Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, but a critical business strategy for 2023 and beyond.
Globally, 95% of consumers consider a product’s sustainability to be important and 88% shared their intentional support for a brand that supports social or environmental initiatives.
But as climate change becomes increasingly dire, brands—together with the larger world—have also become aware of the environmental costs of technology and digital marketing. As much as 32% of an individual’s carbon footprint comes from advertising. And with $500 billion spent by marketers on advertising every year, you can understand how significant the industry’s impact on climate change is.
With that in mind, as both a digital agency and a certified B Corporation, we’d like to share some strategies for green-ifying your digital business and marketing efforts.
Create campaigns with a net zero footprint
Advertising-related emissions aren’t just already responsible for a significant portion of global emissions, they’re increasing as well. Between 2019 and 2022, emissions from advertising campaigns increased by 11%.
If you’re looking for a way to bolster a reduction strategy or to kickstart a sustainability initiative, marketing and advertising campaigns are a logical place to start.
One means of mitigating the impact of marketing campaigns is by offsetting them using a trusted provider to purchase carbon credits. We work with ClimatePartner, which helps us measure the impact of a campaign and source a sufficient amount of carbon credits to compensate for it.
By working with vendors like ClimatePartner, you can also walk through a few potential strategies for your campaign to determine what channels you can utilise that strike a balance between audience impact and carbon impact.
Build greener solutions
Tech is changing in more ways than one. Not only are innovations like Web3 emerging, so are ways of improving tech’s sustainability.
When it comes to cloud environments and cloud-based architecture solutions, providers like Microsoft offer options that can vastly reduce your carbon footprint. Compared to old-school on-premises data centres, Microsoft Azure is as much as 98% more carbon efficient.
Within the past several years, other cloud providers have also taken steps to increase their efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. To get a feel for how effective (or ineffective) these providers have become, it helps to use a metric called “power usage effectiveness,” or “PUE.”
PUE is expressed as a ratio, with efficiency increasing as the quotient decreases toward a value of 1.0. The average PUE for an on-prem data centre is 1.70, by contrast, Microsoft Azure has a PUE of 1.18.
Given these recent developments in sustainability, we’re now helping clients re-assess their architecture and build a solution that keeps sustainability top of mind.
By using a cloud environment based in Microsoft Azure, AWS, and/or Google Cloud, you’re not only able to build a greener architecture, but you can also automate key processes to eliminate overconsumption of cloud resources and better your system’s PUE.
Manage your carbon impact with Net Zero Cloud
Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud was launched last year to allow companies to report on their carbon emissions.
Net Zero Cloud is an easy-to-use system within Salesforce that uses a set of predefined emissions factors for measuring the carbon emissions associated with everything from the impact of your tech stack to energy consumption within offices to commuting and travel. In turn, it calculates the number of carbon credits you’ll need to purchase to offset your brand’s footprint.
Overall, the system does more than help you to measure and offset your brand’s carbon footprint: it also helps improve transparency with stakeholders at your brand and allows you to strategise your emissions reduction by testing various scenarios.
Having already implemented Net Zero Cloud for ourselves to help us stay on top of our sustainability goals, DEPT® has also become a Net Zero Cloud partner to help our clients do the same.
Encourage thinking about carbon
Thinking about sustainability can feel overwhelming at times. Let’s face it: every day the work we do in our industry inevitably puts more carbon into our atmosphere.
That said, by encouraging folks within your team and at your company to start thinking about carbon more often, you’ll find that many small-scale changes add up.
For instance, the video and content production team at DEPT® has started encouraging clients to donate £250 per shoot to offset the carbon emissions associated with the project.
Although the team isn’t able to measure the exact emissions associated with a given shoot, their mission to do good has made a difference. In total, they’ve helped raise nearly £12,000 for the Woodland Trust, a British reforestation project that plants native trees throughout the country.
By learning to think about your emissions output, you and your team will start to learn how to weigh your options and make choices or create new practices that help the planet.
The bigger picture
As consumers demand more from brands, many have taken it upon themselves to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions on a company-wide scale.
DEPT® achieved our own net-zero goal following our Climate Neutral Certification in 2021. As part of this certification, we’re required to measure our company-wide carbon footprint every year and offset it using carbon credits.
That said, should you choose to pursue your own large-scale net-zero goal, it’s important to remember that carbon credits are just a piece of the puzzle. They don’t erase your impact, rather, they’re a way of taking responsibility for them while you actively work on reducing emissions with strategies like those we’ve outlined here.
If you’re interested in partnering with an organisation to help your brand go net zero, we highly recommend Climate Neutral for their support in creating and holding us accountable in hitting our reduction strategy targets.
Interested in learning more about purpose and sustainability in 2023?
Download the DEPT® 2023 Trends Report.
Forrester recently published its “Now Tech: Global Digital Experience Services, Q4 2021” report to profile 37 digital providers that are helping brands with digital marketing, commerce and customer experience initiatives.
In their report, Forrester analysts Ted Schadler and Frederic Giron define digital providers as “essential partners to building [your brand’s] digital experience.” And digital experience means quite a lot. It embodies the combination of creativity and technology; everything from strategy, to implementation, to marketing, to optimization, and all that’s in between.
From our perspective, the digital experience is just as essential as your brand’s digital provider. Maybe now more than ever. After all, during the first three months of the pandemic, digital advanced the equivalent of ten years. A year and a half later, the world is now more digitally literate than ever before. And it’s only getting more so. To make it in a digital world, businesses must develop digital experiences to both meet the current needs of their customers and to future-proof their brand.
When shopping for the digital provider that will best fit your brand’s digital needs, Forrester breaks their recommendations down according to size. DEPT® is relatively small in this standing, at about 2,500 employees compared to 25,000 at large providers.
That said, what is the benefit of making your essential partner in creating digital experiences a comparatively small provider?
