MARKETING REINVENTED 2021 - EXPERT INSIGHTS: BRAND EDITION A PROPERTY OF - Prismic
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A PROPERTY OF MARKETING REINVENTED 2021 EXPERT INSIGHTS: BRAND EDITION
REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION &
METHODOLOGY………………………
MEET THE
EXPERTS……………………………………………………
AUDIENCES………………………………………………… 2
………………… 3
BRANDS………………………………………………………4
…………………. 9
CONTENT……………………………………………………14
…………………. 19
DATA……………………………………………………………24
………………….. 29
ENTERPRISE…………………………………………………
……………….
CONCLUSION………………………………………………
1 ………………..
REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Meltwater to bring you Part 2 of our research "Marketing Reinvented 2021: Brand Edition,” which aims to provide you with a
foundational understanding of where we are today and what we believe should be our priorities as we begin to think about rebuilding the systems of social media in 2021. You
can download Part 1, the Agency Edition, here: https://bit.ly/37SEo1n
We have created this research in collaboration with eight senior brand leaders who have generously provided us their time and more importantly their insights in response to a
series of questions which underpin our global theme in 2021 “Reinvention: Rebuilding the Systems of Social Media Marketing.”
The methodology behind this research is based on the work of Rishad Tobaccowala, who is the former Chief Growth Officer of Publicis and author of Restoring the Soul of
Business. In an October 2020 article, “The ABCDE of Marketing Re-Invented,” Rishad provided a framework for how marketing has changed and is changing into the future.
For the purposes of this research, and with Rishad’s permission, we have adapted his framework for reinvention and put a set of questions to a number of leading industry
experts on both the agency and brand side. The questions map to each aspect of the framework in the following areas:
AUDIENCES BRAND CONTENT DATA ENTERPRISE
We hope that this report provides you with some actionable insights you can implement in your future strategies. 2021 will undoubtedly be a year of reinvention, and we very
much look forward to working together, embracing invention, and designing new systems for how we do marketing.
Sincerely,
Toby Daniels
Founder and Executive Director,
Social Media Week
2
REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
MEET THE EXPERTS
Emma Martell Finian Sedgwick Emily Taylor
Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager,
Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
Pernod Ricard Disney
Evan Weiner Andrew Rebhun Kristyn Clark
Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Director of Brand Communications, Shake
VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
Acquisitions, GoDaddy Shack
Athar Abidi Eric Edge
Head of Social Media, British Heart SVP, Marketing and Communications,
Foundation Postmates& Theory
A PROPERTY OF
3
REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
AUDIENCES
OVERVIEW
As marketers, we face a new generation of consumers — one that is tech-savvy and
whose digital expertise results in heightened expectations of experiences and instant
gratification. In many ways, people are open than ever to new ways of interacting with
brands, products and services.
Over the past year, consumers more than ever have demanded that brands shift from traditional
brand-to-consumer communications to a two-way digital dialogue. Consumers expect the in-person
and online experience to be virtually interchangeable. This, in turn, has put a spotlight on the need for
brands to humanize the digital experience. Brands who want to win with a human-centric approach to
communication will apply an empathetic lens to their marketing strategy and find a balance between
vulnerability, strength and transparency.
Further, looking ahead expect a growing demand for faster transaction and response times in addition
to smoother paths to purchase. It is paramount that brands factor this into their marketing and
communication strategies.
A PROPERTY OF
4
REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
For brands to succeed in their transition into the personalized
and humanized commerce world, they need to create a brand
AUDIENCES experience that is crafted to what the consumer wants but use
data and technology to take it to a level that the consumer
EXPERT INSIGHTS doesn’t expect."
- Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
Personalization and hyper-
targeting has been a much
"With power comes responsibility. When exercising hyper-targeting,
discussed topic in 2020, what do and thus leveraging the user’s precious information, it becomes the
you think are the benefits to this brand’s duty to put their best foot forward and be deeply deliberate in
their messaging and campaign."
emerging practice and do you - Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions, GoDaddy
see any potential issues as the
tools and ability to target
customers in even more precise
The potential issues I can see are when mistakes are made by
ways becomes more brands utilizing the tech and when the novelty of hyper-
targeting starts to wear off and it starts to feel a little more like
sophisticated? a cold-call than a value add."
