The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC

Page created by Lauren Daniels
 
CONTINUE READING
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
The 2021
Growth Trends
People, Media and Tech

December 2020
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
Contents            Welcome to our first-ever
                    Growth Trends.
		People				4       This year marked a watershed in so many ways. COVID-19 ripped up established
                    traditions in an instant and changed many of our behaviours overnight.

                    After a year like no other, many would feel understandably nervous about trying to settle
                    on any key trends for next year. Nonetheless, in the same way as we took to new habits
                    rapidly, our approach to forecasting has been squarely focused on what will drive brand
		Media					22      growth. That’s because we believe there’s always a better way to grow and, thanks to
                    Positive Provocation (our agency ‘attitude’), we’ve redefined how we identify trends.

                    You would expect a media agency to focus on media trends (which we have in this
                    compendium) but we’ve also detailed what we call ‘growth’ trends in people and
                    technology. You might not expect a media agency to venture into these territories but
		Tech					38       there is merit in showcasing the opportunities for brands across these three areas as they
                    are all interconnected.

                    Of course, we’re realistic enough to know that not everything will turn out the
                    way we thought. However, there is much food for thought here and some clear
                    recommendations for brands to explore new routes to drive growth in 2021 and beyond.
		Our story				48

                    Verra Budimlija
                    Chief Strategy Officer
                    Wavemaker UK
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
Multiple                                                                                                                What this means
    horizons                                                                                                                for brands
                                                                                                                            Celebrate regional diversity

                                                                                                                            Move the way you think, who you employ                    Find something which totally doesn’t unite you but
                                                                                                                            and your culture                                          makes the news anyway
                                                                                                                            A crucial diversity measure has to be geography.          See Wrexham Football Club’s PR stunt.
                                                                                                                            Find talent from outside London as well as looking at
                                                                                                                            the feasibility of hubs in other cities in the UK.        Shrink your horizons

                                                                                                                            Do your homework in all parts of the UK                    Connect the community
                                                                                                                            The best insight is needed to design the best              Move from tokenistic gestures (such as putting
                                                                                                                            campaigns. This insight should come from all places       ‘Clapham’ or ‘Macclesfield’ in your copy) or badging
                                                                                                                            in the UK. Don’t group regions together as ‘the North’.    a roundabout, to keeping the good things about the
                                                                                                                            Visit more places, speak to more people. Ensure            pandemic going: the closeness to neighbours, the
                                                                                                                            insight is as rich and colourful as the UK.                local support and entertainment. This could be
                                                                                                                                                                                       around hobbies or audience, for example exercise
                                                                                                                            Don’t be capital-centric                                   groups, baby groups, bird watching or photographers.
                                                                                                                            Nike’s “Londoner” advert is a brilliant example of         What’s your youth club approach? How are you
                                                                                                                            creativity but it could have been even stronger if they    bringing people together?
    Long after regulations restricting
                                                                                                                            created content that showcased different parts of the
    physical movement pass, the UK’s shift                                                                                  UK. Brands should avoid only focusing on the capital.     Re-erecting the local noticeboard
    to being more locally and regionally                                                                                                                                              Find ways to use existing media/erect new ones in
    energised will stick.                                                                                                   Think about your voice                                    the community. Get smaller in your thinking and
                                                                                                                            In the pandemic, it has been the unexpected heroes        execution, your copy, your tone, your suitability of
                                                                                                                            who have, quite frankly, got stuff done. They             content and using insight to understand what a
    People’s lives were physically restricted by
                                                                                                                            have been voices that have been authentic and             region or locality needs.
    government legislation, their footprints limited to
    local area and contact limited to local faces. The            Neighbours connected via WhatsApp and door drops          normal. Brands should explore who should front
                                                                                                                            their campaigns, what tone of voice they use and          Behave like an Independent
    country was also divided up by region in its reporting        offered help. Local stores, finding new distribution
                                                                                                                            understand that it’s often the unexpected voices          Understand the specific benefits consumers
    of COVID cases and, consequently, people started to           lines, built new pipes into their local community.
                                                                                                                            that can have the most impact. Brands should              appreciate from shopping small independent:
    think local, act local, feel local and to a greater extent,
                                                                                                                            champion those voices and, within that, their accents     personalised service, choice and a unique offering.
    champion their region. Local faces suddenly became             This all runs parallel to the gradual decentralisation
                                                                                                                            and local dialect.                                        Which of these can you replicate or emphasise within
    real people, with livelihoods the community wanted             of the country’s major entities from London to the
                                                                                                                                                                                      your business?
    to save and support.                                           regions – namely the BBC and the lesser, but still
                                                                   important, businesses – HSBC to Birmingham,              Move from unifying the nation to championing its
                                                                                                                            regional diversity                                        Find ways to support local independents
    In communication, we saw the rebirth of the                    Burberry to Leeds alongside the much-talked
                                                                                                                            In food, in music and in sport. Then spread it. So, for   How can your brand help local businesses thrive
    (somewhat deconstructed) village noticeboard.                 ‘levelling up’ ambition from Westminster.
                                                                                                                            example, a grocer, instead of a Kosher aisle only, has    within the community? Could you gift them media
    Be it in Peckham or Penzance, new media channels
                                                                                                                            a regional roadshow of the nation’s cuisine – stottie     space, aid logistically or celebrate them on your
    were born whilst existing media channels were used
                                                                                                                            cakes from Newcastle or Bara Brith from Wales.            business platform?
    in different ways.
6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             7
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
The world is
    your classroom                                           What this means for brands

