Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers

Page created by Norma Kelley
 
CONTINUE READING
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
1
VOL   Trends &
      Insights Digest
      May 2015
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     VOL
            1        Trends &
                     Insights Digest
                     May 2015

                     Our members need no reminder of the rapid rate of change in
                     consumer behaviour, brand marketing and social media. They know                                                                               The Brand Network Trends &
                                                                                                                                                                   Insights Digest was curated
                     it’s essential to stay abreast of these developments in order to inform
                                                                                                                                                                   and edited by The Centre
                     their strategy and marketing communications, but few have the time
                                                                                                                                                                   for Brand Analysis (TCBA).
                     available to sift through the sheer volume of information available                                                                           TCBA undertakes a wide
                     to them. Brand Network’s bi-annual ‘Trends & Insights Digest’ offers                                                                          range of brand consultancy
                     a singular resource that keeps our members up-to-date on the                                                                                  projects, including internal
                     latest consumer trends, marketing activations and social media                                                                                and external brand equity
                     developments. These are supported by empirical evidence, case                                                                                 research studies. The Centre’s
                     studies from around the world and links to further video content.                                                                             audit and consultancy services
                     I hope you find this first volume both informative and inspirational;                                                                         help shape brand, marketing
                     as always, we welcome your feedback and comments.                                                                                             and business strategies, in
                                                                                                                                                                   order to enhance brand
                     Ben Hudson                                                                                                                                    reputation and underlying
                                                                                                                                                                   business growth. The Centre
                     Chief Executive
                                                                                                                                                                   also provides insight and
                     Ben.Hudson@BrandNetwork.uk.com
                                                                                                                                                                   strategic planning services to
                                                                                                                                                                   brand owners and agencies.
                        @BrandNetworkUK
                     Brand Network (UK) Ltd | 4 Great Portland Street | London | W1W 8QJ | 020 7631 8900
                     © 2015 Brand Network (UK) Ltd
                     No part of this digest may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including scanning,
                     photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system relating to all or part of the text, photographs, logotypes without
                     first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher together with the copyright owners as featured.
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

            1      MACRO TRENDS
                   IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANVAS8

           2       MICRO TRENDS
                   IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANVAS8

           3       CAMPAIGNS
                   IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CONTAGIOUS

           4       SOCIAL MEDIA
                   IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARAT

           5       IP TRENDS
                   IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTANGIBLE BUSINESS

           6       OUR
                   PARTNERS
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                              MACRO
                                              TRENDS
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND               1                                                     Generation Z
                                                                            Kids today were born into a different world.
                                                                               Generation Z – those born since 1995 – are
                                                                            very different from previous generations. With
                                                                            the oldest now turning 20, this enormous teen
                                                                            demographic is on the verge of adulthood.
                                                                               If Gen Y were idealistic and entitled, Gen Z
                                                                            are pragmatic and driven. They came of age
                                                                            in a recession, and were weaned on the help-
                                                                            yourself ideals of The Hunger Games rather than
                                                                            the soppy romance of Titanic. Having experienced
                                                                            a tough financial crisis, they are pragmatic and
                                                                            value work; when asked whether they’d rather
                                                                            be smarter or better looking, 69% of Gen Z
                                                                            chose ‘smarter’ (Source: Maclean’s Magazine).
                                                                              Already, Gen Z’s technology and media habits
                                                                            have been described as one of the biggest
                                                                            cross-generational shifts in history. As the first
                                                                            generation to grow up making and sharing
                                                                            media, they relate more to peers on Snapchat,
                                                                            YouTube and Vine than typical celebrities. Able
                                                                            to express themselves, promote themselves,
                                                                            even educate and employ themselves online,
                                                                            the digital world is their oyster – and they are
                                                                            determined to make the most of it. These are not
                                              Image source: Olivia Harmon

                                                                            the square-eyed telly zombies of the past, but a
                                                                            legion of consumers who expect to tinker with,
                                                                            collaborate and create a new world around them.
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

  MACRO
   TREND                    1                                Generation Z
                                                             Examples

Image source: James Cao               Image source: Subway                   Image source: Parker Knight             Image source: Latter Farson

Gen Z want a stake in what they       Gen Z prefer visual snippets of        Growing up with social media            With nearly 200 million users
consume. Major game developers        content delivered, and often filmed,   means today’s kids have shifted         globally – most of them young –
like Valve and Sony Online            through mobile. Food chain Subway      their role models to suit; they are     few channels can claim to be closer
Entertainment are looking to their    has managed to speak their             drawn to businesses and stars that      to the evolving media landscape
fans – many of whom are self-taught   language with a scripted comedy        feel familiar. Take Origami Owl, a      than Snapchat Discover. When US
teens – to create content for their   show – The 4 to 9ers – that reached    multi-million dollar brand started by   telecoms brand AT&T launched its
games, using a revenue-sharing        millions of teenagers across YouTube   14-year-old Bella Weems, who now        first foray (SnapperHero – featuring
model to remunerate their efforts.    and Hulu.                              has a network of 50,000 young           popular stars from YouTube, Vine and
                                                                             salespeople (called ‘designers’) that   Snapchat) it saw 120,000 views
                                                                             buy and sell customisable necklaces     per episode.
                                                                             to their peers.
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND               1                             Generation Z
                                                    Evidence

                              2 BILLION                                                                    Growing up networked, they like to
                                                                                                           collaborate – 60% of Gen Z say they
                              There are two billion members of                                             like to share their knowledge with
                              Generation Z worldwide.                                                      others online.
                              (Source: Ford Motor Company).
                                                                                                           (Source: Wikia)

                                    71%
                                                                                                       72%
                              A generation raised by technology? In the UK,   Gen Z want to make their own path. 72% of them
                              71% of children aged 5-15 have access to a      want to start a business in the future, and the
                              tablet at home.                                 majority would rather be an entrepreneur than an
                              (Source: Ofcom).
                                                                              employee when they graduate from university.
                                                                              (Source: Internships.com).
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                2                                           Great Expectations
                                                                   The popularity of on-demand services has left
                                                                   patience in short supply – people expect immediacy
                                                                   as standard.
                                                                     On-demand services were once limited to streaming films or
                                                                   music. Today, driven by the phenomenal success of Uber, a
                                                                   culture of ‘I want it, and I want it now’ is bleeding into the real
                                                                   world, and it’s making consumers impatient by default. According
                                                                   to one study of 6.7 million internet users, the average time
                                                                   people are willing to wait for a video to load online is just two
                                                                   seconds (Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst).
                                                                      High smartphone penetration, busy homes and widely
                                                                   available 4G and Wi-Fi networks have created an ideal
                                                                   environment for on-demand services to flourish. FlyCleaners
                                                                   in New York, Washbox in London and Edaixi in Beijing are just
                                                                   some of the growing number of on-demand laundry services.
                                                                   Hassle connects people instantly to cleaners in their area, then
                                                                   there’s BarkCare for vets, Breather for reservable peace and
                                                                   quiet, and parcel delivery through Shyp.
                                                                     Why does it work so well? Firstly, there’s the instant
                                                                   gratification. But the Uber model also makes the mechanics
                                                                   of consumption – from delivery to payment – almost invisible.
                                                                   People don’t care about how things work, they just want
                                                                   solutions to their problems, fast.
                                              Image source: Uber
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                2                             Great Expectations
                                                     Examples

                              Image source: Garry Knight          Image source: Uber                    Image source: Yelp Inc.

