openground is an art and culture space located at Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, aiming to bridge design and culture to life.
The venue features five crucial elements including coffee, design books, selected goods, creation and blank space to bring out the theme - DESIGN FOR OPENNESS. It organize design-related events regularly, including talks, exhibitions and workshops to promote highlights of the design industry and bring more design elements to daily lives.
Technology changes, and So do the Cafe
The modern generation wants digital channels to provide them easy access. Technology has connected us more than we have ever been. One of the most significant trends in business is the rapid change of customer expectations when it comes to interactions with brands. Customers are not only seeking a great product, but an authentic human connection with both the brand and their community of customers. They are increasingly seeing their buying decisions as reflections of their identities as well as the communities they belong to.
Community Driven
It is important to establish a definition of community. Community can be defined as a space where people share like-minded values and interests, and feel a connection or a belonging to something. Space, importantly for marketers, refers to an abstract idea of a shared environment, it can be online (like a newsletter or forum), or offline (like cultural space). Customers are now creating deep connections with fellow supporters of a specific brand, and even the brands themselves. Community-building is a long-term process that requires care and consistency. At its core, it is about relationship building, and strong relationships require trust and time to flourish.
The Future is Now
It has been said that this pandemic has accelerated technological adoption in the cafe industry. Initiatives that were planned for three-to-four years down the road are being implemented now. Technological adoption is not easy. Remember in-person vs online banking or renting movies in-store vs streaming services?
MERCURY is glad to provide services for openground to transform their digital footprint and extend their community to digital space. We expect the full service shall available in September, 2021.