The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
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The 2021 Growth Trends People, Media and Tech December 2020
Contents Welcome to our first-ever
Growth Trends.
People 4 This year marked a watershed in so many ways. COVID-19 ripped up established
traditions in an instant and changed many of our behaviours overnight.
After a year like no other, many would feel understandably nervous about trying to settle
on any key trends for next year. Nonetheless, in the same way as we took to new habits
rapidly, our approach to forecasting has been squarely focused on what will drive brand
Media 22 growth. That’s because we believe there’s always a better way to grow and, thanks to
Positive Provocation (our agency ‘attitude’), we’ve redefined how we identify trends.
You would expect a media agency to focus on media trends (which we have in this
compendium) but we’ve also detailed what we call ‘growth’ trends in people and
technology. You might not expect a media agency to venture into these territories but
Tech 38 there is merit in showcasing the opportunities for brands across these three areas as they
are all interconnected.
Of course, we’re realistic enough to know that not everything will turn out the
way we thought. However, there is much food for thought here and some clear
recommendations for brands to explore new routes to drive growth in 2021 and beyond.
Our story 48
Verra Budimlija
Chief Strategy Officer
Wavemaker UK
Multiple What this means
horizons for brands
Celebrate regional diversity
Move the way you think, who you employ Find something which totally doesn’t unite you but
and your culture makes the news anyway
A crucial diversity measure has to be geography. See Wrexham Football Club’s PR stunt.
Find talent from outside London as well as looking at
the feasibility of hubs in other cities in the UK. Shrink your horizons
Do your homework in all parts of the UK Connect the community
The best insight is needed to design the best Move from tokenistic gestures (such as putting
campaigns. This insight should come from all places ‘Clapham’ or ‘Macclesfield’ in your copy) or badging
in the UK. Don’t group regions together as ‘the North’. a roundabout, to keeping the good things about the
Visit more places, speak to more people. Ensure pandemic going: the closeness to neighbours, the
insight is as rich and colourful as the UK. local support and entertainment. This could be
around hobbies or audience, for example exercise
Don’t be capital-centric groups, baby groups, bird watching or photographers.
Nike’s “Londoner” advert is a brilliant example of What’s your youth club approach? How are you
creativity but it could have been even stronger if they bringing people together?
Long after regulations restricting
created content that showcased different parts of the
physical movement pass, the UK’s shift UK. Brands should avoid only focusing on the capital. Re-erecting the local noticeboard
to being more locally and regionally Find ways to use existing media/erect new ones in
energised will stick. Think about your voice the community. Get smaller in your thinking and
In the pandemic, it has been the unexpected heroes execution, your copy, your tone, your suitability of
who have, quite frankly, got stuff done. They content and using insight to understand what a
People’s lives were physically restricted by
have been voices that have been authentic and region or locality needs.
government legislation, their footprints limited to
local area and contact limited to local faces. The Neighbours connected via WhatsApp and door drops normal. Brands should explore who should front
their campaigns, what tone of voice they use and Behave like an Independent
country was also divided up by region in its reporting offered help. Local stores, finding new distribution
understand that it’s often the unexpected voices Understand the specific benefits consumers
of COVID cases and, consequently, people started to lines, built new pipes into their local community.
that can have the most impact. Brands should appreciate from shopping small independent:
think local, act local, feel local and to a greater extent,
champion those voices and, within that, their accents personalised service, choice and a unique offering.
champion their region. Local faces suddenly became This all runs parallel to the gradual decentralisation
and local dialect. Which of these can you replicate or emphasise within
real people, with livelihoods the community wanted of the country’s major entities from London to the
your business?
to save and support. regions – namely the BBC and the lesser, but still
important, businesses – HSBC to Birmingham, Move from unifying the nation to championing its
regional diversity Find ways to support local independents
In communication, we saw the rebirth of the Burberry to Leeds alongside the much-talked
In food, in music and in sport. Then spread it. So, for How can your brand help local businesses thrive
(somewhat deconstructed) village noticeboard. ‘levelling up’ ambition from Westminster.
example, a grocer, instead of a Kosher aisle only, has within the community? Could you gift them media
Be it in Peckham or Penzance, new media channels
a regional roadshow of the nation’s cuisine – stottie space, aid logistically or celebrate them on your
were born whilst existing media channels were used
cakes from Newcastle or Bara Brith from Wales. business platform?
in different ways.
6 7
The world is
your classroom What this means for brands
Brand as a teacher
Syllabus (content) Help to democratise learning
As the pandemic forced the UK to As audiences establish new habits and broaden Everyone is a learner but inequalities may increase.
stay at home, teachers and learners horizons beyond just formal classroom learning, Whilst ‘edutech’ is democratising access to world-
found new ways to connect. These there’s an opportunity for some brands to find their leading course material and remote learning, children
new behaviours will last long after the power as a teacher. Brands with specialist knowledge from better-off families spent 30% more time on
or skillset will have an advantage but that doesn’t home learning during the first lockdown than those
pandemic end.
mean to say the less sage brands don’t have the from poorer families. How can the tech brands aid
opportunity. For example, Aptamil, which is all about with this challenge?
As schools shut around the country in March, pupils
science, could look for ways to curate content around
and teachers were forced apart, unable to take to the
science generally for its audiences through TED-style Socialise learning
traditional classroom or lecture hall.
talks on science, tech and innovation, using mothers Pinterest have partnered with Zoom to allow
in tech and science as the speakers and hook. communities to meet and take masterclasses with
Macro disruptors force people to find and test
creators. Now friends can socialise whilst acquiring a
entirely new methods, adopting them with greater
Space (lecture hall, physical and virtual) new skill (from upholstery through to bread making)
acceleration. Ever considered ditching that dry GCSE
Brands with the space to deliver education have new from the comfort of their home. Brands should look
maths textbook for a YouTube tutor? How about
opportunities. Just as The Guardian found its way for new social opportunities.
podcast-based lessons? As the pandemic forced
from news brand to educator through its Masterclass
pupils into home-based learning, platform-based
series and played this out in their newly-acquired
lessons have become viable, affordable options as
theatre space in King’s Cross.
suggested by the 20,000 people subscribed to the
GCSE Maths tutor on YouTube.