                                                             Brand as a teacher

                                                             Syllabus (content)                                      Help to democratise learning
    As the pandemic forced the UK to                         As audiences establish new habits and broaden           Everyone is a learner but inequalities may increase.
    stay at home, teachers and learners                      horizons beyond just formal classroom learning,         Whilst ‘edutech’ is democratising access to world-
    found new ways to connect. These                         there’s an opportunity for some brands to find their    leading course material and remote learning, children
    new behaviours will last long after the                  power as a teacher. Brands with specialist knowledge    from better-off families spent 30% more time on
                                                             or skillset will have an advantage but that doesn’t     home learning during the first lockdown than those
    pandemic end.
                                                             mean to say the less sage brands don’t have the         from poorer families. How can the tech brands aid
                                                             opportunity. For example, Aptamil, which is all about   with this challenge?
    As schools shut around the country in March, pupils
                                                             science, could look for ways to curate content around
    and teachers were forced apart, unable to take to the
                                                             science generally for its audiences through TED-style   Socialise learning
    traditional classroom or lecture hall.
                                                             talks on science, tech and innovation, using mothers    Pinterest have partnered with Zoom to allow
                                                             in tech and science as the speakers and hook.           communities to meet and take masterclasses with
    Macro disruptors force people to find and test
                                                                                                                     creators. Now friends can socialise whilst acquiring a
    entirely new methods, adopting them with greater
                                                             Space (lecture hall, physical and virtual)              new skill (from upholstery through to bread making)
    acceleration. Ever considered ditching that dry GCSE
                                                             Brands with the space to deliver education have new     from the comfort of their home. Brands should look
    maths textbook for a YouTube tutor? How about
                                                             opportunities. Just as The Guardian found its way       for new social opportunities.
    podcast-based lessons? As the pandemic forced
                                                             from news brand to educator through its Masterclass
    pupils into home-based learning, platform-based
                                                             series and played this out in their newly-acquired
    lessons have become viable, affordable options as
                                                             theatre space in King’s Cross.
    suggested by the 20,000 people subscribed to the
    GCSE Maths tutor on YouTube.
                                                             Students (new curious audiences)
                                                             Other brands have an opportunity to reach their
    From school computer labs to ‘Flipped Classrooms’,
                                                             audiences within their current portfolio who are now
    where pupils are introduced to content at home
                                                             freshly engaged and newly energised.
    before meeting with their teacher or guide in person
    or virtually. This is the world of ‘Blended Learning’:
    the collision of classrooms and web-lesson platforms.
    Learning is no longer a rigid, physical process where
    turning up for class is the major hurdle. Blended
    methods promise to reward simple curiosities with
    digestible modules for students of all ages.

    There has never been a better time to rediscover
    learning and for brands to be part of this.

