WoW Woman in VR | Shanna Clement, Marketing Manager at TG0
Interview by Marija Butkovic
Every start-up needs a marketing expert to help the idea fly. London-based TG0 recently recruited Shanna Clement to help them get the word out about etee, a new button-free VR controller.
Shanna Clement is TG0's marketing manager, working across all marketing channels and platforms to build brand awareness and drive sales for TG0's first B2C product etee. Shanna comes to TG0 from NYC where she worked for media giants Warner Media and VIACOM INC specialising in content partnerships and later brand planning. Her expertise in brand planning has given her insight into how to develop the long term strategy for etee's continued growth and success. She is motivated by the opportunities in tech and the growth of TG0 and what it can bring to partners and their consumers around the globe.
Shanna spoke to WoW about her role, the technology, and being a woman in wearables.
Shanna, tell us about you and your projects so far.
I completed my business undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont. Then I was lucky to join Warner Media on the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim marketing team where I partnered with some incredible brands including Hasbro, Geico and Pepsi-Co. I then joined the Nickelodeon franchise planning team focusing on the Nick Jr. properties. After six years in New York City I moved to London in December 2019 to pursue an MBA and gather more international experience.
Tell us about TG0.
I joined TG0 in March 2020. TG0 is an IP-focused start-up specialising in novel tactile human machine interface technology. We have patented touch-sensing tech and work with leading brands and manufacturers in the consumer and automotive sectors. Most recently I have been supporting the launch of etee, our new button-free VR controller.
Tell us about etee.
etee is a revolutionary button-free VR controller. Unlike legacy controllers, it doesn't need buttons because of our finger sensing technology. Players can wear our lightweight controllers and control their VR experiences using the touch, pressure, gesture and proximity of each of their fingers. At the start of April we launched a Kickstarter campaign to spread the word.
What does your job role entail?
I design the marketing and brand strategy for etee, which is our first consumer-facing product. I’m a true multi-channel marketer: I handle social content, digital advertising and have helped position the product and our Kickstarter campaign. We are a start-up, so I have plenty of other communications duties too. TG0 is full of high-energy, diverse professionals; I like to think my skills and experience complement the rest of the team.
Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
Learning the tech and VR/AR industry has been challenging; in VR the learning curve is steep and long. The technical side of the business takes time to understand, and then it takes a lot of thinking to be able to effectively communicate out to a larger audience of gamers and technology enthusiasts. In a short space of time, I’ve had to learn how to speak a new kind of language and generate trust among a very savvy audience. It's been a good test of my skills and ability to adapt.
What other challenges have you faced?
The biggest challenge has been adjusting to the start-up culture. It differs vastly from the corporate culture I've been accustomed to in the past. I've had to take theory and directly apply it to everything I'm doing and become more hands-on across all marketing channels. It’s both challenging and exciting!
How tough is it to make your mark as a start-up?
As etee is a new entrant into the VR market we have to dedicate significant resources just to drive awareness and understanding of our product. We are truly giving VR/AR fans something new and we have to overcome bias and general disbelief that what we are offering is possible. We have to build our audience - and trust - amongst that audience fast. We’ve been using all sorts of tactics; video, social media and social advertising, live Q+As, press releases and partner marketing. We shot a video with The Gadget Show’s Jason Bradbury recently, which was a lot of fun. And of course membership groups like WoW are a great way to tell an engaged community about our brand.
What are the challenges of being a woman in the VR/AR industry?
VR/AR has so many possibilities but it's dominated by the gaming industry, which is majority male. It doesn't always feel accessible to women. But there are so many opportunities for VR/AR in design, art and gaming that are attractive to women that need to be promoted and brought to the forefront. What is great about TG0 is that everyone is passionate about accessibility for everyone; we want to engage with thought leaders in accessibility and charities like SpecialEffect, a charity which uses video games to help children with disabilities.
How can women succeed in the VR and tech industry?
Be yourself. Identify the skills you can bring to the team. For example, I am quite analytical and have a lot of experience in using marketing theory to drive successful campaigns. But women don't just have to head into marketing or communication roles. At TG0 for example we have my colleagues Chi and Francesca who work directly in the VR design and engineering space.
What will be the key trends in the VR/AR industry in the next five years and where do you see it heading?
VR has such great potential, not just in gaming but also in MedTech and training environments. In terms of trends, we’ve identified ease of immersion as a major factor – hence the etee controllers. The controllers on the market now are often heavy, uncomfortable to hold and rely on binary button control: ie everything’s either on or off. TG0 wanted to make a controller you could wear and almost forget you were wearing it because it was so light. With our finger-sensing technology, etee makes VR experiences a lot more intuitive, ‘human’ and more like real-life.
Are there any women you admire in the VR space?
We were fortunate enough to work with VR Rosie on the Kickstarter campaign. VR Rosie makes amazing virtual reality art and performance pieces. She’s a great role model for women working in the creative technology space. You can see the video we shot with her here.
Find out more about the etee Kickstarter campaign here!
Website: http://tg0.co.uk/
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship and diversity. Visit marijabutkovic.co.uk or follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic.