How our changing values are shaping our industry
New shifts in advertising and marketing
A few weeks ago I played hooky from work for a few days and went to the Northside Innovation Festival. For anyone unfamiliar with it, the topics range from social issues to virtual reality — the common thread is, of course, innovative thinking and impact for the future.
What I noticed more than anything this year was how the approach to this topic of change, in its many forms, was itself changing. In nearly every discussion, panel, and interview, there was an question not only of what the future will hold (which I would expect from a festival that explores “innovation”), but also the question of why what we’re doing matters, and how we can make it matter even more to ourselves, our peers, and our audiences. Given the political and cultural climate, I found it particularly interesting to note how my peers in the advertising and creative spaces saw this shift in values and perception affecting what we do, how we do it, and how we can do it better.
Our desire for meaning is growing.
This desire for meaning is a growing force in our culture. We see it everywhere, from the self-help books at Barnes and Noble to the rise of B-Corps, purpose-driven campaigns, and the agencies eager to work with them. It’s not just a niche movement, either, relegated to the boutique social-impact shops. Even the largest agencies are starting to make this shift, like McCann with its work on MGM Resort’s Universal Love album. Gone are the Mad Men-like days of creatives and execs dreaming only of bigger bonuses (and other things) — even we want to create something with meaning now.
Values and authenticity (ugh, yes I said it) matter even more.
When our culture is consumed with trends, celebrity, and the question of what defines truth, being genuine is more important than ever. The brands (and people for that matter) who clearly define and stick to their values in both message and action stand out from the rest, making a bigger impact and inspiring greater loyalty. Something as seemingly simple as offering genuine apologies for getting something wrong, even for bad customer service, can be enough. It takes character to acknowledge mistakes and learn from them, and humanizes even the biggest brands.
Substance over all (despite appearances).
As important as high ideals have become, they still must be tempered by offering concrete value. If the offering doesn’t solve the key problem, consumers won’t care about fancy extras and nice messages. The best way to inspire brand love is still to show them how what you offer will improve their life, or at least make their day a little easier and a little brighter. Don’t lose sight of the ultimate point: a solid product or service.
…But for the best results, don’t neglect the details.
Creating brand love is all about balance. Utility and emotion exist on a spectrum — you don’t want to offer or highlight all of just one or the other, because they both have their place. Some clients or products are more geared to playing in just one of these spaces, and that’s fine. You can still inspire customer loyalty and enthusiasm even if the offering is more about function. For instance, Amazon’s 1-click buying feature is really all about functionality, but by removing the friction of several purchase steps for the consumer, it inspires brand love. On the other hand, Mailchimp’s “shaky hand” icon is all about appealing to emotions. The shakes appear just as a customer is about to click “send” on a newsletter, echoing their (probable) trepidation with a sense of humor to lighten a stressful moment. As soon as the campaign has launched, that wavering hand turns into a jubilant high-five. Useful? Not exactly, but these little details reinforce the brand’s quirky, approachable personality. Most importantly, they make the consumer feel understood.
In a time when creating connections has become so important (and increasingly difficult), and brands struggle to differentiate themselves, imbuing a platform or product with a hint of humanity or eliciting a momentary smile can be all it takes to create a customer for life.
