Miko

Miko is an AI powered companion that is specifically designed to engage kids through interaction, learning, and emotional responses. Due to the presence of numerous features, including voice recognition, mood based responses, and adaptive interactions, Miko effectively combines learning with companionship in order to create a more engaging experience for children.

The main reason why Miko partnered with D’Art was that it wanted us to develop and execute a unique as well as different retail experience that could be effectively rolled out across Hamleys stores in India. Apart from creating visibility, the overall experience was expected to encourage children to engage with the AI powered robot and, at the same time, also help parents understand its unique features and true value.

 Making AI More Tangible

INTERACTION: This is exactly what Miko’s key strengths are based on!

The AI powered robot can listen, respond, learn, and adapt to the child that is interacting with it. However, these qualities are very difficult to communicate through a conventional product display.

Hence, the major challenge faced in this respective project was to create a physical retail experience that could make these qualities even more easier to understand. Instead of simply treating Miko as a product that simply needed to be positioned and presented, D’Art approached the retail space as an opportunity to demonstrate what actually makes the product different.

We built the experience around three key ideas: interaction, adaptability, and companionship. These ideas did not just shape the visual language but also the way customers could engage with Miko.

​

Designing an Interactive Retail Experience

The entire retail experience was designed and executed in a way that engaged both children and parents through a mix of interaction and clear communication. We created multiple display points that further helped in developing a consistent Miko presence, that too, while highlighting its learning, interaction, and attentiveness.

Miko Friendship Bench was indeed one of the major highlights of this project. It allowed children to interact with Miko as well as peers. This interactive session automatically converted product discovery into a shared experience.

Also, the executed displays combined product visibility with simple brand communication. This significantly helped Miko in standing out within the busy retail environment where numerous brands constantly fight for consumers’ attention. In addition, this approach also created a familiar as well as scalable brand presence that could seamlessly be adapted across different Hamleys locations in a very consistent and effective manner.

The Outcome

This initiative helped Miko establish a structured as well as strategic retail presence across Hamleys stores in India. The combination of multiple display points along with setting up the Miko Friendship Bench indeed created an excellent opportunity for children to directly engage with the product. At the same time, it also helped parents understand the overall purpose and capabilities of Miko.

The blend of interaction, learning, and companionship in the store environment further helped in communicating Miko as more than just a conventional toy. The finally executed framework was designed in a scalable manner. As a result, the brand can seamlessly implement the same experience across multiple locations, that too, while maintaining a consistent presence.