Category: Insights
Voice search is on the rise with more and more brands adapting their marketing strategies to incorporate voice functionality across Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Home and more.
With voice devices and services such as Google Home and Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri skyrocketing in use across 2018, consumers are increasingly comfortable with voice-driven, two-way dialogue with brands at unplanned times, often away from a mobile or computer; It’s a different kind of brand engagement, with a starting point that is usually a question (think ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘why’) and responses more instantaneous and organic than ever. ComScore predicts that, by 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches.
Voice search changes the nature of search, increasing the importance of questions and simplicity of responses. This, in turn, increases the need to ensure your brand is front of mind when the question is asked, and positioned as the top informer. It’s a creatively challenging format with potential for big results, especially for brands naturally attuned to answering the most-asked questions.
For example, many breakfast food brands are keen to position themselves as breakfast-time problem solvers. Should they not be vying to answer a likely voice-driven query of ‘How can I make breakfast more exciting?’
Ignoring the nascent new way of searching is a dangerous thing to do. Now is the time for brands to invest time and money into their voice search offering. This will involve many test and learn situations, a new breed of SEO specialist and a commitment to simplified UX, all in the name of further removing barriers to authentic audience connection.
Voice search is on the rise with more and more brands adapting their marketing strategies to incorporate voice functionality across Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Home and more.
With voice devices and services such as Google Home and Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri skyrocketing in use across 2018, consumers are increasingly comfortable with voice-driven, two-way dialogue with brands at unplanned times, often away from a mobile or computer; It’s a different kind of brand engagement, with a starting point that is usually a question (think ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘why’) and responses more instantaneous and organic than ever. ComScore predicts that, by 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches.
Voice search changes the nature of search, increasing the importance of questions and simplicity of responses. This, in turn, increases the need to ensure your brand is front of mind when the question is asked, and positioned as the top informer. It’s a creatively challenging format with potential for big results, especially for brands naturally attuned to answering the most-asked questions.
For example, many breakfast food brands are keen to position themselves as breakfast-time problem solvers. Should they not be vying to answer a likely voice-driven query of ‘How can I make breakfast more exciting?’
Ignoring the nascent new way of searching is a dangerous thing to do. Now is the time for brands to invest time and money into their voice search offering. This will involve many test and learn situations, a new breed of SEO specialist and a commitment to simplified UX, all in the name of further removing barriers to authentic audience connection.
The Super Bowl is one of the globe’s biggest sports events for brands with 160 million viewers, but how does that translate to social interest around the world?
Super Bowl LIII wins the Americas but ‘soccer’ still the main event in Africa and parts of Asia
78% of buzz for the Super Bowl comes from the US despite its growing international appeal. Comparing the Super Bowl to other key sports events this weekend, Man City vs. Arsenal drew particular interest in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In the UK, both the Super Bowl and Arsenal vs. Man City interestingly drowned out England’s win against Ireland in the Six Nations.
Super Bowl’s broader audience as a cultural event is revealed in its gender and interest splits across family, music, celebrities and entertainment.
OMD clients Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz and Disney feature in the most associated Super Bowl brands
The Super Bowl is known as being particularly fertile ground for entertainment properties with Avengers: End Game, Sponge Bob, Fortnite and Injustice: Gods Among Us all generating interest through ads. However, this year Pepsi’s half time sponsorship and Mercedes Benz stadium sponsorship sees them associated.
Of all branded content distributed on video channels, Amazon’s Not Everything Makes the Cut generated the most views. However engagement rates were under 0.1x for the most viewed ads, with significant spend by brands driving the top viewed ads.
When we look at it in terms of most engaged branded content, gaming leads the way with Microsoft Xbox and EA Sport both featuring. Fashion brands such as Pretty Little Thing and Nine Line Apparel’s anti-Kaepernick content drove engagement; both negative and positive.
