Education entertainment or edutainment is an experience designed to help brands connect with knowledge-hungry consumers. From DIY workshops and product trials to in-store lessons, this tactic of cultivating a deeper connection with the consumer could help occupy those down hours in-between flights with a worthwhile activity that’s enhanced to their skill set.

One brand putting this retail strategy into full swing is Puma’s Creative Factory – an online personalization hub – accompanied by a new iPad app. With interactive swatch and design installations, visitors are encouraged to unleash their creativity and create their own trainers.

Shifting towards a bricks and mortar approach, scottish whisky brand Johnnie Walker’s House in Beijing provides a lavish space for the wealthy Chinese market. The space is a fun-fuelled destination designed to educate consumers around their brand. It hosts a social club, bar, museum, shop and an interactive tasting table that tests patrons’ sense of smell.

Speaking of launch, Diageo Asia Pacific president Gilbert Ghostine said: “The Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai has been our most successful experiment in marketing and commercial innovation in Asia to date… This experience has brought incredible success and new energy to Johnnie Walker’s century-long story of progress in China.”

One airport harnessing the power of combining entertainment and education, with a good dose of shopping and culture is Incheon’s Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Centre. As passengers pass through, they’re given the opportunity to make traditional handicrafts, try on traditional clothes, and even experience traditional music performance.

As more brands start to harness this technique, equipping consumers with fresh knowledge and experiences of their brand; time spent in-transit will become an opportunity for forward thinking brands to deepen their relationship with consumers that may have previously walked past them.

Toby Marks – Insights and trends Researcher