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod Ricard
A PROPERTY OF
5REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Our focus remains on the fact that today’s consumers want
AUDIENCES higher value conversations, less frequent touch points and a
clear understanding of how they can continue to interact with
brands safely in every day interactions”
EXPERT INSIGHTS
- Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
How has the mindset of "Consumers more than ever demand that brands shift from traditional
brand-to-consumer communications to a two-way digital dialogue. It is
consumers shifted in the past 12 paramount that brands factor this into their marketing and
communication strategies and how they approach their engagement
months and how do you imagine tactics.’”
their priorities changing in the - Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
coming year? What are the
trends you’re keeping a pulse on
"We’ve seen a pretty amazing acceleration of adoption of new technology
in particular? that helps connect people to the things they love in a stay-at-home world.
On-demand food delivery is one great example of this -- we have been able
to bridge small businesses with their customers at a time when they needed
it the most. Or think of new ways of experiencing culture through digital
platforms like Airbnb Experiences -- people want to connect with the things
that they love and they’ve been open to doing so in new ways.”
- Eric Edge, SVP, Marketing and Communications, Postmates
A PROPERTY OF
6REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“We’ve noticed that audiences want realistic portrayals of life
right now rather just than displays of escapism, therefore it’s
AUDIENCES
more important than ever to listen to what the consumers are
after rather than predict what they want from their previous
EXPERT INSIGHTS patterns of purchase.”
- Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
If we have learned anything from
“Brands have an immeasurable responsibility to treat their consumers as
2020 is that consumers want humans and not just data-points, particularly in the data-overload times
that we live in. Data is not necessarily knowledge and, in the wine and
brands to think of them as humans spirits industry, the fundamentally important element that can never be
overlooked is how our brands make people feel."
above all else, why do you think
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod Ricard
this is and what is your brand
doing to help your partners/clients
take a more human-centric “Our customers are extraordinary and we position ourselves
as a selfless host to their stories and conversation in social.
approach to communication? This extends to our growing Pro segment of web designers
and developers, represented both by GoDaddy and our rich
subsidiary brands.”
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions,
GoDaddy
A PROPERTY OF
7REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
AUDIENCES
TAKEAWAYS
LOOK BEYOND THE DATA
When thinking about personalization, aim to craft an experience that the consumer wants but use data and technology to take it to a level that the
consumer doesn’t expect. At the end of the day, consumers don’t want to be limited by what a brand thinks it can predict about them through data
analysis. Instead, they want their favorite brands to truly understand them and design experiences that enable them to interact and consume the
product in their own way.
PRIORITIZE REALISTIC PORTRAYALS AND AVOID PREDICTIONS
Especially today, marketers simply can’t rely on a universal model, as every brand and its audience are different. It is vital to stay tuned in and listen to
what your audience is after rather than predict what they want from their previous patterns of purchase. Ultimately, consumers have an appetite for
realistic portrayals of life right now versus displays of escapism.
WITH POWER COMES RESPONSIBILITY
Consumer trust is more valuable than ever and there is no room for mistakes. Brands have to balance a display of vulnerability, strength and
transparency and be deliberate in their campaign to gain not only the favoritism of consumers but most importantly, long-term respect. Allowing
audiences a glimpse into the people behind the brand is a successful tactic- adding a sense of authenticity.
A PROPERTY OF
8REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
BRANDS
OVERVIEW
Consumers, especially over the past year have shown significant increase in the
number of brands they are connecting with emotionally in addition to
transactionally.
Brands now take a stance on political issues far more than in previous decades not only offering a
platform for voices to be heard, but serving as powerful consumers advocates. In this vein, brand
strategies must go beyond a tagline and mission. With a clearly defined brand purpose, it becomes
much easier to evaluate opportunities and build better plans because you have a line in the sand by
which to measure all your decision making.
Commercially, consumers over the past year have shown significant increase in the number of brands
they engage with. Brands that usually may have only been engaged with in an inconstant or
disposable capacity have been bought into the home and interacted with as frequent sources of
comfort, safety and entertainment. The smoother that brands can make the process from consideration
through to transaction, coupled with an authentic and meaningful interaction the stronger position they
will be in 2021 and beyond.
