2016: The Year of Creative Content | #BigIdeas2016
“As the wall between advertising and content erodes, the aptitude required to understand the functions and design of media content becomes more complex.”
― Matthew P. McAllister
2015 brought a huge rise in creative content advertising, and in 2016 that trend will inevitably continue to grow. Visually-appealing content has sprung up from large corporate sources as well as “mom and pop” stores across the world, from Coca Cola to your local specialty store. The fact is undeniable - archaic advertising no longer works in today's fast-paced market. Today’s consumer is knowledge-equipped and ready to close the sale by the time he or she actually makes a purchase. More often than not, it takes more than a stock photo of a product to interest an individual in our ever-changing, ever-expanding world marketplace. Research and comparison have become the norm before committing to most sales (especially online) sparking the need for quality product, customer support, and glowing reviews from previous purchasers.
“It’s never been easier for audiences to skip, filter, or avoid advertising, so the best ideas are the ones that respect that the audience needs to get something out of the work; it should inspire, satisfy, or motivate them. You can’t just bombard people with messages anymore.”
― Ajaz Ahmed
From my own perspective, there are several key influences in the shift that has taken place over the last couple of years. First, and I think most importantly, is the change in consumers’ desired type of product. No longer is everyone willing to buy inexpensive, replaceable product from overseas. A demand has arisen for handmade products, artisan items, and most anything marked “Made in USA.” In America, that phrase has become synonymous with a quality product that will last. Another influence that I see daily is large brands looking to popular bloggers for inspiration or collaboration. They realize that, if the owner of a small store in XYZ city can garner a 500k+ user following on social media, that person's influence could help improve their brand. The largest, though, is the rise in creative content used for visual advertising. Many mainstream brands have begun using beautiful images, breathtaking cinematography, and interesting content within their marketing campaigns.
“Ads sell a great deal more than products. They sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth.”
― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Instagram has become one of the leaders in visual ads for businesses both large and small. Anyone with a smartphone can now create free or sponsored content to promote their brand. Sponsored advertising was officially launched in 2013, but the affluence of the app as a visual marketing platform has really just become apparent in the second half of 2015. Ads have now become integrated in to every users’ experience, and wasn't initially met with much negative backlash. More and more companies are beginning to see the benefit of visual, creative marketing techniques through this platform, especially in appealing to younger generations just entering the world of consumerism. After Facebook acquired Instagram in September, though, many users began to report an over-abundance of sponsored ads and complain that the network was losing its authenticity.
"Any social network, especially one known for providing an authentic experience, is bound to generate negative sentiment whenever it injects ads. But this huge shift in how people feel about Instagram ads suggests the current balance is hurting its users. It is too early to investigate app data to determine if the change is having an effect on Instagram’s growth rate."
― Stewart Rogers, VentureBeat.com
Creative content has reached a whole new level for large-scale businesses. A great example would be Fiat Chrysler’s (FCA) April 2015 commercial for the new Jeep Renegade. The company worked with X Ambassadors, a popular band with the current “festival attendee” crowd (usually age 18-25), to create a catchy song that embodied FCA’s targeted audience. With a <$20,000 price tag, Jeep recognized that their new model could easily appeal to the budgets of the current twentysomething crowd. (FYI: The advertising worked for this twentysomething – I test drove two of the models as soon as they hit my local dealer. Personally, it just felt like a better-performing version of the Kia Soul that I drove at the time.) FCA fully committed to their “Millennials campaign” - “We know that our millennial audience looks to multiple engagement platforms for their consumption to include television, music and social media channels, to discover what's new and share this content. Through this partnership, we’re able to offer this group the opportunity to learn more about our vehicle through channels in which they are familiar.” (Kim Adams House, head of Jeep Brand Advertising) The company even launched a Twitter and Instagram contest to win one of the new vehicles. It’s still too soon to tell if the campaign worked – the Renegade has only been on the streets for 9 months – but time will certainly tell.
Targeted generational appeal is not, and should not be, limited to the millennial crowd, as can be seen in some recent television commercials that come to mind. Geico recently released a commercial with Europe, featuring their (still) mega-catchy 1986 hit, “The Final Countdown.” Progressive has also launched an “80s Montage” campaign as well as several other ads featuring stars from that era. A somewhat more subtle example of a Gen-X targeted company would be Mmmhops, a craft beer startup venture by the Hanson brothers. Their infectious tune, “Mmmbop” debuted in 1996, and the brothers’ time in the spotlight of the music scene fizzled out not long thereafter. Their new brewery harkens back to the nostalgia of the ‘90s as well as appealing to the ever-popular craft beer scene. Plus, the name is a cute pun. I’d gladly try their product purely do to a mix of childhood nostalgia and a bit of morbid curiosity.
Despite the recent push to reach a younger crowd of consumers (aged 25-54) most brands have not forgotten that previous generations still hold the majority of the nation's current buying power. According to Forbes, people aged 55+ currently hold over 70% of the disposable income that is available in the current economy. While their uses of social media differ from that of younger generations, the outreach potential certainly exists. According to Nielsen, people ages 55 and over spend more time watching television and using the internet than 25-54 year olds.
-
As technology becomes more streamlined, it has become possible for even the smallest of businesses to brand themselves and stand out among the crowd. These days, anyone with a smart phone can become “internet famous” if their content is on point. Tools such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social allow owners, social media managers, etc. to manage multiple platforms for their company at once. Photo-editing has evolved from the necessity for a high-dollar program like Photoshop to a free app like VSCO Cam. Smart phones can even shoot in 4K video, with 10+ MP sized images. It’s no longer about how big the company is – the quality of their advertising will ultimately determine success.
References:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/02/15/jeeps-all-new-suv-has-zeroed-in-on-a-target.aspx
https://econsultancy.com/blog/65939-20-instagram-stats-marketers-need-to-know/
http://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics-for-business/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2015/06/05/7-reasons-why-marketing-to-baby-boomers-is-unique/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2011/under-25-and-over-54-the-power-of-demographic-outliers.html
Cover photo source: I<3FashionBloggers.com
Julie is the Vendor Co-Op Coordinator for Tower Products, Inc., a private tech company based in Saugerties, NY. She also runs her own business, Iron & Honey, via Etsy.com and is a social media enthusiast, author, and extensively trained visual artist.
