Engagement in experiences: what we can learn from Alice in Wonderland
Yes, yes, another article on experiences. Everyone is shouting about how everything has to be an experience nowadays, you have to immerse your visitors. Don’t you just hate it when they say that? It’s “inbound marketing” ten years ago all over. Actually, it’s exactly the same. The terms experience and immersive are hollow today, question is how to bring back the experience in experiences.
That is – for us – where Alice in Wonderland has always been a great source of inspiration. The way in which Alice discovers Wonderland and interacts with it is what makes her a changed person once she gets out. And that is what real experiences do: they change you or at least leave an impression. How can you do that, you ask? Let’s dive in with Alice as the main reference point.
Immersive experiences
What makes Alice’s adventure in Wonderland so special is that she can interact with the creatures in Wonderland. The animals talk even if it’s nonsense, but it helps her build the knowledge of the environment she’s in and it leads her way through this new world.
To be truly immersed in an environment you need to be able to interact with it. Technology has evolved enough for visitors to engage with the content of an immersive experience. Projection is no longer enough. It’s one-sided and the consumers’ expectations are rising. For now I would say a lot of the so-called experiences are valid immersive environment. But they are not truly an experience if the audience cannot interact with it.
The willing suspension of disbelief
Back to Alice. So Alice discovers that the animals speak. Playing cards are actually soldiers. And nothing from the real world is necessarily a truth in Wonderland. That is an important realization for Alice. She can only truly feel at home in Wonderland once she lets go of what she knows and completely surrender to the truth of the story she’s in. That is what the willing suspension of disbelief is.
An experience should do the same. You know why 4D cinema never kicked off (in my humble opinion)? Because when you go to the movies, you can feel like you are sucked into it. But then all of a sudden your seat starts shaking or there’s mist or water and that is exactly what makes you realize where you are. These elements were not incorporated in the movie as such and just pulled you right back out. End of the willing suspension of disbelief. You are right back in that seat in the cinema.
Content creation is important, but it has to make sense and it has to guide the visitor through the experience. It has to tell a story that the visitors want to discover and see unfolded as they are moving through it.
Engagement and interaction
A lot of people think Alice shrinks once and then grows once in the story. Actually, she shrinks and grows a lot more. Wonderland triggers Alice the first time with a potion and a second time with a cake. But throughout the story she thinks that whenever she needs to grow or shrink she can eat or drink something and she will change accordingly. When she has that part figured out she uses it to her advantage and navigates through Wonderland whichever size she pleases. Wonderland has presented her with assets to navigate through this world.
The interactive and engaging part of an experience should be just like this. Visitors have to discover things and use them to navigate through this world they are visiting. As a creator it is your responsibility to make sure your visitors have an itch to touch or test anything.
Fuck tech for tech
It’s not just about putting up a screen or using some fancy technology. It’s what you do with it that matters. And to be honest, it’s where we make the difference. Need help? We’re here!