                              Magic takes the pleasure of         Uber is extending its service to      Internet shopping doesn’t have
                              on-demand service and makes it      offer delivery and courier options.   to slow down when it leaves
                              even easier. People simply send     Consumers can get an emergency        the website. At online retailer
                              a text message saying ‘Magic’,      bottle opener or a spontaneous        JeansOnline, couriers hang around
                              followed by a request for any       takeaway dropped off in an instant    outside while consumers try clothes
                              service they could need, from       with UberEATS, while with UberRUSH    on, so they can instantly send back
                              ‘help getting out of court’ to      people can have a driver pick up      any rejects.
                              ‘deliver roses to my girlfriend’.   and deliver a gift without you
                                                                  getting off the sofa.
Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                2                   Great Expectations
                                           Evidence

                        The need for instant gratification is                 Immediate gratification is now the
                    not new, but our expectation of ‘instant’            default response. It’s difficult to overcome
                    has become faster, and as a result, our              those urges and be patient and wait for
                    patience is thinner.”                                things to come over time.”
                    Narayan Janakiraman, Assistant Marketing Professor   Darrell Worthy, Assistant Professor of Psychology
                    at the University of Texas, Arlington.               at Texas A&M University.

                         People can only care about so many
                    things; ‘how’ things work probably isn’t
                    one of them. We care about a problem                                   850%
                                                                                           increase
                    being solved.”
                    Taylor Davidson, Technology Specialist and
                    Venture Capitalist.                                  When black cab drivers in the UK went
                                                                         on strike against Uber, people weren’t
                                                                         willing to wait – Uber experienced an
                                                                         850% spike in new sign-ups.
                                                                         (Source: Uber).
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                3                                                    Circular Economy
                                                                            Brands are blending sustainability with convenience
                                                                            to challenge the traditional ways consumers think
                                                                            about ownership.
                                                                               People want the latest stuff, and despite growing
                                                                            environmental concerns, the speed of technological
                                                                            advancements has only made this desire stronger. As a result
                                                                            people are upgrading quicker – washing machines are now
                                                                            replaced every seven years (down from 10), while smartphones
                                                                            are replaced every 24 months, or quicker. But at the same
                                                                            time concerns about sustainability – electronics are the fastest
                                                                            growing waste-stream globally – are tempering desires.
                                                                              In response to this dynamic, a new movement that creates
                                                                            smarter consumption models and eliminates guilt, is gathering
                                                                            pace. From retail to electronics, automotive to fashion,
                                                                            businesses are adding value to their brands by exploring
                                                                            what’s being described as a ‘Circular Economy’.
                                                                              Innovators are exploring ‘cradle-to-cradle’ models, where
                                                                            big ticket items are treated like services. Here, the vision is
                                                                            that nothing is owned, goods are leased and upgraded as
                                                                            necessary, dismantled when finished, and their components re-
                                                                            used. Brands like Philips, Google, Epson and Audi are racing to
                                                                            explore this $700 billion opportunity in consumer waste.
                                              Image source: Oxfam Chelsea
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

  MACRO
   TREND                     3                              Circular Economy
                                                            Examples

Image source: Google                 Image source: Toner Giant                 Image source: Silo                         Image source: Ashley Webb

Google is developing a modular       Epson has responded to slowing            In 2014, Britain saw the opening           In the Netherlands, a new washing
smartphone called Project Ara        printer sales by radically redefining     of its first zero-waste restaurant,        machine subscription service called
where new features and functions     the way home printing works.              Silo. At the same time, supermarket        Bundles allows customers to have
are added or replaced as required,   They’ve disposed with the razor-          Sainsbury’s is launching its first store   a Miele machine and pay a
turning smartphone purchases into    and-blade pricing model and               powered entirely by food waste.            monthly fee depending on how
a series of regular, lightweight     created EcoTank, a printer with an                                                   much washing they do, with service
upgrades.                            ink tank that lasts two years before it                                              plans starting at 18.95 euros for
                                     needs refilling.                                                                     15 loads.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                    3                         Circular Economy
                                                     Evidence

                    41.5M TONNES                                                  Too much stuff? ASOS Marketplace began
                                                                                  as a way for smaller designers to sell new
                    Electronic waste is rising, with
                                                                                  wares. Now, it’s a platform for Brits to turn
                    around 41.5 million tonnes
                                                                                  old clothes into cash; four-fifths of ASOS
                    generated in 2011. That figure is
                                                                   sellers use the site to resell their old clothes.
                    expected to rise to 93.5 million               (Source: ASOS).

                    by 2016.

                                                                   $26 billion
                    (Source: Markets and Markets).

                                                                   People are sharing and renting on an unprecedented
                                                                   scale. Already the peer-to-peer rental market is worth
                                                                   an estimated $26 billion.
                                                                   (Source: The Economist).

                    Many people are seeking to
                    reclaim lost skills so they can
                    ‘make do and mend’. After the                       While profitability is a core aim of the business model
                    Great British Sewing Bee in 2014,              of the circular economy, its main goal is performance.
                    John Lewis saw sewing machine                  That means rethinking the idea of buying and selling
                    sales increase 22%.                            goods as services, rather than products.”
                    (Source: John Lewis).                          Walter Stahel, Industrial Analyst.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                4                                             Radical Transparency
                                                                     People expect honesty and openness. Brands can no
                                                                     longer hide from the demand for transparency.
                                                                       In 2015, people openly share many things; photos, feelings,
                                                                     ideas. Why should brands be any different? When the default
                                                                     approach to life is public, keeping things hidden can look
                                                                     suspicious. Offering up secrets is a smart way of building trust
                                                                     and getting consumers on side.
                                                                       That’s why McDonald’s took control of their public image
                                                                     with a campaign that addressed rumours (like the idea that
                                                                     their foods don’t rot) head on, while Coca-Cola released an
                                                                     advert that, for the first time, confronted the issue of obesity.
                                                                     And it’s how fashion brands like TOMS, Everlane and Warby
                                                                     Parker – who are open about their ethical business models and
                                                                     profit margins – are attracting young loyalists.
                                                                         For those who’ve grown up in the information age, nothing
                                                                     should be unknowable. Apps that empower the consumer are
                                                                     multiplying. Label Lookup scans product labels like ‘organic’
                                                                     and determines if they are truthful while Buycott scans
                                                                     barcodes to unlock the ethical credentials of products and their
                                                                     owners. Even workers are seeking transparency, using services
                                                                     like Glassdoor and InHerSight to anonymously vet workplaces
                                                                     before they turn up to the office. It’s no surprise that the
                                                                     mission behind the new billion-dollar social network Slack is to
                                                                     push greater transparency into the workplace by making all
                                                                     communications open.
                                              Image source: Square
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

