Returning to the real world. | Willow & Blake

I can’t be the only person whose algorithm thinks they’re a friendless freak. I have been INUNDATED with ads for apps like Butter and Timeleft, promising to help me meet new friends. What distinguishes these apps from predecessors like Bumble BFF is their insistence on meeting in real life. They demand a dinner plan or scheduled activity to initiate a friendship.

The proliferation of apps like this tells us something: people are lonely, and online connection isn’t cutting it. Gone are the days when we’d wax lyrical about the wonder of technology, how it could connect us to friends and family across the world. Lockdown taught us that FaceTime and Messenger are nothing compared to the hit of dopamine you get hugging your friend, and AI is disrupting the way Gen Alpha form friendships to begin with. We’ve begun migrating to smaller social platforms to imitate the behaviour and feeling of a real social circle. It’s clear that, while we’re dependent on our screens, they’re not satisfying us socially.

E-commerce has been the defining feature of retail this Millennia. Heat-mapping, EDM flows, AOV, SEO, click-through and conversion rates are just a few of the recent concepts that now dominate the field of marketing. Even the term ‘brick and mortar’ only arose in the 2000s to distinguish physical stores from their increasingly powerful, online counterparts.

Plenty of brands have found it more effective to shutter brick & mortar and direct total focus to e-commerce (RIP Seafolly, you were a real one). Now the opposite is happening. Brands that began as e-commerce only are bursting into physical reality; Oscar Wylee, July Luggage and Adore Beauty, to name a few.

Physical locations have some obvious advantages; first off, they let people see/smell/touch/taste/hear products, building more confidence in purchase. And they (arguably) create a more pleasurable buying experience—the effort to go to a store builds up expectation, and the lack of shipping means gratification is instant. 

A store of one’s own is also an opportunity to expand the brand world into the physical. Camper’s physical locations are great examples of this; each designed by a renowned architect. Or Aesop, known for their pioneering approach to visual merchandising. These spaces reinforce the brand’s taste, values and associations.

July Luggage have masterfully turned their design-forward stores into venues for community-engaging events. They’ve hyped up their store openings so successfully (with rotating deals, stunning decor and new product releases) that they reliably see a sizable queue on opening days. 

REFY’s coffee shop in Paris was another example of in-person community. Instead of hosting an exclusive influencer event that their customers would only experience second hand via socials, the beauty brand created a pop-up for loyal customers to visit with cake, coffee, and brand-new products to browse. 

These real-life activations allow brands to meet the customers’ needs. From the emotional (to socialise) and the sensorial (to immerse themselves in real spaces) to the practical (to test and try on product). From a brand’s perspective, these experiences are so much more memorable than ‘click to add to cart’. It’s the kind of strong, flexible brand extension that creates a space in your consumers’ minds; one for you to live in.

Make it out of the group chat. If your business structure relies on a strong sense of brand loyalty, you need to invest in events, activations and pop-ups in the real world. Leaping off the screen and into people’s lives will help you claim a spot in their hearts. Keep in mind: collaborations and events are a long-term strategy. You can’t expect to flog too much product. But you can expect to see returning customers who are more likely to recommend your product or refer to your service.

Physical events, by definition, are constrained to a particular place. Lean into this by procuring from local caterers, bakeries, winemakers and artists. Connecting thoughtfully with individual locations helps you gain caché with the locals. If you don’t have anyone local on your team—seek counsel. And don’t worry if your US audience doesn’t fully understand the beauty of the Lulu & Me cheesecake you served at your Melbourne event. Not everything is for everyone.

And, finally, remember to foster social connections, not just photo ops. Consider group size, conversation prompts, and activities to quell the awkwardness. The reason people are craving in-person experiences is the unsatisfactory nature of online connections. If you can provide an opportunity for real-world connection, you’ll satisfy.