Students (new curious audiences)
Other brands have an opportunity to reach their
From school computer labs to ‘Flipped Classrooms’,
audiences within their current portfolio who are now
where pupils are introduced to content at home
freshly engaged and newly energised.
before meeting with their teacher or guide in person
or virtually. This is the world of ‘Blended Learning’:
the collision of classrooms and web-lesson platforms.
Learning is no longer a rigid, physical process where
turning up for class is the major hurdle. Blended
methods promise to reward simple curiosities with
digestible modules for students of all ages.
There has never been a better time to rediscover
learning and for brands to be part of this.
8 9
Waking up
from autopilot
Cast aside the historic marketing calendar
We can no longer rely on the tentpoles of life:
university, full-time work, marriage, 25-year
mortgages or kids leaving home at 18. Nor should
we rely on the tentpoles of the marketing calendar.
Instead, brands will have to look at citizens first, not
calendars, using new patterns to inform flighting
and phasing.
Seismic socio-economic and cultural
shifts are forcing people out of Check unconscious bias more than ever –
autopilot decision making. People have been disproportionately affected by the
pandemic. This means marketers must challenge
their own biases and resist the urge to extrapolate
The decision-making process – even for big life trends/insights from their own experiences and apply
decisions – will often be significantly guided by to everyone.
historic norms. That’s to say, we sleepwalk into
decisions, such as where to work/where to live, Rethink the consumer journey for your brand
hardly giving them any conscious, critical thought. With longer deliberation periods, this means the
We often replicate the choices of our predecessors and ‘active’ phase (between the ‘trigger’ into category and
rise to more deliberation across various aspects of
peers, anticipating that these choices will work for us. purchase) could have more prominence. Competition
people’s lives. Those thinking about moving to a new
house will have new factors to weigh up – whether will be higher as people will likely be exposed to more
However, COVID-19 has been a disruptor beyond brands at this stage of the journey. Brands who can
they live in a city or not with its newly perceived
what most have experienced in their lifetime and drive deeper engagement in this phase will have an
value (or not, if working from home). Those leaving
is likely to have a large impact on the defaults in important advantage.
school will have to give more consideration to their
people’s lives. It will cause people to stop and think.
next step –will universities really offer the same
Do the historic norms still apply in this new world?
value, even after the current physical restrictions and
What this means Add value to decision-making processes
Do they apply to me? Are there options I previously
may not have considered?
digital teaching are no longer a staple of student life? for brands We know that decisions may require more thought
Those approaching retirement will have to give more now than they did previously for a range of factors,
consideration to pension withdrawals. Don’t rely on historic data/research to predict fuelled by the pandemic and the sense of uncertainty
Behavioural theory points to big life events (clearly, that has arisen, so people will be looking for clarity
future behaviour
the pandemic is one which has affected us all) as and assistance in these big life moments. Brands that
As our audiences move out of autopilot in many Whilst many behavioural trends won’t be impacted
causing increased “deliberation”, which is when can ease these processes, either by simply offering
of the decisions they are making, so must marketers. by the pandemic (and many shifts will be temporary),
we give more rigorous thought to the various an authentic product/service solution, or by getting
No longer can we rely on years of more predictable marketers must aim to commission up-to-date
components that make up our lives. Importantly, this more deeply embedded in the conversation (e.g.
audience behaviour and research to forecast research. They must interrogate behavioural data
deliberation period is also when people are more creating content that addresses people’s concerns,
future actions. more rigorously to understand whether the decision-
receptive to change and new ideas – something sponsoring relevant advice sites, etc.) will stand
making processes their audiences face are shifting
marketers can obviously capitalise on. themselves in good stead.
and what impact that will have on their lives.
Our audiences will have difficult decisions to make
in the coming years. COVID-19 has and will give
10 11
British valley
What challenges are they facing? How can your
product stand out? For example, business accounts
typically require a company director to be 18.
However, Monzo accepts business applications from
16 without a parent or guardian, making them the
only option for teen entrepreneurs. We all know this
is where brand loyalty starts in banking.
Renters
Microentrepreneurs operate informally, often
working from coffee shops or Airbnbs. They take
advantage of the platform economy. How are you
poised to help understand ways of working and
where your products and services may be of use?
Economic changes have given rise Support for local
The rise of microentrepreneurs has led to increased
to the microentrepreneur. competition and more microentrepreneurs focused
on promoting their services locally. Brands need to
Research has shown that five new businesses were think about how they can work with local businesses
founded every day in April 2020 – a 60% jump and communities to support.
on April 20191. Google Trends predicts 2020 will
demonstrate the highest number of searches for According to Direct Line, the most popular sectors to Education
‘how to start a business’ since records began in 2004 have started a new business are IT and web design Microentrepreneurs are turning away from education
by quite some way2. We’re seeing a huge shift to (21 per cent), engineering (14 per cent), building/ norms and the traditional systems and finding
entrepreneurialism and rise to a new type of ‘micro- property (8 per cent), education/training (8 per new ways to learn and develop their skills. Social
entrepreneur’, even more than we did during the cent), retail/wholesale (6 per cent) and business/ platforms are finding ways to support this trend by
last major economic (not humanitarian) crisis of management consultancy (4 per cent).4 offering learning and tutorials. Pinterest has recently
2009, where we also saw entrepreneurialism increase announced dedicated class communities. Use retail
exponentially. Microentrepreneurs have very little need for funding What this means for brands space as maker studios or for inspirational talks and
or infrastructure and they often learn on the job. training like Apple.