A PROPERTY OF
9REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Purchasing alcohol online was something still wholly
unfamiliar for most consumers meant that there was a mad
BRANDS scramble to reposition dollars, activities, and priorities to
the digital world as soon as COVID first started impacting
EXPERT INSIGHTS the On-Premise and Events that traditionally give brands
the best platforms to come to life for the consumer."
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod
”Evolving our mindset to a digital first strategy has been integral and in turn
thinking clearly about the e-commerce path to purchase, and properly
Brand evolution is key to survival and acknowledging the passion and pain points of the consumer and addressing
them head on.”
this year we learned that adaptability is
- Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
also crucially important in times of
crisis. How has your brand adapted to
the current consumer landscape? “Today’s brands have to be nimble. And to grow a consumer brand that
intersects pop culture like we do, you have to be able to sometimes
pivot based on what’s happening in the world at any given moment.
While this may seem to be a challenge for many brands, if you have a
very clear understanding of who you are as a brand, what you represent
and what benefit you provide to the people who interact with your
products or services, then when a time comes to pivot messaging,
creative or your overall approach to marketing, it’s a more seamless
effort.”"
- Eric Edge, SVP, Marketing and Communications, Postmates
A PROPERTY OF
10REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
BRANDS “As part of our pivot this year, we've placed emphasis on
acknowledging interaction, making rewards more frequent, and
shifted media buys significantly more towards digital and put our
EXPERT INSIGHTS focus substantially more on delivery to keep our customers safe.”
- Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
“We understood the importance of accessibility and choice and those were
a catalyst for accelerating our digital investment and innovation. Things we
were experimenting with in our Shacks like curbside pickup, quickly became
What is your brand doing to improve permanent models in our overall business strategy and will remain important
even with the return of in-person dining.”
the experience that your customers
- Kristyn Clark, Director of Brand Communications, Shake Shack
have at every stage of the customer
journey?
“We’ve made great strides as a brand over the last few years
in translating our brand personality and succinctly translating
what we stand for – that only matters if you ensure that is
consistent every single time the consumer interacts with your
brand”
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod
Ricard
A PROPERTY OF
11REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“This year is about about giving a voice the voiceless and
BRANDS showing appreciate. During Hispanic Heritage Month we honored
the defunct Latino artwork by enabling a new generation to
experience it through Snapchat augmented reality. We also took
EXPERT INSIGHTS nominations of deserving nurses to receive a surprise meal for
them to enjoy at home during National Nurses Week.”
- Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
“Rather than see our perception change in the market, our committed effort to
championing the customer in every facet of our social execution over the past
In what ways have your brand values two years was substantiated at an accelerated rate during the pandemic. We
leveraged the opportunity to think deeply about our customers’ difficult
personal and professional experiences, and manifest them in campaigns like
enabled you to connect more deeply #OpenWeStand.”
with your customers during the - Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions, GoDaddy
pandemic and how has their perception
of your brand changed?
“Automation and personalization. The smoother that brands
can make the process from consideration through to
transaction, coupled with an authentic and meaningful
interaction the stronger position they will be in.”
- Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
A PROPERTY OF
12REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
BRANDS
TAKEAWAYS
LEVERAGE YOUR PURPOSE TO REMAIN NIMBLE
Whether someone decides to be a brand advocate or not, they appreciate being able to clearly understand what you stand for as they can make a
more informed decision as to how you map onto their interests and values. As your advocates and audience grow, bring them into conversations and
allow them to participate in the decisions around how you can bring the brand to life online and offline. In doing so, you’ll earn trust, but also have an
easier time adapting and pivoting based on the ongoing feedback.
YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL
A misconception in the marketing world is that ‘innovation’ has to mean ‘new.’ In reality, enhancing consumers’ experiences doesn’t have to mean
starting from scratch. More often than not, great experiences boil down to reimagining each consumer touchpoint and delivering a curated, genuine
narrative that brings them on a journey into the brand. As a gut check in these scenarios, ask yourself: “What is the value to the consumer here?” or
“does our brand have one, consistent voice in the world?”
CELEBRATE THE LITTLE MOMENTS
Rather than waiting for the big landmarks throughout the year, take advantage to celebrate the everyday milestones and victories of your audience
and amplify the under-represented voices. In the digital age, interactions can feel redundant. Delivering something unique and bespoke that can
bring a smile to someone's face is so important and impactful, but often undervalued and easily overlooked in the day-to-day.
