Has ‘Experience’ Become a Buzzword?
Authenticity is something that could just easily lack very quickly. And I think the moment that you break that authenticity, that's, like, that's that's a huge negative for any kind of experience.
Laura Smith:Welcome to Prose + Comms, Engagement, Unplugged. I'm Laura Smith.
Brian Rowley:And I'm Brian Rowley.
Laura Smith:Today, we're pulling back the curtain on what experience really means. Is it substance or just a flashy buzzword? And are digital elements enhancing in person activations or just getting in the way? We have a special guest joining us today, someone who's been shaping brand experiences since before most brands knew what that even meant. They've made a career of creating activations that pull people into new worlds.
Laura Smith:Today, they're here to help us separate the meaningful from the meaningless.
Brian Rowley:I think most importantly, before we dive into that, let's have a little bit of fun. I think we should kick this off a little bit by doing I think, Laura, you and I talked a little bit about this. Our Marketing Wins and Fails. Right? And and looking at sort of those marketing moments that made us say, wow, that's actually really cool or what the hell were they thinking?
Brian Rowley:So in the spirit of today's episode, we're going to zero in on a couple of what we, I guess would say were so called, Laura, immersive experiences. I mean, if you can even call them that, right? But things that we thought were either like what we think is immersive or things that we were like, that really didn't work. Before we do that, I know for me, the one that really stuck out for me, and I know you were a part of this was last year at InfoComm, we went to the Sphere in Vegas. And that to me was sort of the ideal of what an immersive experience is all about.
Brian Rowley:Right? Because I think what was cool was we walked into it, both of us, and I don't want to speak for you, but I'm gonna for a We walked in, it was like, okay, that's really cool. It's a big screen. But I think when we sat down and they started to show that, I think postcards from Earth is what we saw. Yeah.
Brian Rowley:We were like, oh my God. Like they touched everything.
Laura Smith:Well, was also the sensory experience, right? It was all about the movement, the smells, the feeling of air. Like, it was just, yeah, I definitely had my nose up to it a little bit of like, how good is this gonna be? And I heard most people have gone to concerts there, so I'm thinking that might be really cool. But this Earth thing, maybe not, but it was unbelievable.
Laura Smith:It it was the definition of an immersive experience. It was
Brian Rowley:it was awesome. Because I remember we were, like, sitting there and at one point you were like, am I actually smelling like the the scent of a city? Like when they were going through that and we were just like, I think we really are. And then it was like, there was a mist at one point. And I mean, it was just such a cool experience.
Brian Rowley:So for me, that was a really big win. I know because when we were prepping for this, you had a very strong, let's say, feeling about a fail. Why don't you share that?
Laura Smith:Yes. It's I don't know if you all remember this, but last year in February 2024, there was this Willy Wonka immersive experience in Glasgow, Scotland. Now people bought tickets for, like, almost $50. People you know, these kids were so excited to go this immersive experience. If you think about it, I mean, everyone loves Willy Wonka.
Laura Smith:It's such like a cool movie to watch with all the candy and everything's flowing through the the streets and whatever else. And you expected it. People expect it to be really, really immersive. It was a joke. I mean, wish we could show you pictures here.
Laura Smith:I mean, Google it.
Brian Rowley:It was bad.
Laura Smith:It's so bad. It was like a blow up balloon in an arch way, and the actors even who got there were appalled that this is what they had to do. So it was it was just such a fail. And so, obviously, they shut it down midway through the day, so they didn't even complete it. And then supposedly, they were giving money back, but I'm not sure if they ever did.
Laura Smith:But it's like, don't know how anyone would even sell that as an immersive experience, and people were really, really ticked off. I think Yeah.
Brian Rowley:We do believe they did the right thing, whatever that was. Let's just add our little disclaimer in there.
Laura Smith:Right? By shutting it down.
Brian Rowley:And refunding money, let's just be clear. But I do think it was in, like, a warehouse. Right? Like, it wasn't like anything really.
Laura Smith:Creepy warehouse. So it was just you can't say this is an immersive experience and then and then produce that. So that's definitely a fail and obviously got a ton of press around it. So those are two basically polarizing experiences, which is a great segue into The bigger picture. The bigger picture about the experience.