With babysitting, hospitality and shop jobs drying They are often able to secure work through platforms Joint ventures
up, young people have opted to go it alone3. The and are either fully reliant on platforms for earnings, Brands can learn from microentrepreneurs by Novel media ecosystems
rise in unemployment, misaligned values with partially dependent or just use the platforms to collaborating with them. Microentrepreneurs Microentrepreneurs are consuming different types
large corporations, and more free time from home supplement their income. have innovative mindsets and are driving change, of media, spending much of the day on work sharing
working has seen a rise in people selling their skills presenting an opportunity to bring in new ideas and and conversational platforms like Slack. Brands
on collaborative platforms. In addition, individuals There is no doubt microentrepreneurs are on the innovation into your business. With an increase in are beginning to create chatbots on these platforms
are pivoting into new demands generated by the rise. With 83% of 18-24 year-olds dreaming of microentrepreneurs, it’s likely there are already 10 building a two-way dialogue with consumers. In
pandemic and the tech and tools are all there, ready self-employment5 and 64% of the British workforce people working on how to improve just a small part addition, entrepreneurs are monetising as many of
to aid them. wanting to start a business6, this trend is set to make of your business. How can you use them to co-create? their assets as possible. New media platforms are
Britain the new Silicon Valley. popping up, such as Car Quids, which matches car
From odd jobs, delivery drivers, photographers, Design and flex around a new audience opportunity drivers to advertisers, so you can earn as you drive.
writers, creatives, mask makers to freelancers; 1 https://www.bytestart.co.uk/covid-19-new-entrepreneurs.html
There’s an opportunity to ensure your product meets Rethink your approach with your audience to these
2 https://www.microbizmag.co.uk/startup-statistics/
microentrepreneurs usually work by themselves. 3 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/17/teen-entrepreneurs-defying-covid-slump the new demands of the microentrepreneur. entirely new worlds.
4 https://smallbusiness.co.uk/one-in-5-brits-want-to-go-into-business-for-themselves-since-lockdown-2551266/
5 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/17/teen-entrepreneurs-defying-covid-slump
6 https://www.microbizmag.co.uk/startup-statistics/
12 13
The home; as TV
studio, as refuge,
as theatre
Altered relationships with our homes
will continue to evolve next year and
open up new doors for brands.
What this means Merchandise in home
The Mini Eggs Mug from Easter or the McVitie’s
The maxim, “a man’s home is his castle” was coined for brands biscuit tin – how can brands physically embed
in 1628 around the sense of our homes being our themselves into home life for longer with branded
protection against the world. It gradually faded Our homes now are now our personal ‘shop window’ merchandise which is stickier and more desirable?
as society stabilised, only to see a new sharp and to the world Find your superfans and use their homes as your
existential focus this year. Forty per cent of people claim ‘zoombarisment’ now shop window.
they must reveal the inside of their homes to the
Whilst we’re spending an extra eight hours a day world. How can brands help consumers overcome Experiences in the home are more important
at home, 58% of us have developed a ‘new found these fears and make their homes something that than ever
fondness’ for it. Many now demonstrate this really represent who they are and want to be? How Increased passive consumption of media is only one
increased affection by lavishing more money (£7.5 can a brand help input into a person’s ‘studio set?’ aspect of the change in our domestic behaviours.
billion more on it from candles to home security) How can they be ‘in frame’? There’s a huge appetite for activities that can provide
and attention than ever. Conversely, there has been shared moments of joy for either families or groups
a wake-up call to the shortcomings of our personal Self-sufficiency of friends which can be delivered by brands and
domestic settings. Some are finding that their Twenty-one per cent of homeowners either started facilitated by them.
situations are unbearable and planning applications a vegetable patch or bought a greenhouse during
have reached 200% of pre-pandemic levels in some lockdown, fuelled by either environmental concerns Keep an eye on the migration pattern when
areas as people look to extend and improve. As many or worries about supply chain disruption. This the lights go back on
as 44% of Londoners even claim to be considering has sustained as a sub-trend around the human We’re at the beginnings of a trend around movement.
moving out of the city. truth that people get a primal sense of fulfilment by People are moving out of cities and considering rural
growing and reusing. How can brands help with this? life (in the face of having no longer to commute
It’s estimated that 30% of people will still be working How can retailers promote self-sufficiency? How can five days a week). Brands must keep close to the
from home in 2021. When companies do return to they aid with garden vegetable patches and the literal implications of this for audiences and observe
work, it’s likely no one will be doing 100% of the time grass roots? whether cities populations begin to surge again
in the office any longer. We will be spending more once the lights are on. Should the trend continue,
time in the home, even if not a full working day in it. communication in more rural communities, where
perhaps advertising options are limited, needs
14
thought. 15
What this means for brands
Rethink your timing, your daypart and
your moments
New
Brands must rethink the usual timing to their
campaigns. For example, are baby brands really
going to need to advertise on the tube at rush hour
anymore when expectant parents may choose
punctuation
to either work from home more or stagger their
commute to be less about rush hour? Will the
daytime daypart for commercial radio present a
bigger opportunity for conversation as people listen
whilst at home (and we’ve seen the 1000-1600hrs
slot increase)?
Seismic tremors to daily routine will Brands have more opportunities to create unique
continue long after the pandemic, and brandable experiences in the way Oreo found a way
provide opportunities for brands to to make an everyday moment marketable by pairing
its Oreo biscuit with milk. There’s an opportunity for
engage at different times of the day
brands to capitalise on these everyday moments and
and year. to make that moment synonymous with their brand.
