KNOWLEDGESTREAM AT-A-GLANCE
Future of Brand Storytelling in a Digital Data-Driven Era
ABSTRACT
branded content; brand storytelling; branded entertainment; digital, mobile, social, documentary, scripted, animation; analytics, creative, production; data-driven content; brand video, film, experiential, podcasts, immersive AR/VR, ecommerce
PARTICIPANTS
OBJECTIVES
1. Analysis of Shifting Brand and Agency Trends:
2. Defining the State of Creative Partnerships:
3. To Understanding and Leverage Data:
4. :
End Date: Jan 28, 2019
CONTRIBUTIONS
ACTIVITY
97 Days
5 Themes
16 Contributors
685 Posts
400 Comments
190 Followers
OUTPUTS
4 Slide Deck
2 Blog Post
3 Video
CALLS ATTENDED
• 2018-10-24 19:45:44 - A recording of the Scoping Call & Talent Review was uploaded
THEME #1
More Brands Move to In-House and Self-Managed Creative Production
THEME SUMMARY
The trend of brands launching In-house agencies continues as digital creative tools and boutique agencies proliferate. What's the role of the Agency of Record? For big brands, AOR remains the creative and visionary lead with the ability to manage large tv, entertainment and content programs.
- Drivers of the move in-house include control, speed, cost, budget, complexity. Brands have increasing capability to control and use their consumer data.
- Agencies and brands continue to work together to launch creative and visionary campaigns. Watch for shifting expectations as brand and agency staff have adapted to new roles and capabilities.
Agencies Lead the Dance with Strategy and Creativity
Organizations doing over $75mm in sales generally have both internal and external creatives. Why? External creatives can outmaneuver the corporation's momentum problems and deliver a needed creative kick. 'We have learned how to give them that kick without threatening them.'
CPG companies still create an annual campaign for their brand storytelling for the big events - Superbowl/Oscars/Grammys. They then take that creative and utilize it for a long time in all other mediums.
Symbiosis between In-House/AOR
With an in-house shop, there is a minimal lag while a CMO leadership change runs its course (taking 6-12 months to realign strategy, teams and tactics). Some continuity is maintained, and CEOs, sales teams and Boards feel like things are happening.
The in-house groups are typically task-transactionally-tactically oriented. Creative strategy may be missing in leadership, so they need agencies to help them.
The role of agencies is and will remain important, though their remit is changing. Now, primarily a strategy-resource for creative tasks, they are involved in the development of key-visuals, video-materials, or typography. The tactical executions are more likely realized by advertisers themselves.
In-House Holding Brand Closely
The type of work we use agencies for has shifted to strategic, project-based work. Brand managers and creative directors are building more capabilities, especially content creation, in-house. Content belongs at the core because storytelling drives results in DTC channels, and at a high volume.
With the right experience, results, and client endorsements, specialized agencies help creative directors adapt their brand story to appeal to new customers and new markets. The in-house creative director keeps control of the brand image and gains insight and ideas about the new market.
In-house creative is great for creative brands that want close collaboration between marketing and PR, design, retail personnel, or web. It affords work on surprise opportunities and can be more cost-effective than big agencies since it's produced by people who live the brand everyday.
Innovation Empowers the In-House Agency
In House Creative Digital platforms are making in-house production easier. Video no longer requires big production crews. Graphics can be designed online, sans designer. And freelancers can join a project when needed, keeping the core team in tact.
Brands are using content shops, including Contently, NewsCred and others, who have great writers on standby to do custom editorial work. Many major brands in the financial sector are using these services as a way to alleviate the need for full-time editorial staff in-house.
Much has changed. Brands can develop creative with abundant and inexpensive tools and resources. Boutique agencies are scrappier and more customer-focused. Super talented folks are everywhere. Brands can thrive without the traditional agency. Signs show this is a revolution, not an evolution.
Data Is the New Mad Men Mystique
In-house creatives should be working on proprietary, data-driven activities. This is important for speaking directly to consumers, and they are the most knowledgeable about their customers.
With data mining and AI gaining importance in marketing, consulting companies have a stronger position in data technology than agencies, but are not as strong in creative execution. In-house creatives can enhance their ideas with data from consultants and create stronger stories and campaigns
We are witnessing a battle toward the center as consultants and creatives enhance their offerings. Consultants as the new agency? Not yet, but the agency model is outdated. Creatively solving business problems is the new reality.
THEME #2
Data and the Creative Relationship
THEME SUMMARY
Views are mixed when it comes to leading with Creative vs. Data
- Some teams prefer to lead with the Creative versus Data.
- Other teams prefer to lead with Data to inform the Creative process.
- The consensus is that data and creative are both important to the process.
Lead With Creative
Creative is about driving an emotion in the audience. It could be a sense of fear, security, happiness, comfort or humor. While we do get data on the performance of the creative, there is a non-quantifiable human element to every piece of content.
Data is necessary to identify an opportunity, a customer base, or a desire, but data isn’t going to suggest a new, radical ad idea as there is no data to support doing it a new way.
There could be times when you are trying something out for the very first time, so while you would have data about your audience, you might not have benchmarking data or historical information to start with. You still build the creative on a gut feel and then iterate as you go ahead.