In terms of most talked about celebrities, #ImWithKap saw Colin Kaepernick gained support a social media awareness campaign to raise money for the Know Your Rights Camp. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s performance also generating interest.
The Super Bowl is one of the globe’s biggest sports events for brands with 160 million viewers, but how does that translate to social interest around the world?
Super Bowl LIII wins the Americas but ‘soccer’ still the main event in Africa and parts of Asia
78% of buzz for the Super Bowl comes from the US despite its growing international appeal. Comparing the Super Bowl to other key sports events this weekend, Man City vs. Arsenal drew particular interest in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In the UK, both the Super Bowl and Arsenal vs. Man City interestingly drowned out England’s win against Ireland in the Six Nations.
Super Bowl’s broader audience as a cultural event is revealed in its gender and interest splits across family, music, celebrities and entertainment.
OMD clients Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz and Disney feature in the most associated Super Bowl brands
The Super Bowl is known as being particularly fertile ground for entertainment properties with Avengers: End Game, Sponge Bob, Fortnite and Injustice: Gods Among Us all generating interest through ads. However, this year Pepsi’s half time sponsorship and Mercedes Benz stadium sponsorship sees them associated.
Of all branded content distributed on video channels, Amazon’s Not Everything Makes the Cut generated the most views. However engagement rates were under 0.1x for the most viewed ads, with significant spend by brands driving the top viewed ads.
When we look at it in terms of most engaged branded content, gaming leads the way with Microsoft Xbox and EA Sport both featuring. Fashion brands such as Pretty Little Thing and Nine Line Apparel’s anti-Kaepernick content drove engagement; both negative and positive.
In terms of most talked about celebrities, #ImWithKap saw Colin Kaepernick gained support a social media awareness campaign to raise money for the Know Your Rights Camp. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s performance also generating interest.
In recent years, technology companies have come under scrutiny for the ‘addictive’ nature of their products. While ‘addiction’ as a term is problematic, people are increasingly becoming aware of the effects that overuse of technology has. During downtime, we find ourselves mindlessly consuming content on social media, binge-watching Netflix, or browsing online for the latest deals. We have forgotten what it truly means to be bored, how to have a human conversation, or how to live without a mobile phone. While life without technology is not feasible for most of us, due to work and other commitments, there is a role that needs to be played by brands. We, Marketing Intelligence* at OMD EMEA, believe that brands can benefit from the integration of techniques that promote healthier relationships with technology, for those who desire it.
*Marketing Intelligence is made up of 30 people from different specialist services teams including our: research team, strategy team, business intelligence team, marketing sciences team, social intelligence and our marketing technology experts. These experts join the dots between the different competencies ensuring we have a holistic approach to insight, analytics and strategy for our clients. Our focus is on providing powerful insight and knowledge to our teams internally and to our clients with a view to ultimately having a positive impact on brand and business success.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Research shows that, on average, people check their mobile phone every 15 minutes. This figure becomes more frequent for teens, who, on average, spend around 9 hours a day online. However, while 72% of teens admit to checking for messages as soon as they wake up, 57% of parents admit to doing the same. And, while 72% of parents have noticed their child being distracted during a conversation due to mobile phones, 51% of teens have noticed their parents behaving in a similar way. Hypocrites aside, the consequences of compulsive use are grave. In the U.S., more than half of all adults with a driving licence have admitted to sending or reading a text whilst driving. Given that texting while driving is incredibly dangerous, it begs the question: what is causing us to act in irrational ways? Are humans to blame, or is there something inherently ‘addictive’ about mobile phones?
WHAT IS CAUSING THIS?
In the U.K alone, more than half of the population (58%) say that they cannot imagine life without their mobile phone. When separated from their mobile phone, more and more people are feeling anxious about it. The issue of mobile phone separation anxiety is so widespread that there is now a term for it, namely, ‘nomophobia’. Despite the common misconception, ’nomophobia’ is not linked to the inability to make or receive phone calls. Instead, ‘nomophobia’ is thought to be linked to our mobile phones being ‘’so advanced and personal to us that they’ve actually become an extension of ourselves’’. In short, mobile phones are an amalgamation of functionalities from devices that are important to us. Not only can we capture and store memories on these devices, but we can also access thousands of apps, keep in touch with loved ones and access a wealth of information at our fingertips.