As 30% of people plan to continue to work from Find new opportunities
home, we predict the end of the five-day working As work and home lives have converged and days
week, nine to five commuter patterns. Journeys into of week blur, people are looking for punctuation to
work may be staggered across the working week and make sense of their lives. Brands can help with that,
working times staggered across the working day. This People have supercharged the cultural events of the be that times of day where you can intercept and help
presents new opportunities and dilutes others. year to cheer themselves and their communities up people separate home and work life or day of week,
(and relieve boredom). We’ve seen an upsurge in i.e. moments to own. What’s the new Crunchie Friday
Converging of home and work life will continue Christmas, Easter and Halloween decorations and or Diet Coke break?
as those who have and can work from home will general paraphernalia. Whilst these moments are
continue to in some capacity. This means people’s likely to see some element of normality return next Hijack supercharged moments in the year
lives will continue to blur across a day, and home/ year, the ritual and tradition around new habits Brands should think of a way to help communities
work life are no longer clearly punctuated by a and decorating are likely to stay and their visibility enjoy the likes of Halloween, Easter, Christmas
commuter journey. heightened in communities. or Diwali in bigger and different ways. Can they
sponsor street lighting, find new opportunities at, say,
Halloween, when perhaps it wasn’t a festival they’d
considered?
16 17
The
circular
economy
Recycling and re-selling gets super-
charged with new players and brands
finally catching up.
Spending so much more time in our homes has
highlighted how much stuff we have and how
little we need. Coupled with the ever-growing
consciousness of the impact of our endless
consumption on the planet, and the economic
realities of more constrained consumer spending What this means for brands Use technology and innovation to re-invigorate
power, this is rocket-fuel to the burgeoning second- people’s passion for recycling and repurposing
hand economy. Think about your products’ second life We all know we should reuse and recycle but it can
Recognising and encouraging the reuse and lack the magic of buying something new. Smart
Alongside the now ubiquitous eBay and popular repurposing of your products means thinking more harnessing of technology can make recycled products
newcomers like Shpock, Depop and Preloved, there carefully about packaging and construction. Is the feel exciting and desirable, as well as worthy. H&M
has been an explosion of second-hand selling sites, box something people want to keep and pass on with has worked with the Hong Kong Research Institute
often with niche and specialist focus. From the product? Can your product be easily disassembled of Textiles and Apparel to create a new in-store
full-service high-end fashion to simple resale sites, and reassembled without causing damage? technology which disassembles old garments and
there’s a service for every user’s needs. BCG estimates Although some brands have been quietly assembles them into new ones, meaning customers
that the global second-hand luxury market alone will championing in-store recycling for many years Partner with people who can power your can transform an now-past-it item into a new
be worth €31 billion by 2021. (H&M’s recycling for store credit, MAC’s Back to Mac programme favourite, right in front of them. Finding innovative
programme), the world’s largest furniture retailer, The most successful recycle brand programmes ways to create the new from the old will draw
Charities, traditionally the beneficiaries of the IKEA, in what could be a game-changing moment for partner with organisations with the structures in customers in.
secondhand market, are making sure that they don’t the secondhand movement, is now entering the fray, place to manage the whole process. Walkers works
miss out in this evolution. New charity resale models offering to buy back its furniture and then resell or with Teracycle to provide 1,600 public drop off points Consider new business models
are being developed which benefit both the customer recycle them. for crisp packets across the country. Primark works Rental and leasing instead of full ownership. The
and the charity alike. Thrift+, for example, is aiming with Yellow Octopus to implement its recycling automotive and fashion industries have started to
to become Amazon or Asos of secondhand clothes As the desire for more sustainable ways of living scheme. The key is to make it easy for everyone: invest in new routes to market. Other industries will
shopping, whilst splitting the proceeds of a sale gathers pace, creating and embracing the circular consumers, the business and the beneficiaries. follow, particularly for high value goods including
between a chosen charity and the seller (in the form economy looks to be a growing priority for both furniture, technology and jewellery.
of Thrift+ credits) to continue the circular economy. consumers and brands.
18 19Filling
the cultural
vacuum
Being divorced from cultural
experiences for so long has unleashed
unforeseen innovation and creativity in
our cultural life.
What this means for brands Co-create
Some of the most successful brand-arts partnerships
Separation from loved ones and friends, and from As we start to get a grip on the virus, and life
Support the sector have gone way beyond simple financial support and
the daily rhythms of our life, was the early shock begins to open up again, we’ll see a flocking back to
The arts and culture sector has suffered more than a sponsor logo. Co-creating with creative or cultural
of lockdown. As time drew on, the absence of cultural venues, as people seek out shared cultural
most through the pandemic, and many institutions organisations can re-invigorate a brand identity,
experiencing and enjoying the rich cultural life experiences once more. However, we also expect
and artists are struggling to stay afloat. Brands can take you to new audiences and help you to carve out
we’re lucky enough to have access to in this country the desire for accessible culture to continue, with
play a role in supporting artists and creators through unique space in crowded categories.
became one of the most challenging parts for many. live streaming of concerts, exploring galleries online
Without ready access to culture, institutions and and virtual access to the vast back collections of the innovative and unexpected partnerships which
align the brand with vibrantly creative and inventive Encourage your audience to celebrate our cultural life
individuals found imaginative ways to bring cultural world’s museums carrying on. In this way, we’re
individuals and organisations, benefitting both parties. The flourishing of armchair artists that we have seen
experiences into their homes, from virtual museum seeing a democratisation of culture, where it doesn’t through 2020 speaks to a deep desire to create and
tours, to Stay At Home choirs, to recreating artworks matter where in the world you might be, your participate. Brands can help to celebrate and elevate
at home using everyday items (see the Getty Museum curiosity and thirst for art or learning will lead you to these endeavours through initiatives, competitions
Challenge for thousands of incredible recreations). a treasure trove of materials. and showcases to share the joy and pleasure in our
nation’s collective creativity.