Forrester reports that, unlike the large and mid-sized digital counterparts, “Smaller providers generally don’t have the breadth or scale but may offer specialties that the bigger players don’t provide.”
Other major research firms confirm the value of a specialized digital experience. Mckinsey notes that a highly personalized, individual approach to a customer experience – particularly when a brand’s customer base is in the millions – boosts customer loyalty and gives that brand a competitive edge that is hard to imitate. And Harvard Business Review observes that in a world where digital feels almost ubiquitous, “there is no satisfactory excuse for a poor digital experience.” In short, if a brand does not successfully meet or surpass a customer’s digital expectations, they’re quick to move on. After all, countless other brands are just a quick search away.
We can also confirm the value of the specialized digital experience because we are highly specialized. Because “small” certainly does not mean that pushing out amazing global digital experiences is beyond our capability. Whether it’s the unique AR filter & branded hashtag we created for ASOS that generated over 1.2 billion views in just three weeks, the Lovie-nominated virtual landscape we were tasked with creating for the Eurovision Song Contest, or our work for Philips’s “Right under your nose” campaign to raise awareness of men’s health issues, we believe that specialized digital experiences work really, really well.
More Insights?
View all Insights
Questions?
Head of Marketing US
Kristin Cronin
It can feel impossible to capture the spirit and energy of physical events and translate that into a digital experience. For years, employees have gathered by the water cooler or gone on company outings together. But that is no longer possible. Virtual calls have replaced our daily coffee meetings, and although they help are an important communication tool, many people find them draining. This makes hosting digital events difficult, as you miss the experience and magic of the physical experience. And to be honest, they simply get boring.
This was the challenge that we faced for our own flagship annual event: DEPT® Festival, a recent winner of the Dutch “Golden Giraffe” award for the best brand event. Over the last five years, what was once a small gathering had transformed into the industry festival of the year, hosting thousands of visitors from around the globe for three full days of inspiration on the future of creativity, data, and technology. However, COVID-19 forced us to re-imagine our flagship event.
The show must go on
Our challenge was to fit three days worth of activities and inspiration into three hours while making it feel like it all lasted only three minutes. To do this, we decided to create a next-level virtual experience full of energy, a little crazy and above all personal. And that’s why we reimaged the physical experience and transformed it into a virtual one by building an interactive, 3D festival map which supported 15 stages across which more than 35 presentations took place.
Designing and building a next-level virtual experience for Depsters worldwide
The process behind creating a next-level digital event
Simply transferring all the elements of the original festival to a virtual platform would have led to a clumsy, unsatisfying result. Therefore, reimagination was the key. To kick off the process, we started by conceptualising our vision, the platform and the architecture of the event. The concept was crucial as this became our red thread both visually but also across our communication which we could always refer back to.
With a clear theme and concept, we quickly began to build our 3D map using React Three Fiber, a front-end tool specifically engineered to manage and bring 3D experiences to life. This, in turn, connected to Zoom, Slack and Vimeo. Our designers had the first version up and running in just a couple of weeks.
While our developers and designers continued to refine and test the platform, our communication team arranged 50 speakers in addition to 15 stage hosts while also locking in extra goodies and entertainment we had up our sleeve.
Enticing and hyping up Depsters for what’s to come
Apart from designing the experience, we wanted to excite Depsters with what was to come. So we crafted an internal social campaign which included daily hints from our zebra mascot and teaser videos. These social drops excited Depsters worldwide and conveyed that this was not an ordinary Zoom event.
A seamless, online-offline event experience
In two months time, we designed and built a custom made a custom 3D festival map which one could easily explore and that was protected by single sign-on. The design and layout digitally recreated the festival site from the previous four years, squeezing in 15 stages and 35+ short and snappy presentations into a 3-hour event, and included some industry heroes like Stefan Sagmeister and Gmunk. A personal welcome movie by CEO Dimi Albers and DEPT® stage hosts made everyone feel welcome. With the help of Slack and ‘social reporters’, people knew what was going on all the virtual stages, creating a healthy amount of event FOMO, before and after the event.
Presentation topics ranged from diversity and inclusion to data intelligence, the future of voice, and coding for a 3D world. The fun was provided by virtual meditation, magicians, karaoke and DJ sets. ‘Easter eggs’ were hidden around the virtual map, leading people to things like the ten most famous internet cat movies, and a crazy Zoom background contest. The virtual Photo Booth generated a live photo wall, and in all thirteen countries, Depsters could have food delivered to their doorsteps via Ubereats and JustEat Takeaway after a visit to the digital food truck.
Looking forward
Because of COVID-19, virtualisation has become the new norm and this will shape the future by creating new hybrid events which combine both physical and digital elements. And it doesn’t stop with virtual events, imagine virtual product launches, remote assistance and digital campuses. Thinking bigger, one could picture entire online environments that enable organisations to exchange knowledge or try out products and services in an accessible and personal manner.
For organisations that want to explore possibilities for their virtual event and beyond, we offer services such as concepting, designing and building a virtual 3D world, supporting your brand deploy the necessary technology and security to host a large scale event in addition to helping with the production side of things. Because, in the end, life is too short to host boring events.
Questions?
Executive Creative Director
Max Pinas
Discover more
B2B commerce is characterised by a traditional way of doing business; sales reps with specialised knowledge travel around the country to forge and maintain customer relationships via face-to-face interactions. But, just like in all other sectors, a digital, data-driven change is taking place in B2B commerce, and not just because of the challenges COVID-19 has posed.
For a while, competition has been coming from different fronts, and customers are getting more demanding due to their own personal experiences with B2C companies that are much further along the digital maturity curve. At the same time, the position in the value chain of many B2B businesses is changing. This poses certain challenges, but also offers opportunities. The trends listed below show the most important developments in B2B commerce, and serve as inspiration to make that all-too-necessary changeover to digital.