Brian Rowley:The bigger picture is really about what really makes an experience experience worthy almost, right? Like, so in today's conversation, we're going to get into the heart of the meaning behind experience because honestly, it is a word that we hear constantly. It's in brand campaigns, it's at every industry event. But I guess, what does it actually mean to create an immersive experience? And I guess I would say, you know, and ask the question, is it real or is a term that's somewhat losing its edge?
Brian Rowley:Laura, you know, I mean, we had a similar conversations around like solutions, right? When solutions hit and I just thought that it was something that was completely overused. So I think we'll dig in today to find out, like, this whole experience thing taking a similar path? I hope not. But as we look at this, we'll sort of unpack a lot of that.
Brian Rowley:And we've got someone today who's here, who's been living and breathing sort of experience design for more than twenty years. And he's helped ourselves at BrightSign as well as other brands sort of create and turn ideas into actual environments. So welcome to the show, Bryan Meszaros, who is the CEO and founder of OpenEye Global. And he actually is here to explore with us sort of what it means to create these customer activations that are truly immersive. Bryan, so happy to have you.
Bryan Meszaros:Hey, guys. Thanks for having me. I'm super excited to be here. Just loving the banter already.
Brian Rowley:is my experience. Know Laura and I. You know what it's gonna be.
Laura Smith:I mean, this is right. We are who we are, so we're bringing it live on a podcast. I
Bryan Meszaros:love it. This is a great experience,
Laura Smith:though. Here we go. Okay, Bryan. Let's dig in. So, you've spent your career designing experiences.
Laura Smith:What does that term really mean to you? Experience, I'm putting in quotes, air quotes, experience.
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah. It's such a broad word too. I mean, it encompasses so much. But I think for me, I think it's you know, experience is creating a unique moment that someone feels emotionally connected to that is something that is memorable, that resonates with you long past the experience, but I think it allows you to recognize the moment that you're in and feel some type of connection to what you're visualizing or interacting within a space.
Laura Smith:So what would be an example of something that someone might call an experience that really isn't? Because we use we overuse the word.
Brian Rowley:We do.
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah. You know, I think look. I think there's a lot of brands and environments that will, put in displays and throw out flashy content and call that an experience. And I think it's misleading. Might be visually gratifying, it maybe conveys some type of information that helps them better understand about maybe what they're selling or information.
Bryan Meszaros:But I don't call that an experience. I call that a misuse of the word. Just good information that's relative to you where the point of engagement is at, but I wouldn't call that an experience. I think it's just missing, you know, there's no emotional connection, there's no storytelling element, there's no change of behavior. You know, just to put content on the screen, it's fine, I mean it serves a purpose, but to call it experiential or call it an experience, I think it's just wrong.
Bryan Meszaros:It's just wrong.
Brian Rowley:Bryan, are any trends that you're seeing? Like, I mean, you guys are designing those immersive activations, right? You're doing it for us. You've done a lot of work for us as an organization. And it's, I mean, it's amazing because, you know, I do believe that we all are storytellers, especially when it comes to things like shows and events.
Brian Rowley:Like what's the story that that brand is trying to communicate? So what are some of the trends that you're seeing that are actually working?
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah, I think a couple that I've been fond of and we've been trying to incorporate, you know, I love this idea of passive engagement to where you are using sensors or just your action through a space that's triggering something to unfold on a display to where it's, you know, it's taking a behavior that is already sort of natural, but that's triggering some type of action to take place. Know, it creates this sort of unique, you know, sort of engagement that is unknowingly and then unfolds. I just love the use in sensors just in general just because they're they're so more impactful versus you touching the screen. We're so used to touching the screen that does that really resonate? Does that do anything?
Bryan Meszaros:And I feel there's such great technology coming out that is enabling that ability to just interact or even have these, like, textile interactions. Like, I love when you just pick up something and that triggers, but you get to feel like if you think of like in retail like merchandising, they pick up a shoe or pick up a product and for that to react to that and tell you information about it, that just creates this sort of nice strong kind of engagement and experience too because I think you don't expect that kind of, you know, reaction to happen. You expect what's gonna happen if you touch a screen, you know an action will take place, but you don't necessarily expect something to happen if you picked up an inanimate object that has no digital element to it. So I love that. I love the evolution of where we're seeing AI.