  MACRO
   TREND                      4                              Radical Transparency
                                                             Examples

Image source: Everlane                 Image source: Slack                    Image source: Greenhouse                 Image source: McDonald’s

Luxury fashion brand Everlane is so    Business communications platform       In the US, a 16-year old coder           In Canada, the McDonald’s
committed to radical transparency      Slack, valued at $2.8 billion and      created a browser plug-in called         transparency campaign ‘Our Food,
that they list everything, from the    gaining a reputation as the fastest    Greenhouse to demystify corporate        Your Questions’ answered 20,000
profit they’re making to the name of   growing business application           influence in politics. Browsers          consumer questions about its food
their factory manager, on              ever, is transforming offices by       hover over the name of a local           and operations and saw consumer
their website.                         replacing ‘closed’ email with ‘open’   congressman to see which corporate       trust in the brand rise by 60%.
                                       communications where everything        entities he or she has relations with.
                                       is shared openly by default.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                    4                Radical Transparency
                                            Evidence

                         In a more networked world, people
                    start to wonder where products have
                                                                 17 MILLION
                                                                 Glassdoor, which allows employees to
                    come from and they ask themselves, ‘Do
                                                                 compare their wages and rate jobs and
                    I feel comfortable with that?’ Any brand
                                                                 employers, reaches more than 17 million
                    that wants to be premium is going to
                                                                 people a month.
                    have to embrace the concept of radical       (Source: Glassdoor).

                    transparency.”
                    Niall Dunne, Head of Sustainability at BT.
                                                                            You can’t hide from transparency.”
                                                                 Andrew Harrison, Deputy Chief Executive at Dixons
                                                                 Carphone.
                              When San Francisco start-up
                    Buffer published all its financial reports
                    – including how much it pays individual              Retailer Everlane’s infographics,
                    employees – the company saw an increase              which show the difference between
                    in applications to work for them.            how much it costs to make a t-shirt and
                    (Source: Buffer).
                                                                 how much it costs to buy a t-shirt, attracted
                                                                 almost 20,000 notes on Tumblr.
                                                                 (Source: Tumblr).
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                5                                                              Visible Values
                                                                                      Public displays of good have become a status symbol.
                                                                                        Social psychologists use a simple rule to describe what makes
                                                                                      a trend catch on: visibility. People are fundamentally social, taking
                                                                                      cues about how to behave from those around them. In other
                                                                                      words, the more visible a behaviour is, the more likely it is
                                                                                      to spread.
                                                                                        In the past year, we’ve reached a tipping point around visibility
                                                                                      and values, with news that more people globally (55%) are willing
                                                                                      to pay more for socially responsible products than not. More
                                                                                      broadly, it’s easy to see the impact this shift is having on popular
                                                                                      culture. Take a brand like H&M, their Conscious collection is not
                                                                                      about sustainability or hemp tote bags, but making sustainability
                                                                                      fashionable. Similarly, last year’s Ice Bucket Challenge saw
                                                                                      remarkable engagement; 2.4 million videos were posted on
                                                                                      Facebook alone, as people jumped at the opportunity to flaunt
                                                                                      their values.
                                                                                         This principle will increasingly impact brands, particularly those
                                                                                      consumed publicly. People are looking to ally with brands that
                                                                                      signal something positive about their values, whether that’s
                                                                                      ‘I’m eating healthily’, ‘I’m exercising’ or ‘I’m buying sustainably’.
                                                                                      Although, admittedly, what happens out of sight is a different
                                                                                      matter – we’ll eat salads at work and gorge on takeaways at
                                                                                      home. However, as there is no universal conception of what
                                              Image source: Laura the Toyota Expert

                                                                                      constitutes social good – youth may relate to LGBT cause
                                                                                      marketing, seniors might not. The key to visible values is first
                                                                                      understanding which values your consumers are actually willing
                                                                                      to shout about.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                   5                     Visible Values
                                                Examples

                    .Image source: ANZ                                     Image source: Wikimedia

                    A law allowing gay marriage in Australia               Last year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge marked
                    was overturned in December 2013. While                 a turning point in attitudes to showing off
                    most Australians had long been supportive              your values, with 2.8 million videos made and
                    of marriage equality, their support had been           uploaded to Facebook. More broadly, social
                    silent. National bank ANZ took this as a civic         media has become a key fundraising model;
                    responsibility – playfully (and proudly) re-skinning   from Cancer Research’s #nomakeupselfie to
                    ordinary ATMs as colourful and camp ‘GAYTMs’.          JustGiving’s online donations – currently £2 billion
                    Doing so enabled public support to become...           and counting. In each of these cases, popularity
                    public, which eventually won them a Grand Prix         was driven due to interaction and sharing on
                    award at Cannes 2014.                                  social media.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

 MACRO
  TREND                    5               Visible Values
                                           Evidence

                    55%                                      £2 billion
                    Values have reached mainstream status.   Social displays of good are changing
                    In a global survey, 55% of respondents   charity – online donations at JustGiving
                    said they would be willing to pay more   have recently surpassed £2 billion since
                    for socially responsible products.       launching in 2001.
                    (Source: Nielsen).                       (Source: JustGiving).

                       Making things more observable             People give both to feel connected to
                    makes them easier to imitate.”           a community and to signal identity both to
                    Jonah Berger, Professor of Marketing.    themselves and others.”
                                                             Daniel Oppenheimer, Professor of Psychology
                                                             and Marketing.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                              MICRO
                                              TRENDS
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

   MICRO
   TREND              1                                                       Swipe To Decide
                                                                              As brands jostle to understand mobile
                                                                              consumers, the swipe interface is dominating.
                                                                                Mobile is still uncharted territory for many brands,
                                                                              but with mobile commerce predicted to be worth
                                                                              more than $3 trillion by 2017 it’s likely to impact
                                                                              every organisation. So, what’s the interface?
                                                                                 Look no further than Tinder. With more than one
                                                                              billion swipes, it’s developed a simple interface
                                                                              with wide application. For the unacquainted, the
                                                                              interface presents choices one-by-one like a deck
                                                                              of cards: swipe right for ‘yes’, left for ‘next’. Already,
                                                                              brands are exploring how this interface can be used
                                                                              in different contexts. We’ve seen music discovery
                                                                              service, Next, use the swipe to help people find new
                                                                              artists and mobile retailer Grabble use it to help
                                                                              people browse clothes. Now, Tinder is starting to use
                                                                              its own model of swiping to serve ads for brands
                                                                              like Bud Light.
                                                                                The success of the interface is down to simple
                                                                              psychology: people are better at evaluating options
                                                                              one-at-a-time than all at once. It’s also about
                                                                              practicalities – for mobile users who are typically
                                                                              on-the-go, swiping can be done with one hand. In
                                                                              the future, as more smartwatches hit the market,
                                              Image source: Thibaud Saintin