1.Increasing competition
Lately, DEPT® has been receiving frequent requests for help with the design of corporate start-ups. All of these have been from B2B businesses. They are brands that want to reinvent themselves to catch up with B2C businesses, which are characterised by high quality, short-cycle sales, with larger groups of individual decision makers/customers. B2B customers also use digital-first services like Uber, Amazon and Airbnb, and expect a similar user experience from a B2B platform. In fact, there is a huge gap that needs to be closed.
Customers increasingly want to be able to compare and buy online, which is a big shift from traditional sales approaches. Many B2B companies will have customer-facing account managers who have known their customers for twenty years. They get together for coffee, and the account managers give advice. So, at these companies, it’s not just about buying a product or service, but also about advice and customisation. A premium service, if you will. At these businesses, a lot of effort goes to the top segment – the major customers who place large orders, often with products tailored to their specific needs. The entire middle segment, which represents a huge turnover, could be offered digital services, including premium ones to maximise revenue potential.
While B2C businesses are under pressure from platforms like Amazon and Zalando, there is plenty of potential for growth for B2B marketing. On top of that, taking action is imperative, there really is no way around it. Digitally, the B2B market still has a lot of growing up to do. Old business models still exist, and the underlying technology tends to be outdated.
Digital transformation does require investment, but it’s one you can’t afford not to make. Not only because your competition will be doing the same, but because your clients will expect it.
Companies are increasingly using corporate startups as a vehicle for achieving a digital-first approach. Setting up a ‘sub-brand’ outside of the company’s main structure, such as in this case study of ABN AMRO’s New10, is now a common thing to do. But, depending on how much catching up an organisation has to do, it can also be a department within the existing corporate structures. No matter the choice, it should eventually become the core business.
2.Digital transformation of your organisation
Digital transformation requires different skills. The ‘real’ work is (partly) replaced by people who build ‘the machine’ and have the ability to view business models and customer relationships as concepts. They are the ones who find solutions in UX, data, AR, etc.
Previously, sales representatives had to be trained and they had to build customer relationships themselves, but these processes are becoming increasingly data-driven. If, as a B2B marketer, you are already able to sort out your data centrally, you will have to re-train all your people to feed this data to the customers. Of course, it is much easier if this is done digitally and automatically.
The market is becoming more and more transparent. It is easy to find out what you can get and what something costs. This means that, as a B2B business, you will have to distinguish yourself in a different way. B2B marketing is characterised by sales reps who give specific advice to clients. And these are exactly the kinds of things you should be offering online. Using data, you can also automate and continually update and optimise this advice, leaving you more time to provide larger customers with excellent service. Ultimately, the knowledge will be stored in a database rather than in just the one person.
A good example is the trend that sees static prices turning into dynamic ones, based on factors such as inventory, planning, market prices, parts, season, requirements and competitors. These are all variables you can put into a dynamic pricing engine. The model is becoming more intelligent by the day. So, the skill shifts from selling to managing the dynamic model.
But if everyone starts implementing this technique, the question will be: are you still distinguishing yourself from the others? Your touch points are everything, so design is equivalent to sales. It is essential that anyone in B2B management gets to grips with this as soon as possible. So, if you launch a corporate startup, don’t base it on the traditional business model of the parent company, because then you are just a clone of the corporate parent.
Innovate, keep up and make sure you stay ahead of the game. There are huge opportunities everywhere. Digital transformation is not just about the front end, but also about the numerous background processes. It’s all about the human-process-technology switch. You need to get a move on and learn – as fast as you can!
3. Innovation
A company that sells components for lifts has a team of installers to periodically inspect them. Nowadays, the status of the lifts can also be checked using sensors. That information is then linked to the product catalogue, and the sensor indicates what part needs replacement. In the old days, the lift would have been out of service for repairs for a week but now, thanks to the link between the systems, there has been a huge increase in efficiency.
This is an example of the omni-channel trend in the B2B sector, which shows an increase in the data flows between the customer and supplier, meaning inventory management can be automated and making it possible to supply products that meet extremely specific requirements. It also reinforces the bond between the supplier and customer. An added bonus is that you are actually creating more than just a digital version of the old business, and you can use your own sales and customer data to improve the advice you give to your clients. You are adding value in entirely new ways.
B2B2C & direct-to-consumer models
Florensis grows flowers which they then sell to horticulturists. The horticulturists then grow them into larger plants. They then sell the plants to retailers who, in turn, sell them to the consumer. Florensis has now started concentrating more on the deal with the retailer.
At the same time, you get retail startups like Bloomon, which go straight to the horticulturist and the breeder. So, the competition comes at you from two sides: from new, consumer-facing companies, and companies that actually have the source on the other. As a result, B2B business quickly touches B2C, which is a rising trend in many sectors.
You’ll notice that clubs like Uber and Lyft have a solid grip on both the B2B and the B2C side – all through the use of a single, solid app that communicates with both sides. It is a kind of ‘meta’ competition that affects the business model. That means not only doing things smarter and faster, or that the UX should be solid, but that you, as a B2B marketer, must decide what your position is, which service you should work on, and perfect which kind of business you need to let go.
At the same time, we are seeing a movement in the other direction. For example, JustEat. You used to go and get fish and chips around the corner; now there is a one-stop-shop for all your takeaway needs. So, as a party, you want a strong connection with your end customer, but you also want to have a say in the basic product, so you can get as much as possible from the value chain and influence it wherever you can.
You tend to see fewer players in the same value chain: it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
In short, digital transformation is essential. It is important to work with all the ingredients required for a digital business (data, innovation, UX, etc.). In addition, B2B businesses need to look at their strategic position in the value chain and check what this means for the business model. What will you be emphasising? Which partnerships will you be entering into? Which ones will you avoid? One thing is clear, you must seriously get started on B2B Commerce as soon as you can.