Bryan Meszaros:I know that's, talk about buzzwords.
Bryan Meszaros:I think that has been thrown around, and I don't think anyone really quite knows just yet where it goes or what to do with it. But I love the idea that AI is helping to serve or deliver or alter content based upon conditions in a space. It's allowing those moments to be controlled but unfold unknowingly just because of data that it's seeing. So I love where that kind of plays into it. And we've been seeing too I mean, have a couple of projects we're starting to work on where I think AR is starting to come back into the fold too on another unique way of telling a story.
Bryan Meszaros:But it's done in a way to where it's I feel like there's so it's another buzzword. Feel like there's so many cheesy iterations of it, and I get nightmares of Snapchat vibes. And and you're trying to, like, circumvent that and tell a story without it getting to that point. So it's, you know, I think that's something else that I see as as a trend that, is happening. And also, think the last part too, I mean, it's just there's so many unique ways of telling a story on a canvas.
Bryan Meszaros:You know, it's so many different display technologies and creative ways of integrating it that is just opening up. So I think you take this innovation on display side, the innovation on how you generate and create content and use sensors and other triggers in an environment, like that all is just like a good recipe for crafting an experience.
Brian Rowley:Yeah, one of the things that I actually really like is, and this was, I forget, I was at some type, I forget the event that I was at, but it actually was, someone had said with some of the technology that's out there today, anything can be your canvas. And you look at what people are doing with projection, you look at people, what we're doing right at BrightSign, right, with digital signage. I mean, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's taking an expected scenario and creating an unexpected moment in that, that actually is the thing that actually creates that wow factor.
Bryan Meszaros:I love how you kinda said that the unexpected moment. Yeah. You know, I think that's what I think that's what anyone that's creating experience is driving for. It's just delivering that unexpected moment. It's it's playing up to it and it's it's setting it up for that.
Bryan Meszaros:And then that's that's what creates that experience. That creates that connection. And I think that is more of what an experience should be, is is designing to create that unexpected moment or that unexpected connection that really resonates with someone. And then it's just not, you know, it's not just retail. You see that a lot in museum and exhibit designs.
Bryan Meszaros:You see that even in certain, you know, transportation hubs too. I mean, airports of trying to deliver some of those moments to ease the pain of going through that whole process. And I think those are that's really where experience shines, you know, in that. And also too, you know, I think there's this other part too where like it doesn't have to be experience doesn't always have to be driven entirely by technology too. Like sometimes, the technology can be the background hero, you know?
Bryan Meszaros:It plays to the story, it does its job when it needs to, and you at the end are still experiencing that environment just through normal behaviors up until the point where the technology comes out and it adds that connected moment. So I think there's that part too, like balancing the both. You can kill an environment by just overdoing it, or you can really play it out nicely. Think know, Lori, you were talking about the Sphere. I think the Sphere is kind of like yeah, it's a good example.
Bryan Meszaros:Mean it's obviously the technology is the hero, but I think it's it's I don't wanna say it's subtle because it's obviously in your face all around to it, but they do a good job of balancing between the visuals and especially when there's a concert of the musical act tying into the visuals.
Laura Smith:Right. And I think as a consumer, I don't know if people are thinking of it as technology because we don't we because we live in the world of technology. Right? We think of that, and we're always intrigued by that and interested in it. But I don't know if everyday consumer really thinks they're they're that's an experience for them, and they're just having all the emotions and the sensory, you know, experience that that matters to them.
Laura Smith:But I guess that's a good segue because do you see the technology as a tool, or do you see it as playing a different role into creating these experiences? Like, is it like a tool in your toolkit, or is it bigger than that?
Bryan Meszaros:It's a good it's a good question. It's, you know, I guess in part, I see that
Brian Rowley:she's stole that question, Bryan. That was actually a question I was gonna good question.