                                                                              the limitations of small screens will only drive more
                                                                              innovation around swipe and touch interfaces.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     MICRO
     TREND                    2
High Street 3.0
Brands have embraced the online
challenge and redefined the purpose of
brick-and-mortar stores.
   Many thought that online would kill the high
street. It hasn’t. Digital and physical have learnt
to complement each other – omni-channel is now
the norm and the high street is being re-imagined
for the demands of 21st century shoppers. As
Canvas8 expert David Birch points out, “People
aren’t using mobile instead of other channels,
they’re using it as well as.”
   Nearly half of the UK have used a Click &
Collect service, Nationwide recently invested
£300 million to upgrade their high street
branches and 70% of students say they favour
the high street over shopping online. At the same
time, former online-only retailers Birchbox and
Bonobos have opened physical stores to enhance
the customer experience.
                                                      Image source: Credut
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

   MICRO
   TREND              3                                                    Dynamic Pricing
                                                                           Pricing used to be stable. Now, thanks to
                                                                           digitisation, it is on the move.
                                                                             Airlines and hotels have used dynamic
                                                                           pricing for years – hiking up prices or dropping
                                                                           them according to demand. Now, technology
                                                                           has opened the model up to new markets.
                                                                           Organisations from retailers to cinemas can
                                                                           optimise their prices in response to fluctuating
                                                                           conditions.
                                                                              Recently launched in the UK, Usheru tackles the
                                                                           problem of 90% of cinema tickets going unsold by
                                                                           letting film lovers hunt down bargain tickets during
                                                                           times of low demand. This joins mobile app YPlan
                                                                           which offers last-minute tickets to events often at
                                                                           discounted rates and American service, Qcue,
                                                                           which slashes baseball ticket prices when it rains.
                                                                             What unites all of these innovations is the ability
                                                                           to quickly monitor and adapt prices on-the-fly
                                                                           using data and digital channels. Indeed, the same
                                                                           principle flows through technology giants like
                                                                           Amazon, famed for its fluid pricing strategy that
                                              Image source: Raban Haaijk   can see prices change every 10 minutes.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     MICRO
     TREND                       4
Diagnostic Brands
From skincare to alcohol, brands are using data-
styled quizzes to help people choose.
  People find decision-making hard. And with so many
decisions to make, people are looking to relinquish control of
some of them – but not completely. The model that’s emerging
encourages consumers to share personal data, most often
through a series of quiz-like questions, which is then processed
by an algorithm to deliver a personal recommendation. In
psychology, this is called ‘preference articulation’ and is linked
to greater satisfaction with decisions.
   We call these brands, which help people choose by taking
them on a journey, ‘diagnostic’. They are already emerging in
a number of categories. Take wine – nine million people are
actively building a ‘wine taste profile’ on mobile app Vivino
which is being used to recommend their next bottle. And at
skincare brand GENEU’s London concept store, customers
receive a DNA test to see how they’ll age, while L’Oréal’s
‘virtual mirror’ is popping up in retailers. British politics is even
being decided through quizzes, with sites like Vote for Policies
seeing thousands of Brits take a 40-minute quiz to help decide
which party is right for them.
                                                                        Image source: L’Oréal Paris
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

   MICRO
   TREND              5                                               Later-Life Luxury
                                                                      Seniors are splurging. What on?
                                                                         According to a study by the Centre for
                                                                      Economic and Business Research, Britain’s ‘grey
                                                                      pound’ has seen considerable growth over
                                                                      the past decade, and now accounts for £320
                                                                      billion of consumer spending in the UK - £100
                                                                      billion more than in 2003. And from April 2015,
                                                                      new legislation allowed over-55s in the UK to
                                                                      withdraw all of their pension in one go and
                                                                      spend it on whatever they choose.
                                                                         In terms of spending travel is top of the list,
                                                                      followed by leisure, recreation and culture, with
                                                                      79% of seniors planning to spend up to £10,000
                                                                      each on a travel experience. Those aged over
                                                                      65 already spend more on restaurants and hotels
                                                                      than any other age group. Others expect a
                                                                      spurt in home renovations to cater for changing
                                                                      lifestyles.
                                                                        For ‘ageless’ seniors, there’s a whole range of
                                                                      categories that could see a boost. That L’Oréal
                                                                      Paris chose 69-year-old Helen Mirren as the face
                                                                      of their brand is no coincidence; one estimate has
                                                                      women over 45 accounting for 41% of spending
                                                                      on cosmetics and toiletries. Whether a holiday, a
                                                                      home extension or a hairdo, in 2015 many seniors
                                                                      may get hold of a pot of cash that will enable
                                              Image source: Patrick

                                                                      them to afford some later-life luxury.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     MICRO
     TREND                    6
Alternative Currencies
Brands are developing novel ways to pay... and
express their personality.
   Launched at the 2015 Super Bowl, the Pay With Lovin’
concept from McDonald’s saw one million customers, picked at
random, pay for their orders with a ‘random act of Lovin’’, from
fist-bumping an employee or calling a loved one. At a similar
time, UK biscuit brand McVitie’s announced a pop-up ‘Cuddle
Café’ in London, in which customers exchanged cuddles for tea
and biscuits.
  These examples join the growing trend for brands to reward
positive interactions from their customers while also expressing
their brand personality. Pret A Manger recently made news
with revelations that staff are being encouraged to give free
drinks to customers they like – even fancy. Over in Australia,
upscale hotel brand Art Series Hotels took the idea even
further, rating guests’ behaviour publicly out of five. Well-
behaved guests were given a free stay, misbehaving guests
were publicly shamed.
                                                                   Image source: Zach Dischner
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