As such, this increases our propensity to believe that mobile phones are somehow part of our extended selves. In turn, this leads to increased levels of ‘nomophobia’, ‘’by heightening the phone proximity-seeking tendency’’. When we spend too long away from our phones, our ‘’brain releases the hormone cortisol, a chemical that initiates a flight-or-fight response to danger’’. Whereas before, humans relied upon cortisol to keep them safe, today, it causes us to continuously check in. While ideas about operant conditioning are not new, links have only just been made between mobile phones and slot machines. This is due, largely, to unpredictable rewards, such as red notifications, likes or direct messages.
THE REWARD PATHWAY AND THE ROLE OF DOPAMINE
The best way to reinforce learning is to administer infrequent, random rewards. This is because dopamine – involved in motivating us to do something – responds positively to levels of unpredictability. Dopamine is a critical part of our brains composition – implicated not only in reward, but also seeking, thinking, moving and sleeping – that makes us feel inclined to act. Within our brains, there are four prominent dopamine pathways that pass on chemicals in the form of neurotransmitters. Of which, three of these are implicated with reward:
In daily life, willpower, control and restraint are all reliant on the above being fully operable. Increasingly, however, people are making links between too much screen time and shifts in reward processing. At a recent conference, the brains of teenagers with technology ‘addiction’ were examined. From which, key differences in reward circuitry were found, meaning that their risk of developing anxiety was significantly higher.
INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND FALSE FULFILMENT
The concept of ‘instant gratification’ refers to the timely release of dopamine, that requires little to no effort. Given the widespread adoption of mobile phones, the majority of us now have access to instant gratification at the touch of a button. As a result, the availability of things has led to a sense of false fulfilment. When we receive a notification on our phones that could be from anyone and anywhere, we feel a rush of dopamine, due to the unpredictability. However, the feeling does not last, and thus, we are drawn into a cycle of repetitive reward seeking. With every reward, we feel compelled to seek out bigger and better rewards. To keep us scrolling, apps such as social media utilise this technique, by profiling users based on behaviour to ascertain which rewards will incur the maximum response.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO DIGITAL ‘ADDICTION’?
When we receive abnormally large rewards, our brain struggles in terms of processing. This is because they go ‘’directly into the brain and overstimulate, which can generate addiction’’. As a result, our willpower becomes diminished. Therefore, it can be argued that having instant gratification online can lead to a lack of motivation in real life. Why work towards a long-term goal, when we can attain similar feelings at our fingertips? Though, there is an opportunity for brands to utilise these findings for user benefit, in particular, with collaborative behavioural change interventions. When seeking to increase the frequency of positive messages sent on their anti-cyberbullying app, Dopamine Labs were able to generate an uplift of 167% in frequency, ‘’by controlling when and how often we sent them an animated gif reward’’.
WHAT BRANDS ARE DOING TO COMBAT DIGITAL ‘ADDICTION’
While standalone software has existed for quite some time, brands have only just started to integrate elements of sensitive design into their products. Among the first were Google, Apple and Instagram, who unveiled a set of new features over the summer which seek to prevent user burnout. In May 2018, Google announced that their latest version of Android software has enhanced ‘Do Not Disturb’ settings. Within which, there is an automatic ‘Shush’ mode that reduces notifications and an inbuilt dashboard that details patterns of usage, including frequency of unlocking the screen. A month later, Apple unveiled their Digital Health software for iOS 12. Key features of which include Screen Time, which enables users to better track time spent on their device, as well as ‘Downtime’, which imposes limits on problematic apps. In November 2018, Instagram announced its ‘Your Activity’ feature, which enables users to track usage, set time restrictions and mute notifications. As increasing evidence is released that mental health is being put at risk, brands should seek to follow suit, with the integration of techniques that prioritise user wellbeing. If brands can promote healthy relationships between users and technology, users will be less likely to abandon their devices altogether.
