CAPTIVATING CASES
RECENT ELECTION results proved, as if proof were necessary, that the great British public cannot be taken for granted. Hackneyed political complacency was challenged by lively selective messaging and the latter almost caused a huge shock. Generalisations had lacked the impact of specifics. There are parallels with today’s advertising, marketing and PR. The commonplace scattergun approach has been superseded by a potent switch towards nimble, personalised targeting.
Progressively, it is about being authentic and demonstrating an ability to launch captivating cases that will engage with audiences at an individual level.
Advertising is a prime means of presenting a brand or product to potential buyers, doing so in such a way that they will be convinced by its authenticity, relevance and desirability. The same goals apply to every business tweet, blog and press release. Each new message must build credibly on the last.
Promotions and publicity in the broadest sense have to be attuned to what really interests people and what drives their thinking. No longer can they be some sort of superficial sweep mechanism.
TOO MUCH
For sure, there is too much of everything. Consumers are reacting irritably to this invasion of their space. Many feel crushed by corpulent content. Moreover, they decide in a blink whether an offer is a deal or a dreary intrusion.
Successful marketers have stopped selling and started engaging on customers’ own terms. They are doing that with real and verifiable elaborations.
Straight talking in simple terms proved its value when the UK electorate last went to the polls. Voters wanted to hear clearly about the issues of the day as they affected them and their families. They were seeking personal solutions and not just those for the greater good.
We are in an age of unprecedented consumer empowerment. Today’s demand is for honest inclusivity, refreshingly to the point, devoid of half-truths and gimmicks. Immunity to traditional advertising is building up at speed.
MILLENIALS
The millennial generation – those born in the latter part of the last century and early 2000s – are the first consumers to be innately connected to the Internet. They possess criteria and expectations all of their own.
Global data solutions specialist Annalect stated in a recent study that around 55% of millennials demand that brands run mobile-friendly websites with appropriately functional apps. Prior to making a purchase, a majority evaluate sellers’ adoption of up-to-date technology.
It’s far more than the latest processes, however. You cannot expect to create an account on social channels and make instant connections. You have to work at building relationships, with authenticity.
Whether on their smartphones, online or in person, present-day consumers are seeking consistency. Brands, therefore, must establish true identities that permeate through everything they do and say.
Irrespective of age, people will spend their money in areas where they feel welcome as individuals. They will invest in brands with which they sense connection, driving forward an unstoppable evolution in advertising and marketing.
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