A PROPERTY OF
13REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
CONTENT
OVERVIEW
One of the most tactical ways to cut through the noise is through tight
targeting and personalization, which we’ve addressed earlier in this report.
Ultimately, brands can spend millions of dollars on content strategies but if it fails to be purposeful
and relevant, it’s redundant and can result in lost credibility and visibility. On the other hand, If your
message is tailored and reaching the right person at the right time, you’re no longer noise -- you’re
a clear value proposition to the user and have a chance at earning their trust. Put differently,
attention is a key investment in the marketings pace and should be regarded as a critical
investment.
Finally, clear articulation of what your brand stands for, consistency, and authenticity are integral to
content creation and especially when working with creators. Seeing influencers simply as an add-
on to campaigns is a big mistake. One of Postmates’ content programs, The Receipt, is a great
example of how this comes to life. John Legend, Katy Perry, Patrick Mahomes, and The Weeknd
are just a few examples of the partners Postmates worked with to authentically tell their stories
about how and why they use the platform.
A PROPERTY OF
14REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Find an original angle and don’t jump on every
bandwagon that comes along. We try really hard to
CONTENT tie our content closely to our product and brand –
some brands shy away from this, but I think it can
EXPERT INSIGHTS actually make the content stronger when done well –
the best brand out there for this is Moonpie.“
- Emma Martell, Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
“It is critically important for brands to balance quantity -- staying frequently
engaged with your followers -- and quality -- what value does this content
We’ve learned that social media affords you actually have -- not just for your fan base and brand but also for the broader
category you represent within the industry.”
new and unparalleled ways to tell stories, but
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod Ricard
consumers are overwhelmed by the quantity of
brand-led content that comes at them in the
feed. How do you cut through the noise?
“You know the saying, ‘someone decided they like you
in the first 5 seconds of meeting you.’ The same goes
for employing tight targeting in delivering your
content.”
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions,
GoDaddy
A PROPERTY OF
15REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“A good content strategy empowers the whole team and even
CONTENT the wider business to come up with ideas because they have
such a clear framework, so you end up with more bang for
your buck. This is particularly important when it comes to
EXPERT INSIGHTS
reactive content, where speed is of the essence.”
- Emma Martell, Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
“We’ve really made a profound effort to understand what consumers want to
view or listen to. A big piece of advice from our experience: pay attention to
The cost of content creation has come down historical engagement levels as these can identify important trends or
themes you should keep top of mind as adapt over time. ”
considerably in recent years, but this doesn’t
necessarily mean that campaign efficiency is - Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
the same as campaign effectiveness. What has
been the most important driver of content
marketing success for your brand in the past 12 “We have a very clear idea of the style of content we
are looking for but we make sure to take time to refine
months? the brief based on who we are working with and setup
time (if needed) to chat through every question, detail,
and element in advance of any creation.”
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod
Ricard
A PROPERTY OF
16REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Whether against dedicated efforts for businesses weathering
the storm, BLM empowerment, LBGTQ+ championing, and
CONTENT much more, looking at influencers not just via their clout and
consumer profile, but via their unique stories, is something
EXPERT INSIGHTS we've emphasized this year at GoDaddy.
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro &
Acquisitions, GoDaddy
Creator partnership and influencer
marketing continue to stake greater claims
“You have to create a purpose driven story, and focus on how your brand
on social media marketing budgets, what purpose can be communicated through their delivery and for their
audience to see beyond a commercial partnership.”
has been your biggest takeaway from - Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
working with creators and influencers this
year?
“It boils down to picking the right talent. This critical in
understanding the nuances of exclusivity versus multi
brand influencers. Associating engagement back with
purchase behavior should be foundational to strategies
so brands can remain nimble.”
- Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Officer, El Pollo Loco
A PROPERTY OF
17REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
CONTENT
TAKEAWAYS
SOCIAL CONTENT AND AD FATIGUE ARE REAL
In a time where consumers are flooded with brand messages, it has become more important to make every customer interaction matter otherwise you
risk becoming white noise. To combat this, factor in social media within the purchase funnel itself, but also as a vital step in the communication path
from consideration through to the transaction, and also for repeat purchase.
