The internet of things is gaining widespread acceptance across the business world. Enterprises in numerous industries are experimenting with IoT to drive efficiency, boost revenue, unlock cost-saving opportunities, and perhaps most interestingly, enhance customer service. According to a MediaPost Communications survey, 23% of marketing and customer service executives identify IoT as a critical technology. Comparatively, only 14% said the same for artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

As covered in our article- “Leveraging IoT Solutions To Improve Customer Experience”, IoT has tremendous value to impact customer experience. With connected devices, networks, and applications, businesses can streamline deliveries, personalize communications, and deploy effective after-sale services.

However, to achieve exemplary results, IoT implementation must go hand in hand with branding. Organizations that have reaped maximum value from customer-facing IoT solutions have done so by not only using IoT as an add-on but by evolving their entire brands alongside the IoT revolution.

In today's post, we look at three ground-breaking global companies using IoT to change customer perceptions, stimulate new behaviors, and establish themselves as the most preferred brands in their respective markets.

1. Virgin Atlantic – Smart Flying

Virgin has always styled itself as a tech-driven company centered on pace-setting innovation. With the internet of things transformation underway, the company is unsurprisingly at the forefront of IoT adoption. Virgin Atlantic has been reinventing its brand by using IoT devices to collect massive amounts of data from planes and passengers.

Information about passenger experience, crew performance, and aircraft condition is collected in real-time and transmitted to cloud servers and end-user control applications. When an abnormality is detected during a flight, the airline has processes set up with the right parts and tools at the arriving airport.

According to Boeing, Virgin Atlantic's IoT-powered "Connected Engineer" project has contributed to a 20% drop in delays and an average turn-around time improvement of as high as 30 minutes, resulting in a 24% reduction in working hours.

Besides operational benefits, IoT is also helping Virgin Atlantic position its brand positively in the sustainability conversation. With air travel contributing significantly to the rising energy demand and air pollution, airline executives and spokespeople often struggle to present their companies as part of the solution. Virgin Atlantic spent $1.4 billion on efficient jet engines, which use connected technologies to vary output depending on factors like weight and weather conditions.

Although Virgin Atlantic already boasted of a solid brand, it recognized an opportunity to offer more than just spacious cabins and first-class service. Through IoT, Virgin is driving a change in perception, not just for itself but also for the entire air travel sector.

2. ADT Inc. - Redefining Security

ADT has a long history in home security, but with IoT products becoming increasingly dominant in the smart home segment, the company has inevitably evolved around IoT. Today, ADT is leveraging IoT technology to reinforce its services. For example, its security platform utilizes voltage meters to pre-empt electrical failures and trigger a battery backup, as well as Wi-Fi monitoring sensors to detect variations in Wi-Fi signal strength and activate a cellular backup when required.

IoT is also enabling ADT to deliver more value to its customers by integrating voice control via mainstream solutions like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Moreover, to keep pace with new players like Nest Cam and ring.com, ADT connects outdoor cameras to video doorbell and gate monitoring applications, giving homeowners a clear view of visitors before allowing them into their homes.

As an excellent example of IoT's radical impact on brands, ADT is using IoT solutions to expand its horizons beyond homes and offices. ADT Go, a new ADT mobile safety app, utilizes IoT sensors, cameras, and mobile devices to offer real-time roadside assistance, emergency response, collision detection, family check-ins, and other on-the-go security services.

As a long-standing household name, ADT understands its brand has much to lose if it does not get in line with the IoT revolution. With IoT, ADT reinforces its core competencies, applies emerging technologies, and expands its reach into everyday life situations to better connect with customers and meet their needs.

3. Carnival Corporation – Making Waves

Carnival Corporation knows better than to let its status as the largest travel leisure company in the world make it complacent about technology. Recently, the company has been revamping the luxurious reputation of its Princess Cruises by using connected wearable devices to take the passenger experience to the next level.

Each Princess Ship passenger receives an Ocean Medallion wearable device when boarding. This device acts as a unique identifier, allowing individuals to receive personalized service on a ship carrying 3,500 passengers.

Ocean Medallion interacts with a network of connected devices dubbed "experience IoT", which includes sensors, cameras, and automated kiosks throughout the ship. It also interfaces with passengers' mobile devices, unlocking convenient self-service options, such as keyless entry, contactless payments, onboard navigation assistance, and access to special entertainment options like gaming and video streaming.

Thanks to Ocean Medallion, Carnival Corporation has made significant ripples in the travel sector and garnered priceless brand publicity. In 2019, the company won the IoT Breakthrough Award for the Wearables Innovation of the year, beating competitors in more fitting sectors like sports and wellness.

Cruise liners may not be the first vacationing option for most people, but for liner loyalists, it is more than just a floating hotel. Onboard user experience goes a long way toward building a brand that dominates the market. With IoT, Carnival can reflect and present quality experiences and benefit from recurring customers and referral traffic.

The Internet of Things can help businesses drive efficiency, optimize production, and streamline the supply chain. However, when technology and branding come together, a more impactful shift can occur, dramatically changing market perception and guaranteeing long-term revenue.

So, if you have been looking for new ways to spice up your brand, you can count on IoT solutions to redefine your image. IoT2Market has a vast range of customer-facing IoT products that you can use to build the ideal branding vehicle.

Create a free IoT2Market buyer account today and take the first step toward transforming your brand.