More Insights?
View all InsightsQuestions?
Global SVP Technology & Engineering
Jonathan Whiteside
The international beauty brand essence was founded in 2001 by cosnova, one of Germany’s largest cosmetics companies. Ever since, the company has demonstrated innovation, zeitgeist, and a deep commitment to engaging young, digital-savvy consumers.
With the support of the game developers at global digital agency DEPT®, essence has blurred the boundaries between beauty, play, and self-expression by developing the adventurous Roblox Experience “essence FUN PARK.”
Reaching Gen Z and Alpha
Trends are constantly evolving in the cosmetics industry and essence was faced with the major challenge that the industry is in a state of upheaval, driven by the dynamic preferences of tech-savvy Gen Z and Alpha consumers. The challenge was clear: how can the essence brand authentically connect with the young target group?
Given the constantly changing beauty industry, essence has set the long-term goal of being relevant to Gen Z and Alpha. But to achieve this, it is not enough for the target group to love the products – the brand must share and exemplify the values of the target group.
Therefore, the challenge was not just to sell essence products, but to be a catalyst for positive change – both virtually and in the real world. This was also combined with the brand mission to ”make beauty fun.”
Finding a solution to “make beauty fun”
In response to these challenges and goals, essence looked for an innovative solution and called in the expertise of the global digital agency DEPT®. After the kick-off workshop, followed by an intensive ideation phase, the idea of developing a Roblox experience was born, and the foundation for the ‘essence FUN PARK’ was laid – an imaginative, immersive and colourful world on Roblox.
In this way, the brand’s young target group was to be addressed exactly where they spend a large part of their time: on gaming platforms. But why Roblox?
The platform’s user statistics speak for themselves:
- With 214 million monthly and an incredible 70.2 million daily active users, Roblox is currently one of the most important gaming platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 53% of users are over 13 years old and the fastest growing demographic segment is between 17 and 25 years old.
- The gender distribution on Roblox is almost balanced with 51% male and 44% female users, the remaining 5% are unknown.
“We believe that our target group will continue to develop on this platform, which is why we decided on it. And with DEPT® as a strong partner, we are confident that we will continue to grow beyond the boundaries of the beauty industry.”
— Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Officer, cosnova
Creating the Roblox game
At the heart of the ‘essence FUN PARK’, players can expect a world full of joy and harmony, a real safe space that stands out from the hectic and aggressive nature of typical game worlds. Players start their journey of discovery from the floating, castle-like essence space. Various islands such as Pink Beach, Turtle Island, Gray City, and the new underwater world “Ocean Detox” await them.
The products and core values of the essence brand have strongly influenced all locations and their designs. Colorful and diverse, without microplastic particles, and completely vegan, the ‘essence FUN PARK’ underlines its commitment to sustainability and beauty.
We also created an environment in which the use of real currency (Robux) is unnecessary. By collecting ‘essence coins,’ players can purchase everything they need, such as paint tools or stylish avatar items from the ‘Chic Chamber.’
The experience is characterised by popular game mechanics, environmentally conscious mini-games, and exciting quests. Instead of the usual competitive dynamics, we rely exclusively on cooperative game mechanics. With friendly house painting tools instead of aggressive shooter elements and cute ‘Pick up & Delivery’ and ‘Plant & Grow’ quests, the game offers entertaining tasks for younger kids and teens. And if you just want to hang out with friends, you can use our chill zones with a Ferris wheel, tree house or sun loungers.
A fresh perspective
essence x DEPT® is a story of innovation, courage, trust, and teamwork. The company was looking for fresh ideas around the connection to Gen Z and Gen Alpha and found its partner in crime in the DEPT® Web3 team.
The first result of this new connection is the joint initial development of the Roblox game ‘essence FUN PARK.’ At the same time, DEPT® was commissioned to support cosnova’s website team in strategy and UX conception.
Questions about Roblox?
Director Web3 & Partner
Jan Gutkuhn
Discover more
Make beauty fun – with a colourful Roblox Experience for Gen Z and Alpha – fundraising for LGBTQ+ communities
Fashion, Retail & Culture
Essence’s “FUN PARK” on Roblox is a groundbreaking Metaverse initiative that merges fashion, culture, beauty, and virtual reality, resonating with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. This immersive digital gaming platform doubles as an engaging retail experience, embodying essence’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity, sustainability, and diversity. The game’s environments, including Pink Beach, Turtle Island, and Gray City, reflect the brand’s ethos of inclusion and diversity. But it’s more than a fashion retail space; it’s a Metaverse journey that also addresses social issues like LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusivity, with fundraising efforts woven into the vibrant, adventurous experience. essence’s foray into the Metaverse sets a forward-thinking model for retail and fashion, demonstrating innovative ways for brands to authentically engage with consumers in a socially-driven, digitally-native landscape.
Takeaways Fashion, Retail & Culture
This Metaverse showcases a transformation in the retail and fashion experience, capitalizing on the metaverse to engage the younger audience while promoting an inclusive environment.
By integrating the LGBTQ+ support within the Metaverse fashion experience, it paves the way for brands to not only provide entertainment but also influence the audience positively on societal issues.
The use of such inclusive virtual platforms for fundraising accentuates a shift towards digital philanthropy, creating strong brand resonance within young target demographics.
The international beauty brand essence was founded in 2001 by Cosnova, one of Germany’s largest cosmetics companies. Ever since, the company has demonstrated innovation, zeitgeist and a deep commitment to engaging young, digital-savvy consumers. With the aim of authentically appealing to the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the brand embarked on a journey with DEPT® on the gaming platform Roblox.
In response to changing consumer preferences and the associated transformation of the beauty industry, essence has ventured beyond traditional ‘make-up’ channels and immersed itself in the vibrant and ever-evolving world of Roblox. This shift is based on the brand’s mission: make beauty fun.
