IBM’s Watson IoT Global Headquarters, Munich, Company: Universal & Map. [Photo: courtesy Universal & Map]
When companies try to create “branded” experiences for their consumers, the results can be seriously cringeworthy. Anyone who’s ever stepped inside a company’s corny, hashtag-laden “activation” knows that’s not the way to make your brand more meaningful.
So what’s the secret to designing spaces that are actually useful and interesting to people, while remaining true to the brand? We asked honorees in the Branded Environments category of our 2017 Innovation By Design awards. These firms have managed to create branded experiences that don’t just successfully avoid annoyingly overt messaging and bad hashtags–they’re downright beautiful and impactful. Here’s their advice.