Laura Smith:A great segue. Was that
Brian Rowley:is that all up
Laura Smith:for you? It's called being a professional podcaster. Oh. Oh, snap. Segue
Brian Rowley:seamlessly into
Bryan Meszaros:the Alright. That was good.
Brian Rowley:Look at that. Wow.
Brian Rowley:She's tough. She's tough, Bryan.
Bryan Meszaros:This is this is just season one.
Brian Rowley:Oh, wow. Just wait.
Bryan Meszaros:Wait until you
Laura Smith:get warmed up. I think so too. Sorry, Laura. Back to your question.
Bryan Meszaros:You know, I see it as a design element. I always try to say, know, I think technology needs to be treated as a design element because that way it ties into all these other attributes of the physical environment. But it is also a tool as well. I mean, it's a tool at your disposal to deliver a moment that you find impactful and to deliver something that is unique or some element of that storytelling process. So, you know, I I like to cut always kinda say leave with designing of the environment, thinking where the technology fits in as a design element, and then use it as a tool to really deliver that moment that you're trying to accomplish or that, you know that element of the story you know to the audience or the consumer you know it's just depending on the environment.
Brian Rowley:So Bryan to that point who's getting it right like you've worked with a lot and I don't want to put you on the spot. I mean but I mean, you see a lot of things, right? And I'm sure you see some things that are like, Oh, okay, we do this every day. And then there's other things that you're like, Wow, this is really cool. Who's doing it well?
Bryan Meszaros:You know, it's funny. Like, I this is really out there. I mean, I last so a year or so ago, talked about the Sphere. I I was at this experience. There's this restaurant in Copenhagen called The Alchemist.
Bryan Meszaros:And and it was it was it's it's like top five in the world. And somehow, got a ticket to my wife and I went to it. And it is this projected dome experience. And and the visuals on the dome pair with the food that you're eating. And the food is so theatrical because he's an activist at heart.
Bryan Meszaros:And so he's giving you food that tells a certain story about, you know, saving of the fish or like, there was one about the inhumane, you know, treatment of those that are producing chocolate, and the chocolate was shaped as a coffin. And on the screen above, there was it was like just that visual that paired alongside of it. That that was a very too extreme of an experience, but that one that always resonates with me still to this day. That's two years ago. Look, I mean, I I think once they're doing it well, I mean, I think you have some some really good agencies out there that do work on the museum exhibit side.
Bryan Meszaros:There's your Forte Fours, your Dimensional Innovations. I mean, those guys also focus on the physical side of it. I think we're doing as good as OpenEye. I think for our storytelling, you know, for some of our projects in in the theme entertainment side, I think we've we've cut our tops there in learning how to tell a story and then been translating that into brand experiences. You know, I think you have some retailers.
Bryan Meszaros:I know Dick's has been doing some experimenting in there. There's a house of sport that they're trying to, you know, implement these different points of engagement to tell the story of the product, which is I think is kind of interesting. I know Nike is always up there on the pedestal of unique environments. You know, I think where I see a struggle out there is people that consistently try to replicate that through multiple environments. Like, retailers struggle on that piece to go across all their stores on experience.
Bryan Meszaros:Like Nike is really good, but if you go to some of their smaller stores, that same experience doesn't exist. So then you'll kinda so then it's like an inconsistency delivery of of the brand. Mhmm. And there's ways to we all know there's ways to scale something down, you know, have a big marker if someone travels and then when they go back to their, you know, their home location, they see a smaller version of it. There's that possibility.
Bryan Meszaros:But I see a lot of I mean, I see a lot of really good themed experiences inside of museums and themed entertainment spaces. Like, you talked about Vegas, obviously, the Sphere. But, you know, Meow Wolf does a really good job of telling the story through a lot of theirs. There is there's a new one that popped up Miami, like Sonic I think it's Sonic Bloom or something that that's a new immersive kind of like an Arctic house that is that is popped up. Again, you know, a lot of the experiential ones that I gravitate towards obviously lean towards the exhibit design side.