For further information about the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Marketing Intelligence team: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected].
In recent years, technology companies have come under scrutiny for the ‘addictive’ nature of their products. While ‘addiction’ as a term is problematic, people are increasingly becoming aware of the effects that overuse of technology has. During downtime, we find ourselves mindlessly consuming content on social media, binge-watching Netflix, or browsing online for the latest deals. We have forgotten what it truly means to be bored, how to have a human conversation, or how to live without a mobile phone. While life without technology is not feasible for most of us, due to work and other commitments, there is a role that needs to be played by brands. We, Marketing Intelligence* at OMD EMEA, believe that brands can benefit from the integration of techniques that promote healthier relationships with technology, for those who desire it.
*Marketing Intelligence is made up of 30 people from different specialist services teams including our: research team, strategy team, business intelligence team, marketing sciences team, social intelligence and our marketing technology experts. These experts join the dots between the different competencies ensuring we have a holistic approach to insight, analytics and strategy for our clients. Our focus is on providing powerful insight and knowledge to our teams internally and to our clients with a view to ultimately having a positive impact on brand and business success.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Research shows that, on average, people check their mobile phone every 15 minutes. This figure becomes more frequent for teens, who, on average, spend around 9 hours a day online. However, while 72% of teens admit to checking for messages as soon as they wake up, 57% of parents admit to doing the same. And, while 72% of parents have noticed their child being distracted during a conversation due to mobile phones, 51% of teens have noticed their parents behaving in a similar way. Hypocrites aside, the consequences of compulsive use are grave. In the U.S., more than half of all adults with a driving licence have admitted to sending or reading a text whilst driving. Given that texting while driving is incredibly dangerous, it begs the question: what is causing us to act in irrational ways? Are humans to blame, or is there something inherently ‘addictive’ about mobile phones?
WHAT IS CAUSING THIS?
In the U.K alone, more than half of the population (58%) say that they cannot imagine life without their mobile phone. When separated from their mobile phone, more and more people are feeling anxious about it. The issue of mobile phone separation anxiety is so widespread that there is now a term for it, namely, ‘nomophobia’. Despite the common misconception, ’nomophobia’ is not linked to the inability to make or receive phone calls. Instead, ‘nomophobia’ is thought to be linked to our mobile phones being ‘’so advanced and personal to us that they’ve actually become an extension of ourselves’’. In short, mobile phones are an amalgamation of functionalities from devices that are important to us. Not only can we capture and store memories on these devices, but we can also access thousands of apps, keep in touch with loved ones and access a wealth of information at our fingertips.
As such, this increases our propensity to believe that mobile phones are somehow part of our extended selves. In turn, this leads to increased levels of ‘nomophobia’, ‘’by heightening the phone proximity-seeking tendency’’. When we spend too long away from our phones, our ‘’brain releases the hormone cortisol, a chemical that initiates a flight-or-fight response to danger’’. Whereas before, humans relied upon cortisol to keep them safe, today, it causes us to continuously check in. While ideas about operant conditioning are not new, links have only just been made between mobile phones and slot machines. This is due, largely, to unpredictable rewards, such as red notifications, likes or direct messages.
THE REWARD PATHWAY AND THE ROLE OF DOPAMINE
The best way to reinforce learning is to administer infrequent, random rewards. This is because dopamine – involved in motivating us to do something – responds positively to levels of unpredictability. Dopamine is a critical part of our brains composition – implicated not only in reward, but also seeking, thinking, moving and sleeping – that makes us feel inclined to act. Within our brains, there are four prominent dopamine pathways that pass on chemicals in the form of neurotransmitters. Of which, three of these are implicated with reward:
In daily life, willpower, control and restraint are all reliant on the above being fully operable. Increasingly, however, people are making links between too much screen time and shifts in reward processing. At a recent conference, the brains of teenagers with technology ‘addiction’ were examined. From which, key differences in reward circuitry were found, meaning that their risk of developing anxiety was significantly higher.
INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND FALSE FULFILMENT
The concept of ‘instant gratification’ refers to the timely release of dopamine, that requires little to no effort. Given the widespread adoption of mobile phones, the majority of us now have access to instant gratification at the touch of a button. As a result, the availability of things has led to a sense of false fulfilment. When we receive a notification on our phones that could be from anyone and anywhere, we feel a rush of dopamine, due to the unpredictability. However, the feeling does not last, and thus, we are drawn into a cycle of repetitive reward seeking. With every reward, we feel compelled to seek out bigger and better rewards. To keep us scrolling, apps such as social media utilise this technique, by profiling users based on behaviour to ascertain which rewards will incur the maximum response.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO DIGITAL ‘ADDICTION’?
When we receive abnormally large rewards, our brain struggles in terms of processing. This is because they go ‘’directly into the brain and overstimulate, which can generate addiction’’. As a result, our willpower becomes diminished. Therefore, it can be argued that having instant gratification online can lead to a lack of motivation in real life. Why work towards a long-term goal, when we can attain similar feelings at our fingertips? Though, there is an opportunity for brands to utilise these findings for user benefit, in particular, with collaborative behavioural change interventions. When seeking to increase the frequency of positive messages sent on their anti-cyberbullying app, Dopamine Labs were able to generate an uplift of 167% in frequency, ‘’by controlling when and how often we sent them an animated gif reward’’.
WHAT BRANDS ARE DOING TO COMBAT DIGITAL ‘ADDICTION’
While standalone software has existed for quite some time, brands have only just started to integrate elements of sensitive design into their products. Among the first were Google, Apple and Instagram, who unveiled a set of new features over the summer which seek to prevent user burnout. In May 2018, Google announced that their latest version of Android software has enhanced ‘Do Not Disturb’ settings. Within which, there is an automatic ‘Shush’ mode that reduces notifications and an inbuilt dashboard that details patterns of usage, including frequency of unlocking the screen. A month later, Apple unveiled their Digital Health software for iOS 12. Key features of which include Screen Time, which enables users to better track time spent on their device, as well as ‘Downtime’, which imposes limits on problematic apps. In November 2018, Instagram announced its ‘Your Activity’ feature, which enables users to track usage, set time restrictions and mute notifications. As increasing evidence is released that mental health is being put at risk, brands should seek to follow suit, with the integration of techniques that prioritise user wellbeing. If brands can promote healthy relationships between users and technology, users will be less likely to abandon their devices altogether.
For further information about the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Marketing Intelligence team: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected].
The large network TV broadcasters like to remind us of what they do well. Live sports, the big moments, royal weddings and talent shows are all well-suited to live TV. But so far, the big SVOD players have not pushed the envelope on how they can also offer something unique and truly differentiated on their platforms. Interactive TV could be that response.
In 2017 Netflix started experimenting with interactive shows aimed at kids, launching with Buddy Thunderstruck and an episode of Puss in Boots. Towards the end of 2018, Netflix moved to the next level by launching the first full interactive series, Minecraft: Story Mode. And during the festivities, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was unleashed, allowing adults to get in on the fun.
Minecraft works as a ‘choose your own adventure’ style story, allowing you to choose which character you are and what they say and do at each challenge. Two online series of Story Mode had already been created, so the concept is a familiar to the millions of Minecraft fans globally. To date five episodes have been created. I’ve had a play, and it was clunky, but fun. It rewards repeat play, and it will be interesting to hear what kids think about this. My one concern could be that the best days of Minecraft seem to be in the past. However, it is still a huge international franchise.