With the support of global digital agency DEPT®, essence has decided to blur the boundaries between beauty, play and self-expression by developing the adventurous Roblox Experience “essence FUN PARK”.
“We want to strategically establish Roblox as another brand touchpoint. We believe that our target group will continue to develop on this platform, which is why we decided on it. And with DEPT® as a strong partner at our side, we are confident that we will continue to grow beyond the boundaries of the beauty industry.” – Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Officer, cosnova
The Challenge
Trends are constantly evolving in the cosmetics industry, and essence was faced with the major challenge that the industry is in a state of upheaval, driven by the dynamic preferences of tech-savvy Gen Z and Alpha consumers. The challenge was clear: how can the essence brand authentically connect with the young target group and build a close relationship?
The Aim
Given the constantly changing beauty industry, essence has set itself the overarching goal of being relevant to Gen Z and Alpha in the long term. To achieve this, it is not enough for the target group to love the products – the brand must share and exemplify the values of the target group.
Therefore, the challenge was not just to sell essence products, but to be a catalyst for positive change and motivate a generation to change the world for the better – both virtually and in the real world. This was also to be combined with the brand mission ‘make beauty fun’.
The Solution
In response to these challenges and objectives, essence was searching for an innovative solution and called in the expertise of the global digital agency DEPT®. After the kick-off workshop, followed by an intensive ideation phase, the idea of developing a Roblox experience was born and the foundation was laid for the ‘essence FUN PARK’ – an imaginative, immersive, adventurous and colourful world on Roblox. In this way, the brand’s young target group was to be addressed exactly where they spend a large part of their time: on gaming platforms.
If you ask Gen Alpha about their favourite leisure activity, gaming is in first place, with 22%. For Gen Z, gaming is in first place with 19% together with the use of social media. 87% of Gen Z specifically state that they use video games at least once a week. And while they are doing this, they are not only playing, but also socialising.
This results in enormous potential for brands to connect with the young target group authentically.
Why Roblox?
The platform’s user statistics speak for themselves:
- With 214 million monthly and an incredible 70.2 million daily active users, Roblox is currently one of the most important gaming platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 53% of users are over 13 years old and the fastest growing demographic segment is between 17 and 25 years old.
- The gender distribution on Roblox is almost balanced with 51% male and 44% female users, the remaining 5% are unknown.
- Imagine if you could capture the attention of your target group for 2.5 hours a day – that’s how much time users spend on Roblox on average. If you compare this to Instagram (0.75 hours on average) or TikTok (1.7 hours on average), the potential for brands on Roblox is enormous.
- In addition, virtual in-game currencies such as Robux have become the preferred means of payment for pocket money for many families in the USA.
The Implementation
Two aspects were pivotal for the successful launch of ‘essence FUN PARK’:
- Playing by the rules of the platform
With a clear focus on an authentic, user-centred gaming experience. - Game structure and mechanics based on the brand values
The essence brand values, such as ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘diversity’, are subtly woven into the game and improve the experience.
The Game
At the heart of the ‘essence FUN PARK’, players can expect a world full of joy and harmony, a real safe space that stands out from the hectic and aggressive nature of typical game worlds. Players start their journey of discovery from the floating, castle-like essence space. Various islands such as Pink Beach, Turtle Island, Gray City, and the new underwater world “Ocean Detox” await them.
All locations and their designs have been strongly influenced by the products and core values of the essence brand. Colorful and diverse, without microplastic particles and completely vegan, the ‘essence FUN PARK’ underlines its commitment to sustainability and beauty.
We also created an environment in which the use of real currency (Robux) is not necessary. By collecting ‘essence coins’, players can acquire everything they need, such as paint tools or stylish avatar items from the ‘Chic Chamber’.
The experience is characterized by popular game mechanics, environmentally conscious mini-games and exciting quests. Instead of the usual competitive dynamics, we rely exclusively on cooperative game mechanics. With friendly house painting tools instead of aggressive shooter elements as well as cute ‘Pick up & Delivery’ and ‘Plant & Grow’ quests, the game offers entertaining tasks for younger kids and teens. And if you just want to hang out with friends, you can use our chill zones with a Ferris wheel, tree house or sun loungers.
The result is an immersive, colorful world that radiates diversity and peace. The essence brand’s mission ‘Make beauty fun‘ has been brought to life.
Play essence FUN PARK here!
Questions?
Director Web3 & Partner
Jan Gutkuhn
Make beauty fun – with a colourful Roblox Experience for Gen Z and Alpha – fundraising for LGBTQ+ communities
The international beauty brand essence was founded in 2001 by Cosnova, one of Germany’s largest cosmetics companies. Ever since, the company has demonstrated innovation, zeitgeist and a deep commitment to engaging young, digital-savvy consumers. With the aim of authentically appealing to the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the brand embarked on a journey with DEPT® on the gaming platform Roblox.
In response to changing consumer preferences and the associated transformation of the beauty industry, essence has ventured beyond traditional ‘make-up’ channels and immersed itself in the vibrant and ever-evolving world of Roblox. This shift is based on the brand’s mission: make beauty fun.
With the support of global digital agency DEPT®, essence has decided to blur the boundaries between beauty, play and self-expression by developing the adventurous Roblox Experience “essence FUN PARK”.
“We want to strategically establish Roblox as another brand touchpoint. We believe that our target group will continue to develop on this platform, which is why we decided on it. And with DEPT® as a strong partner at our side, we are confident that we will continue to grow beyond the boundaries of the beauty industry.” – Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Officer, cosnova
The Challenge
Trends are constantly evolving in the cosmetics industry, and essence was faced with the major challenge that the industry is in a state of upheaval, driven by the dynamic preferences of tech-savvy Gen Z and Alpha consumers. The challenge was clear: how can the essence brand authentically connect with the young target group and build a close relationship?
