In the 12 months to January 2014, Australians spent $14.9 billion on online retail, an increase of 11.3%. This means online sales now represent around 6.5% of traditional retail spending, up from 5.8% for the same time last year.

The increase of online shopping has meant that people have less and less need to visit physical stores. Many brands have realised the only way to touch their consumers in person is with experiences not sales promotions.

‘Shared experience’ is at the heart of experience design. The new customer experience is actually a journey and is driven by the shared experiences of other consumers. It’s perpetual. It’s emotional.

Coca-Cola installed two vending machines in shopping malls – one in Lahore, Pakistan, and a second in New Delhi, India – and invited every day people to share a moment.

The Small World Machines enabled strangers in two nations to interact with eachother – they waved, touched hands, drew the peace sign together or just had a dance.  Coke and Leo Burnett used 3D touchscreen technology to project a streaming video feed onto the vending machine screen while simultaneously filmed through the unit to capture a live emotional exchange.

My favourite example of shared experience was from the chocolate brand Milka. Their ‘come together’ campaign saw strangers form a human chain in order to activate a free chocolate vending machine. It gives you a warm glow just watching it. Campaigns like this brings people who are immersed in the virtual world back together in the real world; it gives themselves a something to talk about, a day to remember and a rare chance to interact with people they don’t know in an entirely positive (and chocolatey) way.