20 21Media
What this means for brands Keep an eye out for advertiser funded VoD (AVoD)
TV: the phoenix Linear TV will remain the most trusted
source for news
The biggest advancement in the UK (and an
emerging threat to the UK broadcasters next
year) will come from new advertising funded VoD
from the pandemic
The role for TV in delivering trusted local news platforms. Several AVoD services have recently
content will remain strong going into 2021. For launched in the UK (e.g. Pluto TV or Roko) hoping
advertisers, association with such trusted content to benefit from the predicted future growth in online
can be very powerful. However, beware also of being video advertising. Whilst viewing to these services is
around news you want to avoid. currently small, and it’s unclear to what extent these
new US-owned and operated AVoD services will
UK broadcasters will be bolstered by the return to appeal to UK audiences, there’s certainly potential for
Once again, TV is the national TV also allowed people to escape. It became the full production capacity further growth.
destination for news and homegrown place to seek refuge away from the news too with With as much as 85% of the ITV shows in production
film viewing up 34% and comedy up 21%. We saw Live events continue to be a broadcast TV experience
British content. UK broadcasters have now completed or back in production, the return of
this (and continue to) across live and VoD. Scripted production to UK drama and comedy is fantastic Whilst Amazon has dipped their toes in the water of
re-established a critical role through drama and comedy, which previously dominated live sports broadcasts, there has, so far, been very
news for the traditional broadcasters and, in
a local connection which keeps them peak schedules, are now driving catch-up viewing. little challenge made to the broadcaster TV model
particular their online platforms, providing more
relevant. Crucially, the most successful content is primarily UK opportunity for brands. for live event content. Whilst Andrea Bocelli’s Music
produced. Only three of the top 20 viewed drama and For Hope — Live From Duomo di Milano stream
TV took on a role of two halves during the pandemic: comedy series on All4 came from outside the UK. Return of the broadcasting phenomena on YouTube earlier this year was well publicised, it
firstly, as the authoritative trusted national Love Island returns in 2021, providing more only delivered 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers
voice, keeping the nation informed and, secondly, Local connection has been crucial in the battle to opportunity for brands as an on-demand (something broadcast TV can deliver on daily basis).
distraction precisely from the voice of the former with survive against the rise of US-led SVoD, especially phenomenon. So far there seems little news from the SVoD or
homegrown British content across both linear and with cinemas closed. Netflix and Disney+ have AVoD platforms that there position on live content
on-demand platforms, giving it a unique advantage seen strong growth this year but are dominated On demand is no longer a 16-34 behaviour and will change.
against the US-focused SVoD (Subscription Video on by US content. However, the opposite is true for future growth will be driven across all age groups
Demand). Broadcaster VoD, with the best in UK drama now This year, we’ve seen vast increases of new audiences
increasingly watched in this non-linear fashion. watching video in different ways. For example, ITV
Keeping the nation informed revolved around news BVoD platforms now provide a vital route to growth Hub now exceeds 30 million registered users across
programmes and current affairs, both of which have for the broadcasters through this content. It’s the UK. Brands will need to implement robust
been vital on both a national and regional level. Live the relevance delivered through their UK content audience segmentation through addressable targeting
broadcast remains vital for delivering this content, expertise that keeps UK broadcasters connected to technology to ensure they remain efficient in what is
with regional feeds also keeping the connection to their audience and able to provide effective advertiser now a mass reach channel.
local communities. Boris Johnson’s announcement growth opportunities. The appetite for this evidenced
of tighter measures back in March, saw 27 million through the launch of Britbox (a subscription video
people tune in live. Overall news viewing was up 45%. streaming service from the BBC and ITV.)
In a time where trust is so important, and where Event viewing was supercharged. It has never been
messaging is put as important as the numbers it easier to stay in the conversation through live viewing
reaches, the medium saw staggering levels of viewing. or catch up, with 41 million individuals in the UK
In addition, people chose the medium as a key trusted now owning connected TVs. For example, The
Media
source over and above other channels, namely social. Great British Bake Off had its biggest-ever launch
TV saw a 20% switch in preference from the end of on Channel 4 linear this year and then also had its
January and the start of April versus social. People strongest ever launch on All4, with an additional 1.9
see TV as a place for the most trusted advertising million views in the first seven days after airing.
(45%). Interestingly, news consumption is also
increasing amongst the younger generation (12-15
24 year-olds). 25Media
Cinema: from cinemas re-opened have been 16-34s). This audience
is less afraid of going out and cinema makes up a
sleeping to
big part of their social life. In addition, forthcoming
releases are perfect for a younger demographic.
More eyeballs
supercharged With TV, especially amongst younger audiences,
going to be inflationary next year, an Audience
Guarantee Pack (AGP) in cinema, incentivised by
DCM and Pearl & Dean, will deliver a much larger
share of 16-34s than it has historically.
In 2021, we will see cinema back with Diversity of format and audience
vengeance with new opportunities for Advertisers must think about all the innovative
brands to take advantage of not just product packages for cinema which have been on
pause, such as the Big Scream for mums and babies
new footfall but an emotion in time. and over 50s screenings, and find new ways to help
reformat their lives again with normality.