The Aim
Given the constantly changing beauty industry, essence has set itself the overarching goal of being relevant to Gen Z and Alpha in the long term. To achieve this, it is not enough for the target group to love the products – the brand must share and exemplify the values of the target group.
Therefore, the challenge was not just to sell essence products, but to be a catalyst for positive change and motivate a generation to change the world for the better – both virtually and in the real world. This was also to be combined with the brand mission ‘make beauty fun’.
The Solution
In response to these challenges and objectives, essence was searching for an innovative solution and called in the expertise of the global digital agency DEPT®. After the kick-off workshop, followed by an intensive ideation phase, the idea of developing a Roblox experience was born and the foundation was laid for the ‘essence FUN PARK’ – an imaginative, immersive, adventurous and colourful world on Roblox. In this way, the brand’s young target group was to be addressed exactly where they spend a large part of their time: on gaming platforms.
If you ask Gen Alpha about their favourite leisure activity, gaming is in first place, with 22%. For Gen Z, gaming is in first place with 19% together with the use of social media. 87% of Gen Z specifically state that they use video games at least once a week. And while they are doing this, they are not only playing, but also socialising.
This results in enormous potential for brands to connect with the young target group authentically.
Why Roblox?
The platform’s user statistics speak for themselves:
- With 214 million monthly and an incredible 70.2 million daily active users, Roblox is currently one of the most important gaming platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 53% of users are over 13 years old and the fastest growing demographic segment is between 17 and 25 years old.
- The gender distribution on Roblox is almost balanced with 51% male and 44% female users, the remaining 5% are unknown.
- Imagine if you could capture the attention of your target group for 2.5 hours a day – that’s how much time users spend on Roblox on average. If you compare this to Instagram (0.75 hours on average) or TikTok (1.7 hours on average), the potential for brands on Roblox is enormous.
- In addition, virtual in-game currencies such as Robux have become the preferred means of payment for pocket money for many families in the USA.
The Implementation
Two aspects were pivotal for the successful launch of ‘essence FUN PARK’:
- Playing by the rules of the platform
With a clear focus on an authentic, user-centred gaming experience. - Game structure and mechanics based on the brand values
The essence brand values, such as ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘diversity’, are subtly woven into the game and improve the experience.
The Game
At the heart of the ‘essence FUN PARK’, players can expect a world full of joy and harmony, a real safe space that stands out from the hectic and aggressive nature of typical game worlds. Players start their journey of discovery from the floating, castle-like essence space. Various islands such as Pink Beach, Turtle Island, Gray City, and the new underwater world “Ocean Detox” await them.
All locations and their designs have been strongly influenced by the products and core values of the essence brand. Colorful and diverse, without microplastic particles and completely vegan, the ‘essence FUN PARK’ underlines its commitment to sustainability and beauty.
We also created an environment in which the use of real currency (Robux) is not necessary. By collecting ‘essence coins’, players can acquire everything they need, such as paint tools or stylish avatar items from the ‘Chic Chamber’.
The experience is characterized by popular game mechanics, environmentally conscious mini-games and exciting quests. Instead of the usual competitive dynamics, we rely exclusively on cooperative game mechanics. With friendly house painting tools instead of aggressive shooter elements as well as cute ‘Pick up & Delivery’ and ‘Plant & Grow’ quests, the game offers entertaining tasks for younger kids and teens. And if you just want to hang out with friends, you can use our chill zones with a Ferris wheel, tree house or sun loungers.
The result is an immersive, colorful world that radiates diversity and peace. The essence brand’s mission ‘Make beauty fun‘ has been brought to life.
Play essence FUN PARK here!
Questions?
Director Web3 & Partner
Jan Gutkuhn
Make beauty fun – with a colourful Roblox Experience for Gen Z and Alpha – fundraising for LGBTQ+ communities
Game or Application
Essence’s “FUN PARK” on Roblox is a pioneering venture combining PR, advertising, and gaming, catering to the dynamic preferences of Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers. This innovative gaming experience goes beyond conventional methods, integrating beauty, play, self-expression, and inclusivity into the gaming world. It serves as an engaging platform for younger generations to connect with a style that resonates with them, while also acting as a means for essence to demonstrate its commitment to LGBTQ+ communities, enhancing its societal impact. The game’s inclusive, vibrant aesthetic reflects this dedication. More than just an advertising medium, essence’s gaming initiative offers a meaningful and relatable engagement platform, elevating the brand’s presence in the digital and social landscape.
Takeaways Game or Application
The Essence Roblox game provides an innovative route to engage with the Gen Z and Alpha audience within their digital leisure sphere while promoting an inclusive and accepting space.
The gaming experience prioritizes brand involvement in societal issues, addressing LGBTQ+ solidarity, and infusing the need for change within the young community.
The use of a gaming platform for fundraising demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to brand positioning and audience engagement.
The international beauty brand essence was founded in 2001 by Cosnova, one of Germany’s largest cosmetics companies. Ever since, the company has demonstrated innovation, zeitgeist and a deep commitment to engaging young, digital-savvy consumers. With the aim of authentically appealing to the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the brand embarked on a journey with DEPT® on the gaming platform Roblox.
In response to changing consumer preferences and the associated transformation of the beauty industry, essence has ventured beyond traditional ‘make-up’ channels and immersed itself in the vibrant and ever-evolving world of Roblox. This shift is based on the brand’s mission: make beauty fun.
With the support of global digital agency DEPT®, essence has decided to blur the boundaries between beauty, play and self-expression by developing the adventurous Roblox Experience “essence FUN PARK”.
“We want to strategically establish Roblox as another brand touchpoint. We believe that our target group will continue to develop on this platform, which is why we decided on it. And with DEPT® as a strong partner at our side, we are confident that we will continue to grow beyond the boundaries of the beauty industry.” – Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Officer, cosnova
The Challenge
Trends are constantly evolving in the cosmetics industry, and essence was faced with the major challenge that the industry is in a state of upheaval, driven by the dynamic preferences of tech-savvy Gen Z and Alpha consumers. The challenge was clear: how can the essence brand authentically connect with the young target group and build a close relationship?