GIVE EXTRA LOVE TO YOUR CREATIVE BRIEF
The brief is one of the most important drivers of content marketing success. Take the time to refine your vision based on who you are working with as
well as the platform. Long gone are the days where brands merely post their ads in square format, rather it’s all about creating content that is social
media specific and that complements a comprehensive story told across all marketing channels.
SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS BOIL DOWN TO QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
The best influencers today have built their own brand empires, and, just like brands, not all are in the same league. Use their unique perspective
and experience to accurately understand the cultural landscape and how the gap between brands and consumers can be meaningfully filled with
authentic storytelling. When choosing to go with a micro influencer over a nano influencer, for instance, choose the the talent that will deliver
everything the brand stands for. It’s not just about "street cred” and hopping on every bandwagon.
A PROPERTY OF
18REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
DATA
OVERVIEW
One of the greatest challenges marketers face is is the sheer volume of data that exists and
how they marry that with the more impersonal metrics that sometimes arise from social media.
Put differently, there’s a responsibility to draw the line between meaningful metrics and vanity
metrics and a need to understand which are directly contributing to tangible business growth.
Consumers aren’t only wary about the truthfulness of a brand’s communications, but they are also concerned about
their personal data being used improperly. What does this mean? Ultimately, brands must be very clear throughout the
entire funnel to detail the various ways consumer data is vital to long-term exchange. Behind data are people and this
simple acknowledgement can go a long way in paving a path to a human-first approach to marketing.
With 2020’s unprecedented effects, it’s important to resist the natural tendency to make attributions based solely on
data outcomes. There may be moments where you don’t have data that can easily influence your decision making
process, and in these instances it is beneficial to turn to the fundamentals of your marketing and brand strategy to
drive your playbook and make decisions that are on on-brand and equipped to stand out in a crowded space.
A PROPERTY OF
19REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“There’s a lot to be said for continuous qualitative
data – for us, that means dipping into our
DATA notifications every day for a continuous feedback
loop of what our customers are saying about the
EXPERT INSIGHTS content we’re putting out there and their experience
of our brand.”
- Emma Martell, Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
“It’s important to find the reasoning behind the data, and the lurking
variables in the market that had just as good a chance to influence your
Marketers are awash with data and the metrics as your deliberate tactics did. With 2020’s unprecedented effects,
it’s important to resist the natural tendency to make attributions based
industry still puts a premium on solely on data outcomes.”
measurement, KPIs and using data to - Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions,
GoDaddy
drive decision making. What is the one
thing that you have learned this year that
serves as a counter to this argument? “Every campaign should be driving a different
conversion. Thinking of conversions purely as
completed transactions is the wrong approach to
social media. If the campaign objective is to drive
reach then a RT is a valid conversion. Set key metrics
to record but choose KPIs based on the true goal of
the activity.”
- Athar Abidi, Head of Social Media, British Heart Foundation
A PROPERTY OF
20REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Transparency is key, so being very clear throughout the
purchase funnel and also proving to the consumer through
DATA accurate, desired, and also positively unexpected
communication delivery that the sharing of their data is
positive and beneficial to them is vital to long-term
EXPERT INSIGHTS
exchange.”
-Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
With privacy issues and consumer trust
“Our infosec and data due diligence processes are pretty watertight.
being very much in the spotlight this year, Fundraising compliance is a big deal in the sector so we take no chances ”
what measures are you taking to ensure - Athar Abidi, Head of Social Media, British Heart Foundation
that your consumers' data and personal
information is not only protected but also
that they understand how the data you
“Ensuring maximum quality and relevance in the
collect on them is being used?
messaging against which you’re leveraging the user’s
data is the first step. If they are delighted and find
value in your message, the skepticism is almost a
non-issue. ”
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions,
GoDaddy
A PROPERTY OF
21REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“There is a really exciting and colorful story around the customer
experience to create and showcase through social insights, and
DATA sometimes directly attributable conversions and website goals, but
the general story of attributing segments of brand social data to
acquisition and conversion can sometimes be hard to complete with
EXPERT INSIGHTS
an epic conclusion."