Bryan Meszaros:Mhmm. There were some other ones too, like when we were in Barcelona, there was one that was near my hotel. It was like I forgot what it was, it was like a dome kind of experience that I ended up stumbling into. I know some of the Gaudi houses too had some stuff down in the basement too by I'm drawing a blank, forgot his name. But I don't know.
Bryan Meszaros:Some of those are ones that kind of resonate with me or as I kind of think about or go out there.
Brian Rowley:I think the thing that I always struggle with with it is when it's sort of a flash in the pan. And I think this is where the word and the term get lost because there are companies and brands that are committed to it, right? Like they're really all about making sure that it's an amazing experience, right? I think, you know, one that stands out to heart is always Disney, right? Disney does a fantastic job of making sure that that experience from start to finish is always there.
Brian Rowley:And then I think there's others that are out there that try to do that with a moment, but it doesn't feel right, right? Because nothing else that they do is really focused on overall experience. Right. So the authenticity part of it becomes like, what are we doing here? Because this just doesn't feel right.
Brian Rowley:And then there's others that really do. So I think it's something that people should be focused on. But I also think you have to keep it in perspective of who you are as a brand.
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah. I think the part you kind of hit on too is authenticity is something that could just easily lack very quickly. And I think Laura goes back to maybe, you know, if you treat technology too much as a tool, I think that's where the authenticity piece fades because you're relying too much on this, you know, object, the technology display or so to, excuse me, carry the story, and you're kind of forgetting about the audience. You're forgetting about the consumer. You're forgetting about what they want and what, you know, what are the attributes of a brand that attracted them to come here or stay loyal to it.
Bryan Meszaros:And I think the moment that you break that authenticity, that's, like, that's that's a huge negative for any kind of experience. Like, that's just you don't want someone leaving to feel that your brand is less authentic.
Laura Smith:Right. And I also think it's all about, like, going back to that. Like, this these are being these experiences are created for consumers or end users to obviously engage with a brand or have some type of influence on their decision making, or does it wanna engage further? I guess, do we think that that works for that purpose? Do you think it's, in some of these experiences, is that just, the wow factor?
Laura Smith:Like, that's really cool? Or do you think that these experiences can and do influence consumer behavior, whether that's to purchase more from a specific place or to go back more often because of that specific experience?
Bryan Meszaros:I mean, my honest opinion is I feel like at least experiences that less than half of them are are really designed to try to get people to come back to it, like, in some sense. So I feel like every brand is trying to engineer the next great experience, and then they overtry that. And and they just wanna spend money because they just wanna put something out there to create a headline. And I think it's it's more about the brand headline than it is about their own relationship with their customer.
Brian Rowley:Mhmm.
Bryan Meszaros:And I feel like that's why a lot of these are just unsuccessful because to be honest with you, mean, we all know, I mean, some brands just shouldn't do that. It's just not that's just not core to them. That's not core to who they are. They don't need that. I mean, they they have a different loyalty.
Bryan Meszaros:They have a different, you know, set of followers that gravitate to it. It's just and they don't need to show up for it. They don't need to overdo it. There are some that I think do make sense to try to, you know, add some activation or create some noise out there, but do it knowing that who their audience is so they stay true to the audience. Like, don't try to manufacture a follower for the sake of having a follower.
Bryan Meszaros:Just just play to who who knows you already and give them an opportunity to say, wow. You know, I thought that brand was cool, but wow. This is even cooler. Like, this is this makes sense to me. I now feel even more, you know, connected to them.
Laura Smith:It's it's all about it's I mean, I think it goes back to what you said in the beginning. It's about building connections, building you know, like driving emotion, like having that be what really is gonna resonate. Like, that's really what it comes down to experiences. It's not just, you know, checking the box.
Bryan Meszaros:And there's been there's been some I mean, I say emotional. I mean, there's there's been some experiences I've gone to where you I mean, you just feel that emotional connection, you know, coming out of it. You're like, I just witnessed, like, this I've gotten chills out of, like, this story. Mhmm. Just because it it it like checked the boxes.
Bryan Meszaros:It did something to me, and I'm like, wow. I have to do that again or I have to tell someone about it. And, you know, there's there's been those like, just there's been those retail moments where you've gone in and say, That that brand just delivered the wow factor and I just I have to buy something or there's something unique in there that I just want or, you know, I've gone through the experience and I just like, I need to do that again or I need to take my wife to that. Like, I I need to take the fam to that one. Know?
