Tag: Smruti Bhalerao insights on retail innovation

Amarbir Palta explains how virtual reality and sensor led in store experiences are helping customers understand the long term impact of installation decisions at the point of purchase

Technology is steadily reshaping how consumers engage with products at the point of purchase, and MYK LATICRETE is applying this shift to an area that often remains invisible during buying decisions: tile installation. With its new experiential in store marketing campaign, MYK LATICRETE is moving the conversation beyond surface aesthetics to focus on long term performance, durability, and installation quality.
Rolled out across premium tile retail counters, the initiative introduces an immersive, technology led experience designed to help customers understand how installation choices directly affect the lifespan and performance of tiles. Instead of relying on brochures or static displays, the campaign places interactive tools directly within the retail environment, encouraging customers to engage, observe, and question conventional installation practices.

At the centre of the campaign is a virtual reality based in store experience. Using a VR headset, walk in customers are guided through a short, structured storyline that visually compares traditional cement sand slurry methods with modern tile adhesive installation. The experience highlights common problems such as uneven surfaces, debonding, and tile popping, while demonstrating how science backed tile adhesives address these issues. By allowing customers to see outcomes rather than imagine them, the VR module transforms a technical concept into an accessible, memorable experience.
The initiative has been deployed across 140 premium tile stores in Kerala and 39 premium retail outlets in Delhi, enabling large scale engagement at the retail level. Each participating outlet features a dedicated QR code placed alongside the VR headset, allowing customers to seamlessly enter the immersive environment. The experience is designed to last just a few minutes, ensuring it fits naturally into the buying journey without disrupting store flow.

To further reinforce learning through sensory engagement, MYK LATICRETE has introduced a smart installation at select outlets. This feature uses discreet sensors and audio cues to simulate the sound of tile cracking or popping as customers move closer to tile display areas. The unexpected moment is intended to interrupt habitual buying behaviour, prompt curiosity, and open conversations between customers and retailers about the importance of correct installation methods.
Explaining the intent behind the campaign, Amarbir Palta, President Sales and Marketing at MYK LATICRETE, said the objective is to equip every stakeholder in the ecosystem with a clearer understanding of how science backed installation influences long term outcomes. By allowing people to experience the consequences of low cost shortcuts virtually, he noted that choosing the right adhesive becomes a more informed and instinctive decision.

Unlike conventional marketing tools, the VR experience is supported by real time backend analytics. The system tracks unique scans at each outlet and records only fully viewed experiences, ensuring the initiative remains performance led and measurable. This data driven approach allows the company to assess engagement quality rather than just footfall or impressions.
The campaign is strategically designed to influence decision making at the First Moment of Truth, when customers are most receptive to guidance. By blending immersive technology, sensory triggers, and data analytics, MYK LATICRETE positions itself not only as a product manufacturer but as a technology driven educator within the tile and stone installation ecosystem.
Through this initiative, the company signals a broader shift in how building material brands can use technology to improve awareness, elevate category understanding, and support better long term outcomes for customers at the very moment choices are made.

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