Merge of the Physical and Digital

In a world where technology is continuously advancing, brands are working to create a personalised seamless journey from the physical world to the digital for each of their customers. The term “phigital” comes from the merging of the physical and digital worlds.

An example of this merge can be seen at music festivals. A sign can be in a specific location for people to take pictures with, they are then encouraged to post their photographs online with a specific hashtag. This creates a relationship between the physical and digital world, the customer and the brand (the festival) and encourages potential new customers that see the photographs online.

Another example of the digital and physical world meeting would be Coca-Cola’s Freestyle machines. The machines allow customers to choose their drink and mix and match flavours. Through this Coca-Cola collect data that enables them to find which flavours and mixtures are most popular to find potential new products.

During the pandemic, these freestyle machines have been developed so that customers can control the selection of their drink through their mobile phones. This contactless use ensures that customers are not at any extra risk. Users are to scan the QR code on the machine to get the menu on their phones, from here they have control over the machine. Through having a QR code the customers avoid the inconvenience of having to download an app, ensuring enough space is available on their phone and having to wait for it to load. Coca-Cola created a hassle-free seamless experience for their consumers, demonstrating how the physical and digital words can successfully co-exist.

Another example of this would be in supermarkets with Scan & Go. The digital world has found its way into our weekly shops. This service allows customers to scan their shopping as they put it into their trolley/baskets to avoid long queues at the checkouts. Though this is convenient for a lot of customers there are some who enjoy the social interaction that comes with going to the checkout. However, looking towards the future, there will be a generation who grow up scanning their shopping themselves ultimately putting the checkout staff at risk of unemployment.

This switch from human roles to technology (physical to digital) is a good way of ensuring safety during the pandemic but puts the jobs of many at risk and minimises human interaction, something that young people can struggle with. What impact will this use of technology have on the younger generations?

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/news/pour-by-phone-coca-cola-freestyle-