Bryan Meszaros:It's it's there's been some, and then there's been some too, like, like, you're kind of rattling off too. Mean, there's, we've all been to ones where you're just like, okay. All right. What, why not here?
Brian Rowley:A lot more of those, right? Like, I think there's a lot more of those. But the other thing that I would say too is, I don't know about you guys, but I always look at things and I'm always like, how did they do that? Like, I'm so intrigued by like, how did they make this happen and what are the pieces to it? And then even further, Brian, I know you and I have talked about this a million times, right?
Brian Rowley:You experience it at that moment, but then the follow on afterwards continues the experience. That for me is the trigger that's like, okay, wow, they really got this, right? They hit me at the moment in time, and then they got me afterwards, and that resonates with me. It always works. And I always buy something if that's the case.
Bryan Meszaros:Yep. Like, that's that's another art right there too. It's it's you got them hooked. You know, the narrative is there. Like, what do you do at the end?
Bryan Meszaros:Like, how do you close out the story? But
Laura Smith:I think that does become, like, a little bit how the in person experience then translates into a digital experience potentially Yeah.
Bryan Meszaros:Too, right,
Laura Smith:and then thereafter. But the one thing I was gonna say was it goes back to the unexpected. Because there's something about the unexpected because, Brian, you said it, Brian r. But at some point, our expectations are so high Mhmm. As consumers that, like, when are we gonna be, like, what's unexpected?
Laura Smith:You know? And I don't think we have to we can answer that right now. But I do think that's a that's a factor that we need to think about as far as, like, okay. Like, unexpected, you know, maybe only last for so long, or do we just continue to push the envelope and push it further in the industry? You know, and continue to do that as marketers, as creatives, as experienced creators, you know Yeah.
Laura Smith:To make sure that we there are always those unexpected moments.
Brian Rowley:Yeah. For sure.
Laura Smith:Okay. It's now time.
Brian Rowley:I feel like Laura's she's got a burst of energy now. Look out, Bryan. You're in trouble.
Laura Smith:Okay. Okay. It's time to crank up the heat. Ready, Bryan?
Bryan Meszaros:Are you ready, Bryan?
Laura Smith:Okay. We're gonna go back to the buzzwords topic, and we're gonna throw some right your way. So it's all tied to experience designs all in your world, and you just tell us if you think it's legitimate or it's just hype. You can literally say just legitimate hype. You can however you wanna respond to it.
Laura Smith:We don't have to go into much detail, but I'm gonna throw a few words at you and you let me know if they're legit or not. Phygital.
Bryan Meszaros:I hate it, but it's legit. I just I just hate the combination of the two words.
Brian Rowley:It sounds ridiculous, but I agree with I think it actually I thought it was gone, to be honest
Laura Smith:with you. I'm like, I used to,
Brian Rowley:like, say it a million years ago. I thought it wasn't
Laura Smith:a thing anymore. Okay.
Bryan Meszaros:No. Someone needs to put a bullet in it. It just
Laura Smith:I got it. Metaverse.
Bryan Meszaros:Oh, it's hyped.
Bryan Meszaros:Is it still around?
Laura Smith:I don't know. Are we in it?
Bryan Meszaros:I don't know. Are we in it? No. You know, it it's it's like a a couple of years ago, I did a a panel conversation about this at INFIOCOM, and I, you know, we talked about this, and we were like all like hyped up on it. And now, like, we just whenever we see each other, was on it.
Bryan Meszaros:Like, we talk about it and like, oh, what were we thinking at that time? It is God. It was a short lived, kind of, it was a short lived moment.
Brian Rowley:I will say it was kind of a cool moment, but I think what ended up happening was I think brands had a really difficult time trying to figure out how to connect to that audience, right? And make it like from the initial moment, carry on. So, I mean, I still am amazed that the term is even around. I just feel like it's gone.
