arranges for someone to collect and return your dry-cleaning, cheaper than it costs you currently to take it to the shop. It feels like the consumer has never had so much choice.

3D printing has been bubbling slowly under the consumer radar, but what are the practical applications for brands? UK-Based Mink Make-up Printer allows you to print your own customised eye shadow, lipstick and nail varnish, and with costs from just over £100, it’s more than just a pipe-dream now for your average make-up junkie.

But what’s next? At The Marketing Society Digital Day 2016 on the 6 October at Summerhall in Edinburgh, Meabh Quoirin, the MD of Future Foundation, will look at some of the key Digital Trends for 2017 and beyond.

One area of interest, is the growth of augmented reality and virtual reality – the recent global phenomenon of Pokémon Go is testament to that. AR, VR and gamification is one trend that we are likely to see more of, with big brands like Thomas Cook, Renault and Burberry using them to deliver immersive storytelling to customers.

Closer to home, the Glasgow School of Art Digital Animation team will be demonstrating their kit and showing some of the ways they explore imaginative and novel uses of advanced 3D digital visualisation and interaction technologies. This will include recent commercial projects with Rosslyn Chapel and the Bannockburn 
Visitor Centre.

Digital is at the heart of everything we do and as consumers we are more savvy and demanding than ever, meaning brands need to constantly innovate to be heard in an increasingly busy and complex space.

Digital Day 2016 will explore a range of Digital themes for the Marketing Sector, from “disruption” and “growth hacking” to “programmatic media” and “SEO”.

For a full list of speakers and to register visit www.marketingsociety.com/events-gallery/digital-day or call Lux Events, 0131-466 7199. Elise MacDonald is a Director at Lux, event partner of The Marketing Society in Scotland