Cinema has, without doubt, been one of the casualties
of the pandemic, limping bruised and battered A moment
from a long fight with no audiences, closures and What this means for brands Be there when people return, when they feel the
high-profile films being released straight to pay- emotion of a film release at the cinema in all its
per-view. Trolls went to Sky, Mulan was released A dense product slate sensory glory. Be there with the emotion they feel.
onto the newly launched Disney + and Scoob! went There’s expected to be well over 100 major films
to Amazon Prime Video, as did the Borat sequel. released to cinema next year, with over 50% of those Theatre supercharged
This was dire for a medium which relies heavily targeting 16-34s. Despite the news that Warner Bros. Brands must play up to the “theatre” of the cinema
on theatrical releases (the average blockbuster can will be releasing films simultaneously in cinema and experience. People are going to go because they want
expect to take 69% of its revenue from ticket sales at on their HBO Max streaming service next year (a to experience something special, surrounded by other
the cinema) and the commercial opportunity in other move that only impacts the US), next year will be a people. How can brands enhance that experience
distribution channels, fuelled by the usual heightened blockbuster year with the backdated 2020 film slate, through doing something new? Could that be a
media coverage, publicity and merchandise sales. such as No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick and new product built for the cinema environment, for
Black Widow, adding to the 2021 releases. example? Or how about Kleenex giving away special
Despite the challenges that cinema will continue edition tissues to the audience attending a weepie? Of
to face in the coming months, we believe that An audience where cinema was part of life course, there’s also the opportunity to get involved in
cinema will remain the first stop for distributing big 16-34s will dominate the cinema going audience “event” cinema, like outdoor screenings, which should
blockbusters in 2021. next year as it’s clear that the younger audience be massive next year.
have missed the cinema, attending in large numbers
when possible in 2020 (75% of all cinemagoers since
26 27What this means for brands
Journalism is seeing a renaissance. Every day, UK
newsbrands are applying political scrutiny to those Consider the ecosystem of the news brand
who hold power to account which helps to uphold The diversification of newsbrands into areas such as
our democracy. All news platforms play a part in this.
The power
audio, subscriptions, premium video, ecommerce and
Most investigative news stories which hold power to affiliates means that there are multiple touchpoints
account are broken by newsbrands which go on to be to engage the user and to drive growth. For example,
amplified by broadcasters. For example, the Facebook this year, the Mailonline created a discount code
of publishing
Cambridge Analytica story was investigated and channel reaching cost-conscious consumers, a
broken by The Guardian/The Observer but then behaviour which advertisers can tap into in different
edia
amplified by Channel 4. ways. News UK launched Times Radio allowing us to
reach an upmarket and often hard to reach audience
The broad reach and scale of newsbrands means that in a new way.
they have the power to provoke opinion and drive
societal change through campaigning journalism. In A closeness
2020 has cemented print brands many cases, such campaigns have instigated changes Audience affinity, ‘stickiness’ and the trusted advisor
and journalism as a critical source of to UK law. For example, The Mirror campaigned and status allows brands to get closer to people through
verified information for all age groups, successfully changed the law for UK organ donation these newsbrands, which they feel close to as brands
providing new opportunities for to be opt-out rather than opt-in. in themselves. We will see a growth in first party
advertisers. users as non-paywall brands encourage sign-in
Newsbrands operate at scale. The trusted advisor allowing the serving of relevant messaging which will
status of publisher brands means that there is a benefit rather than contradict the user experience.
More people trust newsbrands more, across all ages. ‘stickiness’ in reader relationships with their chosen
This year, 66% of adults agreed that journalism has newsbrand and magazine brands. Subscriptions Contextual relevance will continue to be a key theme
become more important since the pandemic1. This have grown in 2020. The Guardian has seen a 39% Targeting consumers in the key moment of the
figure rises to 77% for the under-35 age group. A increase in digital subscriptions year on year and purchase journey has long been possible via
year fuelled with fear and misinformation has helped now have 821,000 monthly supporters who pay for a newsbrands, for example, serving auto ads to
younger audiences to understand the importance subscription or who donate money to fund Guardian consumers in the priming phase around motors
of valid sources. Social media remains a key source journalism. Newsbrands reach 38 million people content. We will see the development to deeper,
for them but seven in ten under-35s said that they daily and, whilst the majority of engagement is digital, more emotional contextual opportunity, which will
feel less anxious if they check out a news story via a printed newspapers reach 11 million adults every day. in turn drive effectiveness and harness the power of
newsbrand having seen it on social media.
journalism further.
1 A World Without News, Newsworks, 2020
28 29Media
With this has come an increased demand and supply
of personalised audio solutions. Within digital audio
(and linear) increasingly, people want content that is
relevant or personal to them (for example, the Kiss
Kube app allows users to choose their own songs on
linear radio). Spotify has driven personalisation of
their platform through its Radar Release, Daily Mix
and Discovery functions. Added to this, over 10.1
million people now listen to podcasts on a weekly
What this means for brands
basis – a rise of 30% year-on-year – and satisfying an Think local
audience demand to snack on content on the go. Increasingly, consumers are engaging with local radio.
Partnering with highly valued content such as local
The appetite for local as a trend is playing out across news, traffic and weather can help a brand’s appeal to
radio. Bauer has seen that hours listened is higher a local audience.
on their local versus national stations, which they
put down to having a local presenter talking about Get personal
local news and topics. People spend an average of Digital audio offers the opportunity for a personalised
19% more time listening to networks that use local
ad experience for the listener. Whilst brands should
presenters and have local content, compared to
be wary of consumer suspicion around how their
national networks.
data is being used, A Million Ads enables a brand to
Unsurprisingly, there’s been a big
engage with their audience in a personal way. For
increase in loneliness and isolation We’re also seeing a shift in daypart listening. Digital example, adverts can now have the location of the
Radio: from
with 20% of people feeling these audio’s reach has increased 25% since March and
listener, the weather, time of day or day of week to
emotions now more than before there has been a significant change away from the
make the ad more personal. This can work for all
“peak” periods of ‘Breakfast’ and ‘Drivetime’, most
lockdown, according to Bauer’s likely caused by the disruption in working patterns
brands but can be particularly effective at driving
companion
Lockdown Nation 2 study. This has led people to a specific retail outlet.