   MICRO
   TREND              7                                                                                 App Habits
                                                                                                        Technology is being used by brands and
                                                                                                        consumers to create new habits. How?
                                                                                                           Habits are the Holy Grail for many marketers
                                                                                                        – the automatic reflex that comes from winning
                                                                                                        a regular slot in a consumer’s life. According to
                                                                                                        psychologists, for a behaviour to become a habit
                                                                                                        it has to recur at least once a week, making
                                                                                                        smartphones – technologies people keep within a
                                                                                                        few feet of them for 22 hours a day and forecast
                                                                                                        to hit 90% penetration in the UK next year – a
                                                                                                        powerful new platform for building habits. This
                                                                                                        explains why some apps stick – from Google
                                                                                                        Maps to Facebook – while most don’t.
                                                                                                           Now, attention is shifting to wearables. While
                                                                                                        growth is expected to be modest, the potential
                                                                                                        for these personal devices to play a role in
                                                                                                        habit-forming is significant. From a little buzz that
                                                                                                        reminds people to do five minutes of exercise, to a
                                                                                                        branded buzz that rewards people (who manage
                                                                                                        five minutes of exercise) with a free coffee. The
                                                                                                        emerging wearable space will be dominated by
                                              Image source: Verein für demokratische Kultur in Berlin   a smart understanding of consumer habits, not
                                                                                                        technology.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     MICRO
     TREND                     8
Networked Niches
Smaller, niche brands are starting to collaborate
and network in exciting ways.
  A niche is generally seen as a small market, characterised
by passion. They tend to be small, have limited resources and
are limited in their scope – so they’re generally not a threat to
larger players. But what happens when niche businesses start
to realise the benefits of sharing resources, and collaborate
rather than compete?
  Ideas like Hubbub, a shopping delivery service that
connects independent high street shops; Not Just A Label,
which works like a platform for independent designers; and
Penguin Random House’s My Independent Bookshop, which
aggregates independent booksellers, all blend the personality
of small brands, with the power and reach of the big players.
Meanwhile, as indie, craft brewers gain a grip on the UK
booze market, brands like Diageo and Pernod Ricard are
launching brands that feel inherently local and niche.
                                                                    Image source: Pernod Ricard
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

   MICRO
   TREND              9                                                Live Brands
                                                                       With the rise of Periscope, people are getting excited
                                                                       about the potential for live-casting.
                                                                          With hype surrounding live streaming apps like Periscope
                                                                       and Meerkat the debate around live content online is being
                                                                       reignited. Will it change journalism forever? Is it the future of
                                                                       light entertainment? Maybe, but its not entirely new either.
                                                                       Twitch TV live streams other people gaming to more than
                                                                       35 million people a month, and teens are already happily
                                                                       watching each other sleep on YouNow under the hashtag
                                                                       #sleepingsquad.
                                                                         For the majority of people though, live content will need
                                                                       to be pretty amazing to capture their attention. Without the
                                                                       creative editing tools that have made the web such a hive of
                                                                       creativity, live streaming either needs to be spectacular (think
                                                                       Felix Baumgartner’s Space Jump for Red Bull) or filmed by
                                                                       someone who happens to be in exactly the right place at the
                                                                       right time.
                                              Image source: Chris JL
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

     MICRO
     TREND                      10
Direct Lines
Technology is allowing brands to talk directly to
customers through their products.
  Direct contact between brands and their consumers
often ends when people step out of the shop. Now NFC
technology is creating a new channel for products to carry on
the conversation. Launched at Mobile World Congress 2015,
Johnny Walker’s ‘smart bottle’ can deliver dynamic information
to consumers’ smartphones – so discounts and offers while the
bottle is still on the shelf, cocktail recipes after the lid’s been
cracked open at home.
  At the same time, adidas is experimenting with clothing that,
when tapped with a smartphone, can deliver personalised
messages to consumers. “Imagine the product and its
advertising campaign are tied to a concert. What if instead
of having to queue up like everyone else, you could walk
straight through to the red carpet line because you’ve got the
right shoes on?” explains Jon Warner, Innovation Specialist
at adidas. “It’s cool things like that where we add additional
value to the purchase.”
                                                                      Image source: Adifansnet
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                    campaign
                                     objective   1   Change
                                                     attitudes
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            1
                                     Change attitudes

 objective                                              Case Study:
                                                        Love Has No Labels
                                                          Surprise and shock can be mechanisms to shake up
                                                        people’s attitudes. The ‘Love Has No Labels’ campaign in
                                                        America, which sought to highlight people’s subconscious
                                                        prejudices, certainly falls into this category. The hero
                                                        spot of the campaign – already viewed close to
                                                        43 million times – shows two ‘skeletons’ embracing behind
                                                        an x-ray screen. The stunt, filmed on Valentine’s Day in
                                                        Santa Monica, California reveals pairings that challenge
                                                        preconceptions around gender, race, sexual orientation,
                                                        religion, ability and age.
                                                           The spot, backed up by TV, banners and print ads,
                                                        was also supported by a website where people could
                                                        explore their hidden prejudice – so called Implicit Bias
                                                        – through a test featuring questions such as, ‘Have you
                                                        ever asked someone where they’re ‘really from’.’ The site
                                                        offers advice that helps people counter unintentional
                                                        prejudice or guidance on overcoming bias, for example
                                                        in segments on school bullying. Personal stories from
                                                        those experiencing prejudice furthered the emotional
                                                        pull and impact. Reach was fostered through a hashtag –
                                                        #lovehasnolabels – and by encouraging others to create
                                                        a ‘face of love’ (by captioning a photo of themselves and
                                                        a loved one with a slogan such as ‘love has no age’ or
                                                        ‘love has no gender’).
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            1
                                     Change attitudes

 objective                                              Case Study:
                                                        Buy your guns here
                                                           In a similar vein to ‘Love Has No Labels’, US NGO ‘States
                                                        United To Prevent Gun Violence’ sought to counter the
                                                        perception among 60% of Americans that owning a gun
                                                        makes their homes safer, despite the contrary being true.
                                                        A fake gun store in New York City lured customers with
                                                        hundreds of firearms on display and a big window sign
                                                        reading ‘First time buyer? We’re here to help you.’ Inside,
                                                        staff explained the specifics of each model to customers,
                                                        before revealing that the gun had been used in an
                                                        accident or a mass shooting. Each weapon contained a
                                                        tag, but instead of the price it detailed the weapon’s use
                                                        in a shooting or mass killing, how many people died and
                                                        the identity of the shooter. It also included the campaign
                                                        message: ‘Every gun has a history. Let’s not repeat it.’
                                                          An online video captured shoppers’ reactions to the
                                                        revelations, racking up more than 3 million views since 17th
                                                        March 2015. An online store was also created, replicating
                                                        the physical experience. It featured the ‘best sellers
                                                        collection’, accompanied by a photo, a short description and
                                                        a ‘history tag’ which, for example, might reveal how a nine-
                                                        year-old girl was unintentionally shot and killed by her gun
                                                        instructor with that weapon. Like ‘Love Has No Labels’ the
                                                        campaign utilizes a quiz that helps visitors understand if a
                                                        gun will make their life safer – for instance, a woman taking
                                                        the quiz will find out that ‘a woman’s chances of being killed
                                                        by her assailant increases more than seven times if he has
                                                        access to her gun.’
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            1
                                     Change attitudes