Bryan Meszaros:I think it was a COVID buzzword. People were stuck at home and were so bored. They're like, I need something else to do. Please help
Laura Smith:We just said we were all in the metaverse. Yeah. If that's what you want to call
Bryan Meszaros:it. Yeah.
Laura Smith:Okay. Next one, authenticity.
Bryan Meszaros:It's legit. I I think it's it's it's the corner like we talked before. It's what people are striving for when they create these experiences.
Laura Smith:Okay. Personalization.
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah. Legit too. You know, I think with with AI coming into play, you know, it's it's it's helping with personalization of content and, you know, taking all those data sources that are already out there and and really, you know, creating and delivering contents, you know, tailored to you.
Laura Smith:I think it's like, that could be a whole other topic for a
Brian Rowley:I agree.
Laura Smith:Podcast because it's like to what extreme and all that. But yes, okay. And then last, emotional design.
Bryan Meszaros:Legit as well. Legit. I mean, we're all going it's like everything we said before. It's like you're all going after that emotion. Like, you want emotion to come out of your experience.
Bryan Meszaros:You you want that when you come out and you want that wow. You want that tear. You want that happiness. You you want all of that to to come out from from something.
Brian Rowley:I think it's probably one of the most difficult ones to achieve, though, at the same time. Right? Because you have to be careful. You can push and pull on certain triggers, right? Only so far before, again, going back to authenticity, right?
Brian Rowley:Starts to fall apart. So I do think it's a difficult one to be able to accomplish.
Bryan Meszaros:Yeah, agreed.
Brian Rowley:Bryan, thank you so much for joining us today. Obviously, you you guys do amazing work over at Open Eye Global and we can't thank you enough for being here and sort of sharing with us sort of what you believe sort of makes that experience one where it resonates with audiences and one that actually helps brands have a better attachment to to their customers. So thank you very much for being here.
Laura Smith:Yeah. My pleasure. Thank you for having.
Bryan Meszaros:This has been fun.
Laura Smith:Thank you, Bryan. We really appreciate it. We can't wait to see you at InfoComm. I'll be looking out for my invite to the party that Open Eye is hosting that I haven't received yet.
Bryan Meszaros:It's on its way. Wow. It's on its way.
Brian Rowley:Put them on
Bryan Meszaros:the spot.
Laura Smith:No pressure. All all three listeners that we have. You know where to find me on Wednesday of InfoComm.
Brian Rowley:No, Laura, I think that was actually, I think that was a really, really cool episode for a lot of reasons, right? Like, I mean, I think, you know, we all are around terms that we hear every single day, right? And experience is one that even you and I have questioned. Like, we ask the teams all the time, like, what do you mean by that? What exactly is that?
Brian Rowley:What are we trying to achieve and accomplish through experience and make sure that we're not taking it for granted and just using it as a word because it's one that's a buzzword that's out there. So I know for me, like sort of some of the things that we talked about those unexpected moments. Right. Things like the storytelling and uniqueness and all of those things, I think really key. I think things that brands should really be thinking about and laser focused on when they're trying to create those experiences.
Laura Smith:Yeah, I agree. And I feel like with Bryan, like we're so used to working with him as he's creating our content experiences for some of our shows. And it's just, you know, that we see it through that lens, but he's his eyes and his vision is all you know, every every experience he encounters probably, he's trying to see, how it comes to life. And I just think getting his perspective was really interesting. And I also think, like I said, we could probably have two to three other podcasts just about, you know, personalization or experiences or the expected or unexpected.
Laura Smith:So I just think it really kind of, opens the door for even further conversations in the world we live in every day, but sometimes we don't take that, like, moment to just talk about it and try to get different perspectives. So it was good to talk to him in this way and and not just on the everyday that we're we're talking with him.
Brian Rowley:Yeah. And I think there's two things for me that, like, one's positive, one's negative. Right? I walk away from this with a positive, and that is metaverse is dead. Right?
Brian Rowley:I think the negative is phygital is here to stay.
Laura Smith:I mean, it better be. Alright. Well, thanks for listening, everybody. Most importantly, if you'd like what you heard today, be sure to follow us. And you can find Bryan on LinkedIn, and you can find his company on openeyeglobal.com.