Creative Data Tools
Create upfront clarity on the following: What is the objective of the campaign and why (illustrated with relevant consumer data)? What's the picture of success of the campaign, translated in specific KPI's for each of the consumer touch-points (and how will this be measured and shared)?
Big data can fuel great insights and help build great content and promotion plan. Social listening is an excellent tool that can help do that.
Impact is measured by brand lift surveys and brand tracks, but they are only indicators of the end results. Pinpointing what really worked for the content would mean analyzing the qualitative aspects of the creative in terms of the kinds of reactions and comments that people post.
Lead With Data
Of course, shooting in the dark never helps, so it is important to collect as much information as possible before initiating a campaign.
I think the ideal process would be: 1. Utilize data driving insights. 2. Apply creative thought with gut feel for new ideas. 3. Test and review data. 4. Modify tested creative for successful outcomes.
Data as Inspiration
Great creative only comes from a clear vision and understanding of what will effectively reach the hearts and minds of a the customer. Thus both emotional and rationale elements are needed. Data is the upfront informer.....of the vision, the emotional and rationale elements.
As a brand leader, I studied and triangulated data to formulate a clear vision of what we were trying to accomplish. That data was part of the objectives and creative brief and that brief was a guide to evaluate the creative
THEME #3
Video is king!
THEME SUMMARY
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Importance of Video and Production Styles
moving away from just vanity metrics of views to clarity metrics like video completion rates, view through rates and brand lift surveys can help better understand the performance of the video content.
There is a strong correlation between attention and conversion. The problem is, we don't do a good job of measuring attention. And conversion often isn't immediate.
Video Quality (Professionally Produced or User Generated Content)
moving away from just vanity metrics of views to clarity metrics like video completion rates, view through rates and brand lift surveys can help better understand the performance of the video content.
There is a strong correlation between attention and conversion. The problem is, we don't do a good job of measuring attention. And conversion often isn't immediate.
THEME #4
Technology for Brand Storytelling
THEME SUMMARY
The Evolution of Storytelling and Technology's influence
- Storytelling approaches are evolving and technology is driving change due to the availablity of new tools, and enhancements for exisiting tools.
- The availabaility of data to help generate insights and modify story telling approaches helps to improve overall success rates and ROI.
Storytelling isn't new, but ways to tell stories is evolving
There has never been more pressure on marketers to perfect their brand story so interaction and sharing happens.
Smart brands collaborate with technology platforms to integrate this, as a first mover, into their marketing campaigns. To realize the most amazing effects, timing is critical (be first utilizing the technology) as well as the creative spin.
It seems counter-intuitive to assume that a "machine" can engage people at a human level. The best stories are based on a universal human truth and allow the brand to address a tension and/or a broader cultural and social trend. Stories are based on something that is important to people.
Technology Options for Story Telling
One industry that really does the best job at story telling is the Movie/TV/Film industry. Technology is continually evolving and it enhances every story. We are seeing this technology going mainstream for users of all types beyond the pros.
Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Story, Twitter, Blogs, Websites..influencers use these to tell brand stories. Brands who engage influencers provide guidelines to ensure alignment with brand positioning. Even if influencers aren't working with a brand, they use these to tell stories via images/video.
The podcast has become a popular technology and media format for marketers. While this requires a more nuanced and sophisticated branding team to pull it off, when done right it can draw in a a loyal fan base and create a strong level of emotional attachment to brands.
More about Technology Options
Advanced personalization technology affects story telling: driving towards 1:1: brand story telling. This technology uses individual customer journeys and they are intercepted, interpreted and fostered with individual brand stories (based on who you are, where you are, what you buy, etc)
With the internet of things becoming more rampant with greater adoption of devices like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, it is a good idea for brands to invest in voice technology as well.
Online imagery library really helps you find exactly the right image for your blog, article or web page. This can make or break a story....having the ability to find just the right image to use.
Dynamic content customized to the audience
Content Management Systems (CMS) brings new features to marketersfor telling a story about a brand/product to inspire purchase. CMS eases the process to publish stories to digital touch points. In the past, publishing content took more effort.
interactive video technology is being used, interactive clicks steams guide a custom journey. It including quick surveys. It ends with a unique customer profile based on user interests. Different assets are offered based each customer path.
AI Pop Ups
AI videos are becoming an important marketing tool to sell products. Retail stores have AI areas where you can experience products (like outdoor gear). AI videos can be used to see how furniture or new paint can change a room’s look.
An effective form of storytelling technology is called YouTube Vogon (now called Director’s Mix). Vogon asks for your logo, a basic template and a few images. It dynamically embeds audio, images, text, etc. to generate countless variations of the same video, which otherwise takes lots of time .
Use of Behavioral Data
facial coding as a means to optimize creative response. It helps you to understand what elements of the story highlight the brand, engage emotionally, cause someone to think BUT you do have to be careful about using it to slice and dice ads.
old technology, eyetracking helps with optimizing storytelling by analyzing where the eyes and attention are going.
Nielsen is now offering the ability to use brain wave data to determine the moments in ads that deliver the highest engagement to help brands to edit their spots down to the most effective parts. For brands that need to be very efficient with their ad spend, this can make all the difference.
THEME #5
Transparency for Paid Posts & Sponsored Posts