and school days. Next year, home working will
to people turning to audio for comfort, continue for many and, with that, radio will continue Use talent to become more relevant
information and, often, company. to be a companion across the whole day. We have to Presenter reads on podcasts offer an irreverent and
to BFF
assume (as a consequence of the lack of new RAJAR relatable way of connecting brands to the listener
In the last eight years, the weekly hours spent audience surveys taking place) that the same changes through advertising. These bespoke adverts, created
listening to digital audio has increased fourfold to we’ve seen in digital has also happened across linear by the podcast presenters, sits in the pre- and
over 400 million in the UK. Whilst linear radio has radio listening, with an increase in reach and hours mid-roll and helps a brand stand out and drive
dipped slightly during this period to 817 million listened across the daytime dayparts. engagement as it’s recorded in the same tone as the
hours per week, the majority of digital audio growth podcast itself.
has come exponentially.
30 31Outdoor was hit hard in 2020. As What this means for brands
we were forced to stay home, OOH
became the public noticeboard for More flexible Ts & Cs are here to stay (for now)
COVID messaging. The medium has OOH vendors put in place more relaxed cancellation
terms during 2020 to encourage confidence and
radically had to adapt, propelling it into
protect brands from potential rule changes and
2021 in a better position than ever. lockdowns. The consensus is that they are here
to stay for now and will show a trend of greater
During the pandemic, outdoor successfully offered flexibility across the channel.
messages of hope and support across its digital
inventory. NHS Thank you and Clap for Carers Data will underpin OOH planning more
creative replaced commercial advertising as DOOH than ever before
became the public noticeboard for how the nation The new, and growing, levels of data sets that are
was feeling. TV, social and print news headlines were available to define OOH audiences means a shift to
consistently led by an image of an OOH billboard a CPM trading model has been brought forward by a
message and the Government became the biggest few years. OOH will always be a broadcast medium
single advertiser using digital sites to convey updated but buying by audience creates a new level of
advice and guidance to specific areas. granularity and efficiency that has long been heralded
as the future metric for the channel.
Ultimately, however, outdoor needed the commercial
edia
spend back and fast. As the first lockdown ended and OOH digitisation will accelerate
restrictions were eased, OOH audiences returned but It would be understandable if cap-ex investment for
client confidence was still low and, understandably, DOOH was defaulted with a drop in commercial
cautious. OOH’s universal metric, Route, was revenues across 2020. Instead, we’ve seen that build
rather exposed as its audience modelling for panels, plans for the major OOH vendors have accelerated
although robust and credible, is not a ‘real-time’ towards the back end of the year and plans to
Outdoor:
metric and brands wanted to know the level of impact increase panel numbers will increase next year. As a
they would have before investing back into the backdrop to this, we forecast that DOOH will make
medium. up c.60%+ of all OOH expenditure next year, up from
out of
50% in 2019.
As a collective, OOH specialists and vendors invested
into new data sources to clearly demonstrate Buying DOOH as part of a cross-channel audience
adversity
audience movements/behaviours and address impact activation will become common place
concerns. Kinetic invested into greater SDK and Flexibility, audience-led activation and greater
mobile data partnering with Adsquare to produce inventory volumes will allow for a more fluid use
weekly updates on the rate of audience return of DOOH as part of the cross-channel mix. We’re
opportunity
across key segments (roadside, retail and travel) already seeing this with DAX@Global and the ability
and underpin accurate pricing relative to the actual to look at OOH and audio audiences in unison.
audience being achieved. Taking this a step further,
is born
iDOOH (GroupM’s programmatic OOH platform)
enabled brands to buy DOOH based on a cost per
audience model with the agility to change campaign
scheduling in-flight.
32 33Media
What this means for brands so, did a person watch it until completion? When
analysing performance in this way, the results can
Ignore headline grabbing spend reporting be dramatic vs when benchmarked on simple cost
Ignore misleading macro-investment analysis of per thousand impressions. Often digital channels
aggregated ad spend. Such reports often contain bias, are not as effective as they might seem, with our
are designed to grab headlines and rarely provide studies showing broadcast TV is still, by far, the most
the neutral and detailed information that you need. effective way to deliver video advertising.
Instead, look at a specific industry analysis for your
sector. We’ve developed investment benchmarking Traditionally perceived long-term channels can
Whilst the digital media market is dashboards to support our clients in this area. With actually drive results in the short-term as well
Digital
Pressure on short-term results can be relentless,
seemingly the most resilient of all the over £14 billion of investment across the whole of
with this pressure intensifying during a crisis.
channels, the results of it need a little GroupM (from 2016 to present), our dashboards
anonymously represent investment from 2,000 Understandably, with real-time performance data
closer attention. easily accessible from digital channels, advertisers
spend
clients and create trends across 19 tier one categories,
16 tier two categories and two tier three categories. can be tempted to prioritise digital to drive short-
There’s clearly a need for advertisers to follow the This gives us an unprecedented, anonymised, term results. However, digital is not the only short-
direction of travel and develop their capabilities detailed view of almost a third of the UK media term sales driver. For example, the recent and award-
predictably
across digital media channels, although building landscape with never seen before understanding of winning Demand Generation study, conducted by
understanding on how much and where to invest digital investment. Wavemaker, MediaCom and Gain Theory, revealed
your digital marketing spend can be difficult. that TV outperforms all channels except search as a
short-term sales driver.