Netflix is looking at the gap between gaming and traditional TV shows and have clearly concluded that interactive viewing has a big future. Andy Yeatman, Head of Kids’ Programming at Netflix, commented at Mipjunior, Cannes in 2017 that kids were going back and replaying the same episode endlessly. That stickiness of content works perfectly for the Netflix revenue model.
For the adults among us, there was a grown up interactive treat in store this Christmas with the aforementioned Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Offering a far darker experience, we entered into an 80’s world of computer programming, obsession, madness and murder. Whilst plot and characterisation was light, there was fun to be had from replaying decisions to view the outcomes. The show worked on a meta level too, as we could tell characters they were being controlled by Netflix, and were left pondering in the end, were we ourselves being manipulated all along?
The shows themselves may not be perfect, but as an introduction to the power, and possibility of interactive TV, Netflix have shown the future might be somewhere between TV and gaming. Exciting possibilities lie ahead!
Last week, the FutureTV Advertising Conference landed in London, sprawling over four days and three locations. The event has been running for a few years, and the themes are often consistent, but this year a palpable sense of urgency was in the air. Broadcast TV in the UK has essentially got away with it over the past decade. Print media has disintegrated, radio and outdoor have consolidated furiously in order to maintain relevance and reduce costs; all have suffered at the hands of Google, Facebook and the march of programmatic digital advertising. But now, it’s the broadcasters turn to be nervous. FAANG have their sights firmly set on broadcast audiences and ad dollars, and the stakes have suddenly been raised.
As a result, we saw the heads of ITV, Channel4 and Sky share a stage for the first time ever. The word ringing through the conference halls was “collaboration”. Sky were putting their money down and demonstrating tangible progress. Their AdSmart product has run over 1,700 campaigns. It is the only TV service in town that looks anything like the open interface of a Facebook Editor or Google AdWords. And now they have agreed their pay TV rivals Liberty Global can use it too. Cadent have been brought in from the US to deliver even further reach and insights. Jamie West of Sky would like to work with YouView and Now TV in the next few years. Everyone else wishes ITV would get onboard too.
AdSmart is intriguing as it gives local business, and SMBs the chance to utilise TV smartly and efficiently through targeting and geo-location. Facebook and Google make the majority of their money from SMBs. Sky now have a weapon which can push back against Facebook and Google’s primary weapons: flexibility, visibility and exceptional targeting precision. This could be the breakthrough platform for broadcast advertising, and it is part of the reason Comcast were so happy to pay over the odds to purchase Sky.
However, Carolyn McCall, the ITV CEO, didn’t seem inclined to utilise AdSmart. There was a sense of ‘not invented here’ about her reasoning. She is still keen to collaborate, but perhaps more with the other major UK PSBs. She had a long list for Santa, most of which feels speculative: an end to CRR, a level playing field on advertising compliance, the opportunity to create a joint UK SVOD platform to take on Netflix and Amazon. ITV, Sky and others are aware just how fast SVOD is growing. In the UK, Netflix has 10m subscribers, 400,000 more than Sky, who have been doing this for over 25 years. They are taking TV eyeballs away from the adverts, and that is hurting commercial TV more than they care to admit.
Channel4 have been running some interesting tests around contextual TV, swapping ad copy to be more relevant to the editorial. They are talking to YouView about expanding usage of the technology. But it felt like a solution in the absence of programmatic TV, and not much of a game-changer. Interesting that Channel4 were also trying to work with YouView, also of interest to Sky. Maybe they could all work together?
Without wanting to spook the stock market, Carolyn McCall admitted that Q4 was “impacted” by the ongoing Brexit uncertainty. She said she feels almost certain we will see a contraction in the ad-market, and maybe a consumer-led recession. Tough times lie ahead, but it’s often during such periods that we see real breakthroughs and innovation. 2008/9 saw a big drop in advertising spend, but also the unstoppable rise of Facebook, YouTube and the concept of turn on/turn off, real-time, optimised media. Perhaps we will see the same revolution in TV over the next two years.