8                                                                                                                                                                             9
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
Waking up
     from autopilot
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cast aside the historic marketing calendar
                                                                                                                                                                                  We can no longer rely on the tentpoles of life:
                                                                                                                                                                                  university, full-time work, marriage, 25-year
                                                                                                                                                                                  mortgages or kids leaving home at 18. Nor should
                                                                                                                                                                                  we rely on the tentpoles of the marketing calendar.
                                                                                                                                                                                  Instead, brands will have to look at citizens first, not
                                                                                                                                                                                  calendars, using new patterns to inform flighting
                                                                                                                                                                                  and phasing.
     Seismic socio-economic and cultural
     shifts are forcing people out of                                                                                                                                             Check unconscious bias more than ever –
     autopilot decision making.                                                                                                                                                   People have been disproportionately affected by the
                                                                                                                                                                                  pandemic. This means marketers must challenge
                                                                                                                                                                                  their own biases and resist the urge to extrapolate
     The decision-making process – even for big life                                                                                                                              trends/insights from their own experiences and apply
     decisions – will often be significantly guided by                                                                                                                            to everyone.
     historic norms. That’s to say, we sleepwalk into
     decisions, such as where to work/where to live,                                                                                                                               Rethink the consumer journey for your brand
     hardly giving them any conscious, critical thought.                                                                                                                           With longer deliberation periods, this means the
     We often replicate the choices of our predecessors and                                                                                                                       ‘active’ phase (between the ‘trigger’ into category and
                                                                rise to more deliberation across various aspects of
     peers, anticipating that these choices will work for us.                                                                                                                      purchase) could have more prominence. Competition
                                                                people’s lives. Those thinking about moving to a new
                                                                house will have new factors to weigh up – whether                                                                  will be higher as people will likely be exposed to more
     However, COVID-19 has been a disruptor beyond                                                                                                                                 brands at this stage of the journey. Brands who can
                                                                they live in a city or not with its newly perceived
     what most have experienced in their lifetime and                                                                                                                              drive deeper engagement in this phase will have an
                                                                value (or not, if working from home). Those leaving
     is likely to have a large impact on the defaults in                                                                                                                           important advantage.
                                                                school will have to give more consideration to their
     people’s lives. It will cause people to stop and think.
                                                                next step –will universities really offer the same
     Do the historic norms still apply in this new world?
                                                                value, even after the current physical restrictions and
                                                                                                                           What this means                                        Add value to decision-making processes
     Do they apply to me? Are there options I previously
     may not have considered?
                                                                digital teaching are no longer a staple of student life?   for brands                                             We know that decisions may require more thought
                                                                Those approaching retirement will have to give more                                                               now than they did previously for a range of factors,
                                                                consideration to pension withdrawals.                      Don’t rely on historic data/research to predict        fuelled by the pandemic and the sense of uncertainty
     Behavioural theory points to big life events (clearly,                                                                                                                       that has arisen, so people will be looking for clarity
                                                                                                                           future behaviour
     the pandemic is one which has affected us all) as                                                                                                                            and assistance in these big life moments. Brands that
                                                                As our audiences move out of autopilot in many             Whilst many behavioural trends won’t be impacted
     causing increased “deliberation”, which is when                                                                                                                              can ease these processes, either by simply offering
                                                                of the decisions they are making, so must marketers.       by the pandemic (and many shifts will be temporary),
     we give more rigorous thought to the various                                                                                                                                 an authentic product/service solution, or by getting
                                                                No longer can we rely on years of more predictable         marketers must aim to commission up-to-date
     components that make up our lives. Importantly, this                                                                                                                         more deeply embedded in the conversation (e.g.
                                                                audience behaviour and research to forecast                research. They must interrogate behavioural data
     deliberation period is also when people are more                                                                                                                             creating content that addresses people’s concerns,
                                                                future actions.                                            more rigorously to understand whether the decision-
     receptive to change and new ideas – something                                                                                                                                sponsoring relevant advice sites, etc.) will stand
                                                                                                                           making processes their audiences face are shifting
     marketers can obviously capitalise on.                                                                                                                                       themselves in good stead.
                                                                                                                           and what impact that will have on their lives.
     Our audiences will have difficult decisions to make
     in the coming years. COVID-19 has and will give
10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           11
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
British valley
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    What challenges are they facing? How can your
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    product stand out? For example, business accounts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    typically require a company director to be 18.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    However, Monzo accepts business applications from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    16 without a parent or guardian, making them the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    only option for teen entrepreneurs. We all know this
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    is where brand loyalty starts in banking.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Renters
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Microentrepreneurs operate informally, often
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    working from coffee shops or Airbnbs. They take
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    advantage of the platform economy. How are you
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    poised to help understand ways of working and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    where your products and services may be of use?