 objective                                              Case Study:
                                                        Scandic To Go
                                                          While not changing an overarching social attitude,
                                                        northern Europe’s largest hotel chain, Scandia, needed
                                                        to change outdated perceptions of its brand to ensure
                                                        expectations matched its $123 million interior redesign
                                                        investment. Although well-known for offering good
                                                        value, functional and safe options, the brand was
                                                        increasingly deemed outdated and boring, especially
                                                        compared to boutique and design hotels. It particularly
                                                        had perception issues with younger, trendier consumers
                                                        or couples looking for a romantic break, harmed in part
                                                        by its typically old buildings and boring exteriors. Simply
                                                        put, the hotel interiors and customer experience were
                                                        now quite different to the perception generated by
                                                        the outside. As a result, returns on its huge investments
                                                        were not forthcoming, creating internal frustration.
                                                          Knowing that getting a new target group to come and
                                                        see the interiors for themselves was not viable, the brand
                                                        needed to show the audience in another way. Working
                                                        with Prime in Stockholm, the brand created a mobile
                                                        hotel room that anyone could request to be brought to a
                                                        location of their choice. They could then spend the night in
                                                        the room to see the impressive renovation for themselves.
                                                        The campaign reached 11 million people in Sweden and
                                                        generated a 20% year-on-year increase in revenue.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                                   1
                                               Change attitudes

 objective
Learning
  Emotional response                               Make it personal                                 Be bold, be different
  According to Karen Nelson-Field, a               The online quiz featured in the ‘Buy your        Scandic had perhaps been a little
  researcher at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute       guns here’ campaign is extremely powerful        traditional in their marketing, for example
  for Marketing Science, videos that have          because it encourages people to think that       undertaking typical PR launches and press
  a ‘high arousal response’ (i.e. provoke a        gun violence accident could affect them.         releases to try and talk to their client base.
  strong physiological response like making        We’re all prone to optimism bias, thinking       To shift perception quickly and dramatically
  you laugh, gasp or cry) are shared more.         that we’re less likely than other people         they had to go out of their comfort zone
  Equally she notes that videos provoking a        to experience a negative event. The quiz         and be braver. Scandic are typically
  positive emotional response are shared           personalises news stories and statistics so      quite cautious in the way they talk about
  more than those with a negative emotional        that people can see just how owning a gun        their products whereas one of its main
  response. This impact was clearly                could increase the risk of injury or death for   competitors, Choice Hotels, are always
  highlighted in the phenomenal success of         themselves or the people around them.            shouting about what they are doing. The
  the ‘Love Has No Labels’ campaign.                                                                Scandic To Go campaign made them
                                                                                                    braver, more proactive and proud of
                                                                                                    themselves, so the results delivered. It pays
                                                                                                    to be bold.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                    campaign
                                     objective   2   Driving
                                                     Footfall
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            2
                                       Driving Footfall

 objective                                           Case Study:
                                                     Breakfast like a king
                                                        Burger King in Korea needed to face the challenge
                                                     from rival McDonald’s, who dominated the early morning
                                                     fast food market. To boost pre-lunch sales and promote
                                                     its breakfast menu it devised a clever campaign born
                                                     from an OECD fact that Koreans sleep seven hours and
                                                     49 minutes per night on average, one of the lowest of
                                                     OECD’s member states. As a result, many people nod
                                                     off on the subway while commuting, with some missing
                                                     their stop. Solution-solving Burger King helped Koreans
                                                     have a peaceful slumber by producing a branded eye
                                                     mask with the phrase: ‘Wake me up at ABC station’.
                                                        The masks, handed out at five busy subway stations
                                                     in Seoul, let commuters nap safe in the knowledge that
                                                     a kind passenger would wake them up at the right stop.
                                                     Hidden inside the mask were two coupons for a free cup
                                                     of King Americano coffee, so the wearer could thank
                                                     the person waking them with a steaming cuppa from a
                                                     nearby Burger King outlet. According to Burger King,
                                                     participating stores saw an 18.7% morning sales increase
                                                     due to customers purchasing additional items while
                                                     claiming their free drink. The agency, Cheil Worldwide,
                                                     Seoul, reports that social media buzz about the brand
                                                     soared 44.5% in the month after the campaign launched.
                                                     The campaign has since been rolled out to other cities.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            2
                                       Driving Footfall

 objective                                                Case Study:
                                                          It pays to behave
                                                            We all know TripAdvisor can have a big impact on hotel
                                                          bookings. Rather than worry about their ratings Aussie chain,
                                                          The Art Series Hotel Group, reversed the process. Taking
                                                          the functionality of TripAdvisor and subverting it, its Reverse
                                                          Reviews programme saw hotel staff review guests instead.
                                                             The programme invites guests staying at any of the group’s
                                                          six hotels in Melbourne from 17th April to 31st May to
                                                          have their behaviour scrutinised. Guests who opt in will
                                                          be ranked according to a point system and will have their
                                                          final score published online. Those who rank high will be
                                                          rewarded with complimentary stays, upgrades, food and
                                                          drink. Created with Melbourne-based Cummins & Partners,
                                                          Reverse Reviews is being promoted by a 15-second film.
                                                             Whether simply enjoying a challenge or believing one
                                                          is a considerate guest, this programme created for many
                                                          a clear incentive to book a stay, in the hope that they
                                                          end up qualifying for the rewards on offer. Aside from
                                                          enhancing visits, the Reverse Reviews campaign also
                                                          reiterated the quirky and unorthodox brand personality
                                                          of the Art Series Hotel Group. Interestingly, this initiative
                                                          also helped staff view guests as individuals rather than
                                                          an amorphous collective, meaning how guests conduct
                                                          themselves matters. What’s more, if guests are a little
                                                          more conscientious about their behaviour, that makes
                                                          the hotel a more pleasant place for guests and staff
                                                          alike, making the hotel a more attractive place.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            2
                                       Driving Footfall

 objective                                                Case Study:
                                                          If the suit fits
                                                            A modern day Cinderella story it might not be
                                                          but Swedish menswear retailer, Brothers, took some
                                                          inspiration from the classic fairy tale as it sought to raise
                                                          footfall and awareness of its specially tailored off-the-
                                                          peg suits. The brand designed three suits for three
                                                          different body types, offering the prize of a trip for
                                                          two to New York, dinner at Michelin-starred restaurant
                                                          Eleven Madison Park and a new suit, to the three
                                                          people lucky enough to perfectly fit each of the suits.
                                                          By visiting any of its stores to be measured, prospective
                                                          customers could see if they matched. Even if you didn’t
                                                          win you at least had the consolation prize of having
                                                          your measurements mailed to you for future use!
                                                             Brothers also toured the three suits, setting up stands
                                                          in Swedish malls from April to May. Participants could
                                                          find information about the tour and the suits on the
                                                          campaign website, even sharing the details of any suit
                                                          they felt might fit a friend via Twitter, Facebook or
                                                          email. Nearly 1,200 people had their measurements
                                                          taken as part of the campaign, with 51% of all store
                                                          traffic during the campaign period driven there by
                                                          the outreach. 30% of all men in Sweden noticed the
                                                          campaign and the ‘net promoter score’ increased
                                                          from -2.5 to +45%. The intention among the target
                                                          group to visit a Brothers store rose by 243%.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                                       2
                                                    Driving Footfall