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions, GoDaddy
"First-party data is the single most valuable asset you can turn to when
What are the biggest challenges you face as creating a content strategy. However, one of the greatest challenges is the
sheer volume of data that exists and how you marry that with quite
a brand in terms of connecting first-party impersonal metrics that sometimes arise from social media.”
data with social media metrics to better - Emily Taylor, Former Commercial and Marketing Manager, Disney
understand how to impact and improve the
customer experience?
“The eternal issue is rationalising a social media
account to a CRM record. In order for this to work, it
has to scale all the way up to be applied across the
millions of records on our system and that remains the
holy grail."
- Athar Abidi, Head of Social Media, British Heart Foundation
A PROPERTY OF
22REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
DATA
TAKEAWAYS
FIND THE REASONING BEHIND THE DATA
Data is crucial and a beautiful, shiny key that can unlock the next step in your marketing program. But, it can also be deeply misleading. With each
campaign, establish key metrics to record, but choose KPIs based on the true goal of the activity. This will help you clearly define the what and why
you’re measuring and avoid getting lost in the clutter of other data points that aren’t contributing meaningfully to the objective.
REACH AND ENGAGEMENT ARE EXPIRING METRICS
This year we’ve realized that above all else, taking a human-first approach to digital marketing is more important now than ever including the creation
of creating content that helps solve real-life problems and creates experiences that changes consumers’ lives in meaningful ways. As the landscape
continues to evolve and attention spans dwindle even more, traditional KPIs such as reach and engagement are expiring metrics -- they say little
about consumer sentiment which more often is an accurate predictor of success.
ENSURING MAXIMUM QUALITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND RELEVANCE
Brands that demonstrate a continued commitment to transparency will ultimately be the ones that thrive as we navigate the new humanistic-
focused landscape. Ensuring maximum quality and relevance in the messaging against which you’re leveraging the user’s data is the first step.
Metrics aside, marketing, at the end of the day, is about having your brand go beyond a purchase.
A PROPERTY OF
23REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
ENTERPRISE
OVERVIEW
In an age where messaging and engagement is so frequent and diverse, empathy is a
substantiated duty for brands. To succeed in this regard, it is essential that leadership
acknowledge and utilize social media as a valuable channel to understand first-hand the
wants and needs of their audience -- which in turn influences strategy. The more inclusive
groups of employees, stakeholders and creators the better, especially when stepping
outside of your comfort zone and determining when to enter or sit back when it comes to
cultural conversations.
Those that realize the power of social media beyond a place to be seen, rather as a place to be
heard, a platform that acts as an extension of the brand and as the easiest and the most relatable
way to interact with a consumer, will have the greatest success and longevity.
Further, the unparalleled degree of access and expectation afforded by social media will remain the
driving force behind the demand for greater brand accountability. This will accelerate as businesses
continue to be viewed as organizations built and run by real people rather than just as a seller of a
usable product or service.
A PROPERTY OF
24REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
We use social listening extensively to help us understand not just
our consumers but the public conversation in general around our
key topics. We need to generate health content that answers the
ENTERPRISE questions that people need answering, a lot of our work
throughout the pandemic has been myth busting and social
EXPERT INSIGHTS listening has really helped us find the predominant myths and
reflect the natural language used by the public.”
- Athar Abidi, Head of Social Media, British Heart Foundation
Social media has given a voice to many, “We take social listening very seriously as a business, with regular reports
from our real-time response team. These are shared around the whole
both at a societal level but also in terms business and it’s great to see so much change happening off the back of
these insights.”
of giving power back to consumers. How
- Emma Martell, Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
have you embraced this fact to better
understand your role in your clients’ lives
and how you can better serve their
needs? “Our digital communities are rich with guest feedback
and our social team feeds that information to our
broader organization – menu items they’re loving, their
thoughts on spice levels or a particular LTO. All of that
is important for us to understand so we can serve a
product that really resonates.”
- Kristyn Clark, Director of Brand Communications, Shake Shack
A PROPERTY OF
25REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“Social media is really important at Avanti and it’s
definitely something that our leadership team is
ENTERPRISE passionate about. An exciting project we’re currently
working on is focused around how our employees,
EXPERT INSIGHTS particularly the Exec team, can be a force for good on
social media themselves. So watch this space!”
