Quad’s new marketing innovation center offers IRL inspiration for marketers

Marketing has never been as simple as a snappy slogan or catchy jingle, and in today’s fast-paced, multichannel and multiplatform environment, finding new ways to innovate and reach consumers is more vital than ever. But getting bogged down in the daily tasks of running campaigns can drain the creative energy that marketers need to produce fresh, memorable work. And with the rise in experiential marketing these past few years, one marketing experience (MX) company realized that perhaps marketers themselves could benefit from a little experiential retreat. Quad recently debuted its Marketing Experience Innovation Center (MXIC), a fully interactive, dynamic space where the marketing solutions company aims to have state-of-the-art technology and collaborative energy converge. The center was created to inspire marketers to dream up bold ideas and reimagine how they approach their audience. A Midwestern marketing retreat Part of a 900,000-square-foot manufacturing megaplant in suburban Milwaukee, the MXIC features an immersive setup—with large-scale mockups of retail, high-end beauty and grocery stores as demonstration centers—that help reframe perspectives so creatives can shop like consumers while thinking like marketers. This is an important touchpoint for Quad, which wants the MXIC to focus on retail innovation and helping brands reach new audiences. “Our goal was to create a place for marketers to see next-generation solutions in an environment that shows them in action,” said Heidi Waldusky, VP of brand marketing at Quad. “The MXIC is about helping CPG and retail brands leap from theory to reality when it comes to visualizing the possibilities.” The center provides an interactive space where clients can explore Quad’s suite of marketing solutions, from immersive 3-D visualization technology to In-Store Connect, which brings promotional messaging to physical retail spaces via networked digital screens to enhance customer engagement and drive impulse purchases. Live demonstrations at MXIC focus on dynamic media capabilities and creative services. The center also includes dedicated areas for brainstorming and strategic planning, allowing marketers to co-create solutions with Quad’s experts. Shopping is far more than scrolling As much as e-commerce has exploded in the post-pandemic era, both for consumer shopping habits and in the minds and budgets of marketers, brick-and-mortal retail still dominates overall. “Taking a macro step back, 80% of the economy is still offline,” Tim Armstrong, the founder and CEO of Flowcode, a B2B platform that measures consumer conversions, told the audience at Quad’s Investor Day in November—making the point that most shopping still happens in physical (rather than purely digital) stores. “So, thinking of that as a marketer, to zoom outwards you have to think, ‘Where are the places where you can see 100% of the economy?’” In 2023, Americans spent $7 trillion in person in retail stores, compared with $1.2 trillion online. “One of the most important things is to try to help connect that offline economy and have it act like the digital economy,” Armstrong said of his company’s partnership with Quad. “It’s no secret that marketers have preferred digital because it is highly actionable, data-driven, scientific—and what we’ve been doing with Quad is to move the knowable data from just digital into omnichannel.” One way the MXIC actively demonstrates this is through Accelerated Marketing Insights (AMI), Quad’s suite of consumer research tools that use data, analytics and biometric technology such as eye-tracking and facial coding for pre-market testing. AMI helps marketers analyze shopper behavior to predict purchase likelihood, and the MXIC lets visiting marketers test their brand’s products in realistic retail settings before market launch. Real-world solutions with IRL connections Just as the MXIC demonstrates ways that technology and forward-thinking can propel advertising in today’s omnichannel landscape, the center itself is a testament to Quad’s commitment to innovation. “In the end, the MXIC is about collaboration,” Waldusky added. “Our commitment to innovation is inspired by the awesome, dynamic brands and marketers we work with. Creating an IRL space to come together and explore the possibilities just helps us all get to better solutions faster.” About Quad Quad (NYSE: QUAD) is a marketing experience, or MX, company that helps brands make direct consumer connections, from household to in-store to online. The company does this through its MX Solutions Suite, a comprehensive range of marketing and print services that seamlessly integrate creative, production and media solutions across online and offline channels. Supported by state-of-the-art technology and data-driven intelligence, Quad simplifies the complexities of marketing by removing friction wherever it occurs along the marketing journey. The company tailors its uniquely flexible, scalable and connected solutions to each clients’ objectives, driving cost efficiencies, improving speed-to-market, strengthening marketing effectiveness and delivering value on client investments. Quad employs more than 12,000 people in 14 countries and serves approximately 2,500 clients including industry leading blue-chip companies that serve both businesses and consumers in multiple industry verticals, with a particular focus on commerce, including retail, consumer packaged goods and direct-to-consumer; financial services; and health. Quad is ranked among the largest agency companies in the U.S. by Ad Age, buoyed by its full-service media agency, Rise, and creative agency, Betty. Quad is also one of the largest commercial printers in North America, according to Printing Impressions. For more information about Quad, including its commitment to operating responsibly, intentional innovation and values-driven culture, visit quad.com. Ad Age Studio 30 Ad Age Studio 30 is the creative content arm of Ad Age. Built on the same bedrock of journalistic integrity, Ad Age Studio 30 specializes in custom and sponsored content that resonates with our audience. To partner with Ad Age Studio 30, email James Palma at jpalma@adage.com.

Quad’s new marketing innovation center offers IRL inspiration for marketers

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