 objective
Learning
  Solve a problem                                     Play on your personality                      Don’t centre on an offer
  One of the best ways to engender brand              Some brands treat anything that               Brothers’ campaign, used a competition
  equity, as well as footfall, is to use insights     encourages footfall as separate to its        mechanism, but avoided any additional
  to find problems that exist and solve               ‘brand marketing’. It is assumed that being   direct promotional or value orientated
  them – rather than the brand dream up               tactical and dull is ok, as that suits the    call to action. By making getting your
  an issue – as Burger King did in Korea.             functionality of this aspect of consumer      measurements taken the mechanic of
  This problem solver not only aids impact            outreach; for consumers that is clearly not   entering the competition it encouraged
  on the person targeted but is more likely           true. In the example of Reverse Review,       store visit without the need to go down a
  to generate buzz, as people share with              we see a programme that not only              value based route, thereby gaining footfall
  others something that has proved beneficial         encouraged visits but also reaffirmed and     without eroding margins. To boot, it gained
  to them and has the potential to do the             built the brand’s wider personality and       contact details and access to individuals’
  same to those they know.                            credentials, meaning even those not taking    measurements, thereby removing a hurdle
                                                      up the offer hopefully have a clearer and     toward future purchases (at full price
                                                      more positive view of the brand.              no doubt).
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                    campaign
                                     objective   3   Product
                                                     Launch
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            3
                                       Product Launch

 objective                                              Case Study:
                                                        Hey Future Me
                                                           Middle Eastern bank Emirates NBD needed to attract
                                                        affluent parents and encourage them to save for their
                                                        kids’ futures using the bank’s new Children’s Savings
                                                        Plans. In devising a suitable campaign the brand took
                                                        an emotional approach, in a sector typically beset by
                                                        more logical arguments and messaging. The resulting
                                                        ‘Hey Future Me...’ campaign centered on school children
                                                        recording a message to their future selves. Parents
                                                        were invited to parent/teacher sessions to watch the
                                                        videos, which highlighted their children’s aspirations
                                                        and future plans, as they were being recorded. At
                                                        the end of the video, Emirates NBD’s representatives
                                                        engaged the parents in a one-to-one session about
                                                        their child’s future, covering life stage planning and
                                                        introducing the bank’s savings plan options.
                                                           Over 30 of the UAE’s leading schools conducted
                                                        the experiment, each with groups of approximately
                                                        30 students per school. The upshot was a 34% increase
                                                        in online visits for savings plans, and a 20% increase
                                                        in savings plans actually being taken out, compared
                                                        with figures from 2013. Consumer engagement in
                                                        the campaign beat regional benchmarks by 40%.
                                                        The campaign also won a Grand Prix in direct
                                                        marketing at the 2015 Dubai Lynx awards.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            3
                                       Product Launch

 objective                                         Case Study:
                                                   Volvo reality
                                                      Swedish auto brand Volvo recently created a virtual
                                                   reality experience using low-cost VR head-set, Google
                                                   Cardboard, to maximise excitement and interest in the new
                                                   XC90 before it hit the dealerships. Volvo Reality takes users
                                                   on a virtual test drive through scenic countryside, with a
                                                   range of episodes featuring different locations and weather
                                                   conditions. Volvo created a limited number of branded
                                                   Cardboard headsets that were given away via the
                                                   campaign website. Fans also had the option of buying and
                                                   building their own Google headset. Once assembled, users
                                                   slide their smartphone into the viewer of the headset before
                                                   starting the app, which works on both iOS and Android.
                                                     The campaign was essential in reinvigorating a brand
                                                   struggling in the US, with the new XC90 aiming to enable
                                                   the brand to compete with the likes of BMW and Audi.
                                                   The campaign sought not only to stir excitement ahead of
                                                   the launch but also to ‘express the joy in the innovation of
                                                   the car before anyone could actually see the car itself’.
                                                   Purposefully using Cardboard kept costs low and allowed
                                                   for greater access to the experience; it also resisted spoiling
                                                   the seamless drive experience by trying to pack in and
                                                   show off all of the car’s features. The campaign generated
                                                   PR buzz, while providing a functional experience for
                                                   potential customers to get behind the wheel. Making the
                                                   programme episodic kept buzz and interaction going.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            3
                                       Product Launch

 objective                                         Case Study:
                                                   A brief encounter
                                                      French clothing brand, Le Slip Francais, best known
                                                   for its underwear range, launched a cheeky campaign
                                                   asking the public to fund its quest to open a pop-up
                                                   store in Los Angeles. Rather than asking people to
                                                   simply fund the new shop, however, the brand created
                                                   a tongue-in-cheek love story. In the campaign video a
                                                   professional shop window mannequin, Leo, describes
                                                   how he’s been separated from his love, Sherry, and
                                                   asks the public to help him find her. Le Slip Francais’
                                                   Kickstarter page then set out the strategy to help
                                                   Leo get his girl – launching a limited edition ‘Very
                                                   Love Trip’ collection to pay for the adventure; driving
                                                   across America, ensuring that Sherry hears about the
                                                   trip before they arrive; and then setting up a pop-up
                                                   shop in LA, so that Leo can settle there with Sherry.
                                                      The $30,000 Kickstarter funding goal breaks down
                                                   into different elements, with fans able to choose to fund
                                                   the trip in the usual Kickstarter way, selecting whether
                                                   they’d like to give $2 to have their name appear on
                                                   a wall of fame in the shop; $140 for a limited edition
                                                   pair of swim shorts; or go all out and spend $3,000
                                                   on a VIP trip to meet Leo in LA. As well as helping fund
                                                   the actual store launch, the campaign enabled the
                                                   brand to create a longer, more engaging run-up to the
                                                   opening, as fans follow Leo’s journey across America.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                                     3
                                                   Product Launch