up but the
Look beyond basic media metrics to understand
This challenge is then compounded by the fact that relative platform performance
most industry investment reporting platforms are Digital media can be confusing, with various buying It should never be about short- or long-term. An
flawed and inaccurate. The IAB reported digital video models and accompanying terminologies. When optimal strategy will look at generating both
results say
advertising spend to have grown +6% year-on-year analysing performance, it’s crucial to ensure that short-and long-term results, balancing demand
across the UK during H1 2020. This is contrary to you are standardising your approach by measuring generation with demand fulfilment, assigning specific
what we know was the reality for our clients during platforms on a like-for-like basis against a shared budget to channels by role to deliver against this. The
this period, as digital video spends declined close Demand Generator study has also provided a tool
otherwise
objective. This will make sure you are measuring
to -15% H1 year-on-year (as the pandemic hit). what matters. For example, in a digital video to help model the optimal mix. Taking the data from
Furthermore, when it comes to the effectiveness of campaign, ensure all platforms are being measured the study, which covered £1.4 billion of media spend
ad spend, we know that digital media measurement against the same standards for what qualifies as a across 50 anonymised clients, the tool can look at a
is typically biased towards the short-term. This can view. Is it two, three or 30 seconds? We recommend variety of variables to indicate what the optimal mix
lead to over investment into short-term success at the assessing all video against a cost per completed might be.
expense of long-term gain. viewable view. Simply put, was it possible for
the whole advert to be seen by a person and if
34 35Media
Mobile commerce
will further
dominate
ecommerce
By the end of 2021, mobile devices What this means for brands
will account for almost 73% of total
ecommerce sales. Brands must have a Prioritise this customer experience
strong mobile presence or customers Brands can test their site’s mobile-effectiveness with
tools like Google mobile-friendly test.
will abandon their baskets.
Minimise forms
Global mobile ecommerce sales are expected to be Typing is trickier on mobile, so minimise the forms
worth $3.56 trillion by the end of 2021, with Mobile on the page and autofill what you can.
sales accounting for 72.9% (up from 70% in 2020).1
Whilst mobile sales top ecommerce sales in terms of Make it easy for people to log in to make payments
quantity, sales made online through desktop payment Payments can be a challenge for mobile users because
gateways are still worth significantly more on it is often difficult to type in long number sequences,
average. Interestingly, the gap between desktop and like what is needed for a credit card or check. Instead,
mobile transaction values is closing worldwide with you can offer people the chance to make an account
a study from Monetate indicating that the difference on your site, where you can save their credit card
is significantly smaller in the UK than the US and information. You can also make it easy for them to
global averages. use mobile payment options, such as PayPal, Google
Wallet or Apple Pay.
Online shopping itself is also an omnichannel
experience. Mobile is a crucial channel for consumers Help customers understand the products
and retailers alike but it’s only one part of a much Include mobile-friendly product videos, the ability to
larger omnichannel shopping experience. Mobile is zoom in on images and high-quality visuals to help
starting and ending more consumer journeys than customers understand your product and feel more
ever before but its largest role is still the intermediary confident before hitting the “buy” button.
stages, joining the dots between customer
interactions with brands. The challenge for brands Make it easy for people to find a physical store
today is to understand how their customers navigate Enhance the shopping experience by enabling
from the first touchpoint, all the way to the last – and customers to find products seamlessly in-store to
know how to measure progress. try or buy.
1 eMarketer 2018
36 37Tech
Get in
the game
Tech
The young are pulling back from social
media. Instead, they are looking for real
connection, driven by shared interests
and meaning.
Global Web Index suggests that the amount of time
millennial and Gen Z audiences spend on many social
platforms is either flat, declining, or not rising as greatly
as it has previously. Anecdotally, we all hear many friends
talk of their boredom towards traditional social media
and the increased time they are spending on community
platforms.
We’re seeing the rise of fitness communities such as
Peloton and Strava. Strava led an overall record rise in What this means for brands Embed in the game
There are countless opportunities for brands to
downloads of apps across the health and fitness category
Put your skin in the game partner with games but the unique opportunities
which increased by a whopping 47% year-over-year. The
Community platforms will not take well to intruders. come from embedding in game. A brand’s
app allows users to follow fellow “athletes” and comment
If brands turn up on these platforms, they have to be relationships with gamers is improved when brands
and ‘like” their posts, activities, and photos.1 People who
prepared to put skin in the game and add real value help the player earn more lives, gain additional
once checked morning social feeds are now checking
to the experience and/or community. ammunition or even reach a higher level.3
Peloton to see who they can do a morning ride with.
Embrace radical partnerships Win early on an underused platform
Gaming communities, such as Twitch and Fortnite, are
Many of these platforms haven’t launched any Platforms like WhatsApp are not yet well used by
multi-player experiences which are becoming social
partnerships yet. This presents an interesting marketers. WhatsApp is testing tools that allow
experiences. Beyond playing the game, they are there to
opportunity to partner in a radically different way. users to communicate with brands they may want
talk entertain each other and share their experiences.
Peloton launched an artist series partnering their to hear from. There’s an opportunity to build smart
instructors to artists and allowing them creative conversations and tap into early beta opportunities
Finally, as social media has driven people to feel conflicted,
freedom to create their own ride experience. these platforms present.
we see more time spent on private community platforms
like WhatsApp. In a New Yorker piece under the headline, Understand the community, how they like to 1 https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/how-strava-became-the-fastest-growing-fitness-app-in-
“Group chats are making the internet fun again”, the communicate and what you could do that would america-2020-9-1029557391
technology critic Max Read argued that groups have bring value to their experience. 2 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/02/whatsapp-groups-conspiracy-theories-disinformation-democracy
become “an outright replacement for the defining mode of 3 https://www.marketingweek.com/in-game-advertising-mind-games/
social organization of the past decade: the platform-centric,
feed-based social network.”2
40 41You can also read