The Aim
Given the constantly changing beauty industry, essence has set itself the overarching goal of being relevant to Gen Z and Alpha in the long term. To achieve this, it is not enough for the target group to love the products – the brand must share and exemplify the values of the target group.
Therefore, the challenge was not just to sell essence products, but to be a catalyst for positive change and motivate a generation to change the world for the better – both virtually and in the real world. This was also to be combined with the brand mission ‘make beauty fun’.
The Solution
In response to these challenges and objectives, essence was searching for an innovative solution and called in the expertise of the global digital agency DEPT®. After the kick-off workshop, followed by an intensive ideation phase, the idea of developing a Roblox experience was born and the foundation was laid for the ‘essence FUN PARK’ – an imaginative, immersive, adventurous and colourful world on Roblox. In this way, the brand’s young target group was to be addressed exactly where they spend a large part of their time: on gaming platforms.
If you ask Gen Alpha about their favourite leisure activity, gaming is in first place, with 22%. For Gen Z, gaming is in first place with 19% together with the use of social media. 87% of Gen Z specifically state that they use video games at least once a week. And while they are doing this, they are not only playing, but also socialising.
This results in enormous potential for brands to connect with the young target group authentically.
Why Roblox?
The platform’s user statistics speak for themselves:
- With 214 million monthly and an incredible 70.2 million daily active users, Roblox is currently one of the most important gaming platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 53% of users are over 13 years old and the fastest growing demographic segment is between 17 and 25 years old.
- The gender distribution on Roblox is almost balanced with 51% male and 44% female users, the remaining 5% are unknown.
- Imagine if you could capture the attention of your target group for 2.5 hours a day – that’s how much time users spend on Roblox on average. If you compare this to Instagram (0.75 hours on average) or TikTok (1.7 hours on average), the potential for brands on Roblox is enormous.
- In addition, virtual in-game currencies such as Robux have become the preferred means of payment for pocket money for many families in the USA.
The Implementation
Two aspects were pivotal for the successful launch of ‘essence FUN PARK’:
- Playing by the rules of the platform
With a clear focus on an authentic, user-centred gaming experience. - Game structure and mechanics based on the brand values
The essence brand values, such as ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘diversity’, are subtly woven into the game and improve the experience.
The Game
At the heart of the ‘essence FUN PARK’, players can expect a world full of joy and harmony, a real safe space that stands out from the hectic and aggressive nature of typical game worlds. Players start their journey of discovery from the floating, castle-like essence space. Various islands such as Pink Beach, Turtle Island, Gray City, and the new underwater world “Ocean Detox” await them.
All locations and their designs have been strongly influenced by the products and core values of the essence brand. Colorful and diverse, without microplastic particles and completely vegan, the ‘essence FUN PARK’ underlines its commitment to sustainability and beauty.
We also created an environment in which the use of real currency (Robux) is not necessary. By collecting ‘essence coins’, players can acquire everything they need, such as paint tools or stylish avatar items from the ‘Chic Chamber’.
The experience is characterized by popular game mechanics, environmentally conscious mini-games and exciting quests. Instead of the usual competitive dynamics, we rely exclusively on cooperative game mechanics. With friendly house painting tools instead of aggressive shooter elements as well as cute ‘Pick up & Delivery’ and ‘Plant & Grow’ quests, the game offers entertaining tasks for younger kids and teens. And if you just want to hang out with friends, you can use our chill zones with a Ferris wheel, tree house or sun loungers.
The result is an immersive, colorful world that radiates diversity and peace. The essence brand’s mission ‘Make beauty fun‘ has been brought to life.
Play essence FUN PARK here!
Questions?
Director Web3 & Partner
Jan Gutkuhn
Make beauty fun – with a colourful Roblox Experience for Gen Z and Alpha – fundraising for LGBTQ+ communities
The international beauty brand essence was founded in 2001 by Cosnova, one of Germany’s largest cosmetics companies. Ever since, the company has demonstrated innovation, zeitgeist and a deep commitment to engaging young, digital-savvy consumers. With the aim of authentically appealing to the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the brand embarked on a journey with DEPT® on the gaming platform Roblox.
In response to changing consumer preferences and the associated transformation of the beauty industry, essence has ventured beyond traditional ‘make-up’ channels and immersed itself in the vibrant and ever-evolving world of Roblox. This shift is based on the brand’s mission: make beauty fun.
With the support of global digital agency DEPT®, essence has decided to blur the boundaries between beauty, play and self-expression by developing the adventurous Roblox Experience “essence FUN PARK”.
“We want to strategically establish Roblox as another brand touchpoint. We believe that our target group will continue to develop on this platform, which is why we decided on it. And with DEPT® as a strong partner at our side, we are confident that we will continue to grow beyond the boundaries of the beauty industry.” – Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Officer, cosnova
The Challenge
Trends are constantly evolving in the cosmetics industry, and essence was faced with the major challenge that the industry is in a state of upheaval, driven by the dynamic preferences of tech-savvy Gen Z and Alpha consumers. The challenge was clear: how can the essence brand authentically connect with the young target group and build a close relationship?
The Aim
Given the constantly changing beauty industry, essence has set itself the overarching goal of being relevant to Gen Z and Alpha in the long term. To achieve this, it is not enough for the target group to love the products – the brand must share and exemplify the values of the target group.
Therefore, the challenge was not just to sell essence products, but to be a catalyst for positive change and motivate a generation to change the world for the better – both virtually and in the real world. This was also to be combined with the brand mission ‘make beauty fun’.