- Emma Martell, Head of Social, Avanti West Coast
“Our leadership kicked off the 'Engage Responsibly' initiative as a follow up
to the ‘Stop Hate for Profit’ boycott that happened this July. The multi-prong
How has your leadership embraced initiative encourages consumers to flag hate speech more often and offers
brands ways to offset their use of social platforms.”
social media to help inform their
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod Ricard
decisions at the executive level, both in
terms of providing better support to their
employees and as well as its clients?
“Our social team works closely with our customer
support team to ensure that we are collating and
sharing feedback more holistically. The kind of person
who leaves a nasty comment on a Facebook ad is very
different to the sort of person who picks up the phone
but all of those voices need to help shape our
decisions.”
- Athar Abidi, Head of Social Media, British Heart Foundation
A PROPERTY OF
26REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
“GoDaddy’s senior leadership team is a really fantastic
bench of empathetic and realistic executives that have
ENTERPRISE taken decisive action to support our entire global team
in this unexpected year, and social’s broadening slice of
EXPERT INSIGHTS the MarComm mix has likely influenced this.”
- Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions,
GoDaddy
“We try and be as transparent as possible about the key concerns of our
audiences but on social we have to avoid entering debates on contentious
Would you say that your organization issues such as animal testing in research. We generally signpost people to
relevant pages on our website but we do make sure that those pages are kept
operates in a more or less transparent up to date and answer all the questions we get including the difficult ones.”
way now that social media is so deeply - Evan Weiner, Global Head of Social Marketing, Pro & Acquisitions, GoDaddy
embedded into the larger communication
landscape?
“More transparent. Our CEO has been very active and
transparent on her personal social media platforms.
This helps put a human face on all the great initiatives
that have been PR USA run throughout the year --
letting people see behind the scenes to the PR USA
community and family.”
- Finian Sedgwick, Brand Manager, G.H.Mumm Champagne, Pernod
Ricard
A PROPERTY OF
27REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
ENTERPRISE
TAKEAWAYS
BE A SELFLESS HOST OF YOUR AUDIENCE’S ENDEAVORS
The most empowering brands today recognize that they're better and most effectively serving consumer needs by retreating a bit into the background. What does
this actually entail? Allow the consumer’s stories to take center stage as the main driver of value versus your own. Make them the hero in the narrative.
ALWAYS WALK THE TALK
This year has shown us that the most successful brands are those who put action behind their mission and values. Brands have to double down on social listening
and properly evaluate consumer sentiment to create a new standard around the importance of using one’s platform for good and advocating for positive change in
the world. By amplifying these voices brands get the added bonus of understanding their audiences more intimately and a sense of how, when and where to
participate in cultural conversations.
DON’T OVERLOOK THE POWER OF SOCIAL TO PUT A FACE TO THE BRAND AND FUEL EMPATHY
Aside from a place to upload content, social channels are a valuable and often overlooked place to put a face to the brand and practice empathy. In addition to
those at the executive level, businesses should empower colleagues to share their own stories across these channels and incite innovation from within the
organization. In 2021 and beyond, these simple actions will have a ripple effect, driving a deeper awareness around social’s place in business and in society.
A PROPERTY OF
28REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
CONCLUSION
Following a year of reduced socialization, expect consumers to prefer a humanized
approach to interactions. Hyper-targeting and personalized messages will continue to be
fueled by the progressive development of data functionality and emerging software, but
should not be an excuse for neglecting social listening.
When selecting metrics to measure across campaigns, consumer sentiment will remain a more accurate predictor of
success versus expiring metrics such as reach and engagement. In this vein, prioritize purpose and relevance in
order to fully understand what consumers want, genuinely align with broader cultural conversations, and develop an
astute awareness around social media's place in both business and society.
Attention is one of the world’s most valuable resources, so it’s a brand's responsibility to make every piece of content
meaningful and make the consumers’ time interacting with it worthwhile. Allowing their stories to take center stage
will remain the main driver of value in addition to creating smoother paths to purchase, and regular display of brand
authenticity and empathy.
A PROPERTY OF
29REINVENTION 2021: BRAND EDITION
Meltwater provides an integrated suite of social listening, analytics, and
community management tools, trusted by global brands and innovative
agencies to help them get more from their investment in social media.
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