The power of the “phygital” concept: getting the online / offline worlds to complement one another

Having first emerged in 2013, the marketing concept “ Phygital ” is a portmanteau word, made up of the words “physical” and “digital”. In the time of Covid-19, it is making something of a comeback, and allowing us to visualize the creation of corporate events of considerable scope, while complying strictly with measures aimed at reducing transmission. With its live broadcasting service, Kinepolis is supporting phygital strategies!

The approach that reconciles the physical and the digital is… phygital!

Originally, the “phygital ” marketing strategy consisted in transposing certain digital practices into a physical environment. With the rollout of e-commerce, the objective was to extend a bridge between the physical store and the online one, by means of customized services, intended to support the customer’s purchasing route. Examples are the booking of online fitting sessions or indeed the option of paying with a Smartphone.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, the “ phygital ” approach has been widely rolled out to provide support for purchases, while complying with the measures aimed at reducing transmission and the store’s desire to provide good customer service. With the pandemic, “click and collect” is a perfect example: buying the brand’s products online and coming to pick them up in store, so as to avoid long queues and the costs associated with delivering goods.

Live event broadcasting with Kinepolis

In addition to the retailers who have a physical shop, there are some businesses that need to communicate with their customers, suppliers or partners without having a shop-window or storefront. And in the time of Covid-19, that task can prove pretty challenging…

For them, Kinepolis has rolled out the service of live event broadcasting, which fits in perfectly with the sanitary prevention measures, while getting the most out of the phygital approach. Specifically, it is possible to organise a corporate event, by hiring one of the screening rooms, getting a number of speakers to attend in person with a small audience (whose maximum size is directly dependent on the capacity of the room you choose) and, thanks to the live broadcasting of the keynote speakers, reach a larger audience remotely.

An ambitious corporate event in the time of Covid-19

At Kinepolis, guests attending our rooms in person benefit from compliance with the protocol for Covid-19: social distancing, hand gel, one-way system, etc. As for the online audience, they can reap the rewards of the high-performance recording equipment and excellent Internet connection in the auditoriums, so as to enjoy the corporate event in the best possible conditions.

Better yet, with its state-of-the-art technologies, Kinepolis can also support live broadcasting, by projecting onto the screen a comment wall, to get the discussion started, both among those present and with the audience as they follow the event on their screens. Their status as mere guests is transformed and they become active participants in the corporate event.

A cross between the physical and the digital, with phygital you get the best of both worlds, while ensuring that you can hold an event that is ambitious in scope, but that complies with the restrictions resulting from Covid-19.

If you wish to discuss a phygital initiative such as this in more detail, at Kinepolis’s premises, featuring live event broadcasting, even in a time of pandemic, don’t hesitate to contact the team at the cinema.