Our social intelligence team has brought together real time insights from this years Black Friday. Were they as expected?
Spain leads Europe in Black Friday Buzz
Out of all of the European countries, Spain is driving the biggest share of the Black Friday conversation (6.6%) followed by UK (5.5%) and France (4.8%).
Are audiences showing evidence of Black Friday fatigue?
This year has seen a drop in conversation of almost 10%
Tech giants and retailers dominate the Black Friday conversation
Amazon and Walmart are the most talked about brands on social media this year, and Video Consoles (namely X Box One and Play Station 4) are the most talked about products.
It’s all about gifting games
Parents are taking the opportunity to catch the best deals on Video Games
Audience profile
Most talked about topics
Football Video Games (68.1K posts)
Fashion (37.2K posts)
Beauty (15.3K posts)
By Irina Puzakova
The annual IAB UK Digital Upfronts took place in October this year where the UK’s leading content creators and media owners showcased their premium digital advertising opportunities for 2019. I was fortunate enough to attend some interesting sessions and would like to share my key learnings, which focus on driving more ‘meaningful’ attention to brands efforts through more immersive and world class storytelling.
Drawing attention to attention deficit
Many publishers voiced their concerns over fleeting attention spans and encouraged brands to work harder than ever to win the hearts and minds of consumers.
- Facebook urged marketers to ‘stand out and stand up’ at a session focused on how to get ‘meaningful’ attention to drive positive outcomes. They noted that ‘attention economy’ has shifted more in the past four years than in the last 100. With the reach of commercial television in decline, falling print revenues, the growth of platforms like YouTube and subscription driven services such as Netflix and Spotify, ‘the more quantifiable nature of digital has shined a light on how advertising has always worked’. The latter inferred the importance of considering ways brands could visually and distinctively stand out in cluttered feeds – using the power of surprise and making the audience ‘feel something’.
- Twitter reiterated how they could get consumers to pay attention to brands through aligning and integrating brand narrative into real time conversations happening on Twitter. The territories that drove the most tweets this year were Football and Entertainment. There were 115 billion tweet impressions during the 2018 World Cup alone, hence Twitter’s Premier League highlights rights extension for the 2020 season. On the entertainment front, #LoveIsland attracted 2.5 billion video views on Twitter with 1.2M tweet authors publishing 11.2M tweets.
- JCDecaux named their session ‘The Brand Gap’, which focused on the theory and the reality of successful marketing activity. They referenced ‘The Long and The Short of it’ book by IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) which outlines the 60/40 rule and claims brands should aim for 60% long term brand building and 40% short term activation. It was pointed out that OOH is one medium that can achieve both short term results and longer-term brand building, and that Digital OOH is the second fastest growing media channel behind mobile.
Facilitating world class storytelling
Many partners highlighted opportunities where they could help brands to tell their stories in more innovative ways and illustrated the importance of technology in enabling truly immersive experiences and stories.
- BBC Worldwide pointed to a new study from BBC StoryWorks, entitled The Science of Memory, whose findings focus on how emotional impact can make branded content more memorable.
- Oath announced the launch of their global creative tech lab in LA – RYOT Labs. Oath’s film production and branded content unit has the ambition to “push the boundaries of innovation within storytelling” and is “looking to create the next generation of motion picture studios.” It was forecast that technology would take us into the realm of ‘science fiction’ thanks to the many innovations that are likely to emerge on the back of 5G wireless technology, with the new RYOT Lab aiming to ‘use emerging technologies to amplify human emotion’.
In summary, in the transaction-focussed, hyper-targeted state of current marketing, media partners highlighted the importance of brand building and driving emotional response to their messages. Technology keeps evolving and is bound to present even more immersive storytelling opportunities which can further elevate and amplify brand content and drive more meaningful consumer connections.
For more details on the upcoming product launches, opportunities and implications and the full report, please contact [email protected]