The Solution
In response to these challenges and objectives, essence was searching for an innovative solution and called in the expertise of the global digital agency DEPT®. After the kick-off workshop, followed by an intensive ideation phase, the idea of developing a Roblox experience was born and the foundation was laid for the ‘essence FUN PARK’ – an imaginative, immersive, adventurous and colourful world on Roblox. In this way, the brand’s young target group was to be addressed exactly where they spend a large part of their time: on gaming platforms.
If you ask Gen Alpha about their favourite leisure activity, gaming is in first place, with 22%. For Gen Z, gaming is in first place with 19% together with the use of social media. 87% of Gen Z specifically state that they use video games at least once a week. And while they are doing this, they are not only playing, but also socialising.
This results in enormous potential for brands to connect with the young target group authentically.
Why Roblox?
The platform’s user statistics speak for themselves:
- With 214 million monthly and an incredible 70.2 million daily active users, Roblox is currently one of the most important gaming platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 53% of users are over 13 years old and the fastest growing demographic segment is between 17 and 25 years old.
- The gender distribution on Roblox is almost balanced with 51% male and 44% female users, the remaining 5% are unknown.
- Imagine if you could capture the attention of your target group for 2.5 hours a day – that’s how much time users spend on Roblox on average. If you compare this to Instagram (0.75 hours on average) or TikTok (1.7 hours on average), the potential for brands on Roblox is enormous.
- In addition, virtual in-game currencies such as Robux have become the preferred means of payment for pocket money for many families in the USA.
The Implementation
Two aspects were pivotal for the successful launch of ‘essence FUN PARK’:
- Playing by the rules of the platform
With a clear focus on an authentic, user-centred gaming experience. - Game structure and mechanics based on the brand values
The essence brand values, such as ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘diversity’, are subtly woven into the game and improve the experience.
The Game
At the heart of the ‘essence FUN PARK’, players can expect a world full of joy and harmony, a real safe space that stands out from the hectic and aggressive nature of typical game worlds. Players start their journey of discovery from the floating, castle-like essence space. Various islands such as Pink Beach, Turtle Island, Gray City, and the new underwater world “Ocean Detox” await them.
All locations and their designs have been strongly influenced by the products and core values of the essence brand. Colorful and diverse, without microplastic particles and completely vegan, the ‘essence FUN PARK’ underlines its commitment to sustainability and beauty.
We also created an environment in which the use of real currency (Robux) is not necessary. By collecting ‘essence coins’, players can acquire everything they need, such as paint tools or stylish avatar items from the ‘Chic Chamber’.
The experience is characterized by popular game mechanics, environmentally conscious mini-games and exciting quests. Instead of the usual competitive dynamics, we rely exclusively on cooperative game mechanics. With friendly house painting tools instead of aggressive shooter elements as well as cute ‘Pick up & Delivery’ and ‘Plant & Grow’ quests, the game offers entertaining tasks for younger kids and teens. And if you just want to hang out with friends, you can use our chill zones with a Ferris wheel, tree house or sun loungers.
The result is an immersive, colorful world that radiates diversity and peace. The essence brand’s mission ‘Make beauty fun‘ has been brought to life.
Play essence FUN PARK here!
Questions?
Director Web3 & Partner
Jan Gutkuhn
ITA Group provides engagement and travel solutions for large organisations, but its client base was demanding more and more personalisation, which individual agents needed help to handle.
Together, ITA Group and DEPT®/Digital Products created The Online Booking Tool (OBT): A custom web app that books air travel for thousands of employees at once–for different events, companies, and locations.
Increasingly complex travel requirements
A company conference in Las Vegas or Cancun sounds like a great idea until hundreds of people start buying their flights and hotels, arrive late or on the wrong days, and decide they want to bring family members. What sounds like a fabulous experience can become a corporate travel nightmare.
Enter ITA Group, the corporate travel specialists.
When it comes to corporate conferences, they make sure everything runs smoothly. From event registration to flights, cars, hotels, and outing events, all the way down to the smallest detail, ITA Group facilitates seamless travel experiences.
However, when the ITA Group was formed 20 years ago, corporate travel typically meant booking the same airfare and hotel rooms for 200 to 1000 attendees. Everyone flew into one location, stayed the same number of nights, and flew out again.
But as corporate groups grew in size and requests required escalating levels of personalisation, booking these large-scale events created a lot of time-consuming back-and-forth between ITA’s agents and a client’s employees.
Requests became increasingly more customised, companies would only pay a certain dollar amount per person, an executive wanted to take their family, or someone needed to leave a day early.
This level of personalisation meant that ITA Group’s original business model, where a live person handled everything, couldn’t scale.
An app to help ITA Group scale
ITA didn’t have the resources to build an automated system on time, so they needed an acceleration partner who could fit quickly and easily into their lean development approach.
We stepped in as that strategic partner and led the development of ITA’s MVP.
The timing from prototype to final product was a mere six months, allowing ITA to sell to a major tech client early on and bring them along for the ride. This made the corporate client feel heard and invested in the product’s success. All in all, we delivered a comprehensive solution in the specified time period within budget.
The Online Booking Tool
Together, we created The Online Booking Tool (OBT): A custom online system that allows air travel to be booked for thousands of employees simultaneously.
Designed as a lightweight web application, the OBT can take input from any given user, find the event they’re registered for, and render a dynamic, white-labeled travel experience tailored not only to their company and event but even their participant type (think employee of the month vs VIP vs C-Suite executive). Based on their participant type, the user can search within the original parameters set by the company.
While the tool only handled air travel at launch, it was built with scalability in mind and will eventually be used for booking hotels and cars.
The team was easy to work with and dedicated to finding the best solution, even if that meant challenging what we were thinking to ensure the product was the best it could be for the end user. I found this to be one of the greatest values of working with the DEPT® team.
Drew Langhart, Product Owner at ITA
Questions?
Managing Partner / Growth