 objective
Learning
  Drop the logic                                               Suitable tech drives halo                       Content adds character
  We know that brands are bought emotively and                 Volvo saw its Volvo Reality campaign as         The brief encounter campaign illustrates
  then only justified post-purchase with more rational         an opportunity to create an innovation          the role content has in injecting a story into
  arguments. This does not stop many brands, particularly      halo for the brand; this was essential in       an otherwise fairly run-of-the-mill event.
  in certain sectors, focusing almost entirely on logical      matching the innovation that had gone into      Pop-up shops are pretty commonplace
  messages. Emirates NBD’s campaign shows that this            its new car. As virtual reality is relatively   these days, especially in major retail cities
  need not be the case. By not focusing on product             new and, certainly on a smartphone, very        like LA and Paris. So simply opening up a
  benefits – such as superior rates – like its rivals, the     new, there were a lot of firsts happening       new store is unlikely to excite the media
  bank was able to convey a powerful message that              in terms of how to use the medium to tell       or cause a stir beyond diehard brand
  emotionally resonates with the target group. The bank        stories, how to use the medium for utility      advocates. Dressing up the launch with
  is exploiting the fact that a parent – who has already       and how to use the medium for ongoing           a comical, tongue-in-cheek storyline,
  invested in their child by sending them to a leading         content as opposed to just a one off stunt.     however, creates more buzz and interest
  school – is likely to want to continue to invest in their    When technology can be used to enhance          around the opening. It has the potential to
  future. Equally the campaign enabled parents to become       a campaign and the user experience while        evolve beyond a pure play retail story and
  better aware of the paths their kids might take, surely      also building wider brand associations its      into more of a cultural meme.
  a useful exercise in its own right, especially considering   use should be considered a must. Early
  that 73% of parents in the UAE have not had a                adoption is key – would this campaign
  conversation with their children about their future.         have worked had other car marques
                                                               already used the same approach?
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

                                    campaign
                                     objective   4   Dramatise
                                                     The Product
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            4
                                       Dramatise The Product

 objective                                                     Case Study:
                                                               Snow Problem
                                                                  Not everyone owns a Quattro, but Audi is
                                                               helping everyone in Sweden experience the
                                                               benefits of its four-wheel drive model with
                                                               its latest campaign. The Svenska Snöräddare
                                                               (Swedish Snow Rescuers) app enables drivers
                                                               stranded in the snow to call for assistance from
                                                               a squad of volunteer Quattro owners. Users
                                                               struck by adverse weather conditions simply
                                                               need to open the app and log the location
                                                               of their breakdown. The app then puts them in
                                                               touch with a nearby member of Audi’s Snow
                                                               Rescue force, supplying them with the number
                                                               of their designated hero, who they can then
                                                               text, call or message through the app.
                                                                 The app builds on Audi’s previous attempts to
                                                               align its four-wheel drive model with extreme
                                                               weather conditions – a previous TV ad shows
                                                               a father and son team rescuing drivers in their
                                                               Quattro. The Snow Rescuers app is a neat
                                                               continuation of this strategy and acts as the
                                                               perfect product demonstration, creating an
                                                               opportunity for non-Audi owners to experience
                                                               the capabilities of a Quattro exactly at the
                                                               moment that current vehicle has failed them,
                                                               and without having to visit a dealership.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            4
                                       Dramatise The Product

 objective                                                     Case Study:
                                                               Always looking out
                                                               for you
                                                                  Feminine hygiene brand, Always, has created
                                                               an app that helps women walk home alone
                                                               safely when it’s dark. BackMeApp powerfully
                                                               restates the brand position as being on
                                                               the side of women, promoting a sense of
                                                               alliance and reinforcing the message that
                                                               Always isn’t a purely functional brand.
                                                                  BackMeApp, an update to the brand’s
                                                               menstrual cycle calculator app, connects you
                                                               with a friend to protect you on your way home.
                                                               It lets you pick a route, send it to a mate, and
                                                               alerts them if you deviate from the path or stop
                                                               for longer than two minutes. Once you reach
                                                               your destination, the app will let your friend
                                                               know, so that they can wish you goodnight. The
                                                               app, which was launched in Israel, has been
                                                               downloaded 1.8 million times so far, and has
                                                               about 3,000 unique users on a daily basis. While
                                                               there are plenty of unbranded apps, for example
                                                               EyeOnMe and Track me home, that do almost
                                                               exactly what BackMeApp is offering, it’s smart
                                                               for a brand whose entire marketing premise
                                                               centres on protection to develop its own service.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                            4
                                       Dramatise The Product

 objective                                                     Case Study:
                                                               You’re about to read
                                                               a case study
                                                                  Volkswagen in South Africa has created an integrated
                                                               campaign to demonstrate its Side Assist technology by
                                                               predicting the content of other brands’ ads. The car brand
                                                               created a series of press, TV, radio and outdoor ads
                                                               that described what ads people would see or hear next.
                                                               On a highway, VW placed one billboard with the words
                                                               ‘Volkswagen knows what’s coming’, followed by another
                                                               saying ‘You’re about to see an ad for baked beanz’. The next
                                                               billboard then indeed advertised Heinz Baked Beanz. The
                                                               same formula was replicated across various forms of media,
                                                               so the brand would, for instance, predict a radio ad featuring
                                                               the sounds of the ocean in a storm, and lo and behold
                                                               that would be the next ad that radio listener would hear.
                                                                  It is hard to make tech accessible and understood but this
                                                               campaign does so in a visual, immediately clear and friendly
                                                               way. The lack of complicated jargon or safety simulations
                                                               is well received. The campaign, as with many great
                                                               campaigns, is not a one-hit wonder but part of a longer
                                                               running series that includes an office version of Side Assist
                                                               that can predict when your boss is behind you, so you won’t
                                                               get caught online looking at something you shouldn’t be.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1

campaign
                                 4
                                                Dramatise The Product

 objective
Learning
            Show up where rivals fail                     Build in the need to share                      Playing with others
            Audi’s Snow Problem campaign is not only      The BackMeApp and campaign relies               VW’s ‘You’re about to’ campaign has
            a clever way to capture attention but it      on two people to work, so users have a          managed to use other brand’s advertising
            builds on a long-running centrepiece of       real incentive to promote the app among         to get its own message across. This tactical
            its communications, namely its product’s      their network of female friends. The app        media placement strategy, currently being
            superior performance regardless of the        is clearly focused on a female user group,      employed successfully by Carlsberg in
            weather. The brilliance of the campaign       but even though few men would want              response to the controversial best beach
            is that those using the app are doing so      to download a menstrual cycle app it            body campaign from Protein World, is both
            at the very moment their own vehicle fails    doesn’t mean that the BackMeApp service         fun and accessible. The surprise element here
            them, reminding them starkly of the benefit   wouldn’t be useful for concerned male           makes this campaign particularly memorable.
            of owning an Audi. It also activates brand    friends/boyfriends/fathers. Considering that    The ads themselves are plain and grey,
            evangelists, who are best placed to teach     Always’ parent company P&G has a history        but by abandoning advertising norms by
            people about your product, which feels        of brand bundling (partnering brands from       making its spots and posters purposefully
            much more effective than a corporate          across it portfolio in its marketing) perhaps   bland, Volkswagen has managed to be
            employee praising the products.               P&G will in due course link this service to     heard among the advertising noise. And by
                                                          another P&G app, making a genuinely             repeating the same tactic across a variety of
                                                          useful branded service available to a           media, Volkswagen has really drummed its
                                                          wider audience.                                 point home.
You can also read