Panasonic has opened up a space solely dedicated to consumer producttrials. Located in Tokyo, the eco-friendly house is targeted at femalesbetween 20 and 35. The female guests are invited to stay for a minimum of twoweeks and a maximum of four, in order to test various health and beautyproducts from six of the brand's lines. During their stay they can hire bikes and take part inactivities such as beauty lessons or cookery classes. In return they are asked tofill out diaries and feedback forms to review the products they have tested. Itcosts around $250 a fortnight to take part, but compared to the price of hotelsin Tokyo, it’s very little.

It may seem like a strange concept at first glance, but this is actually brandimmersion at its absolute best. It’s a business model we could imagine beingreplicated or adapted to provide an excellent marketing tool for brands.