     Economic changes have given rise                                                                                                                                                                                               Support for local
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The rise of microentrepreneurs has led to increased
     to the microentrepreneur.                                                                                                                                                                                                      competition and more microentrepreneurs focused
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    on promoting their services locally. Brands need to
      Research has shown that five new businesses were                                                                                                                                                                              think about how they can work with local businesses
      founded every day in April 2020 – a 60% jump                                                                                                                                                                                  and communities to support.
      on April 20191. Google Trends predicts 2020 will
      demonstrate the highest number of searches for          According to Direct Line, the most popular sectors to                                                                                                                 Education
     ‘how to start a business’ since records began in 2004    have started a new business are IT and web design                                                                                                                     Microentrepreneurs are turning away from education
      by quite some way2. We’re seeing a huge shift to        (21 per cent), engineering (14 per cent), building/                                                                                                                   norms and the traditional systems and finding
      entrepreneurialism and rise to a new type of ‘micro-    property (8 per cent), education/training (8 per                                                                                                                      new ways to learn and develop their skills. Social
      entrepreneur’, even more than we did during the         cent), retail/wholesale (6 per cent) and business/                                                                                                                    platforms are finding ways to support this trend by
      last major economic (not humanitarian) crisis of        management consultancy (4 per cent).4                                                                                                                                 offering learning and tutorials. Pinterest has recently
      2009, where we also saw entrepreneurialism increase                                                                                                                                                                           announced dedicated class communities. Use retail
      exponentially.                                          Microentrepreneurs have very little need for funding                                                           What this means for brands                             space as maker studios or for inspirational talks and
                                                              or infrastructure and they often learn on the job.                                                                                                                    training like Apple.
     With babysitting, hospitality and shop jobs drying       They are often able to secure work through platforms                                                           Joint ventures
     up, young people have opted to go it alone3. The         and are either fully reliant on platforms for earnings,                                                        Brands can learn from microentrepreneurs by            Novel media ecosystems
     rise in unemployment, misaligned values with             partially dependent or just use the platforms to                                                               collaborating with them. Microentrepreneurs            Microentrepreneurs are consuming different types
     large corporations, and more free time from home         supplement their income.                                                                                       have innovative mindsets and are driving change,       of media, spending much of the day on work sharing
     working has seen a rise in people selling their skills                                                                                                                  presenting an opportunity to bring in new ideas and    and conversational platforms like Slack. Brands
     on collaborative platforms. In addition, individuals     There is no doubt microentrepreneurs are on the                                                                innovation into your business. With an increase in     are beginning to create chatbots on these platforms
     are pivoting into new demands generated by the           rise. With 83% of 18-24 year-olds dreaming of                                                                  microentrepreneurs, it’s likely there are already 10   building a two-way dialogue with consumers. In
     pandemic and the tech and tools are all there, ready     self-employment5 and 64% of the British workforce                                                              people working on how to improve just a small part     addition, entrepreneurs are monetising as many of
     to aid them.                                             wanting to start a business6, this trend is set to make                                                        of your business. How can you use them to co-create?   their assets as possible. New media platforms are
                                                              Britain the new Silicon Valley.                                                                                                                                       popping up, such as Car Quids, which matches car
     From odd jobs, delivery drivers, photographers,                                                                                                                         Design and flex around a new audience opportunity      drivers to advertisers, so you can earn as you drive.
     writers, creatives, mask makers to freelancers;          1 https://www.bytestart.co.uk/covid-19-new-entrepreneurs.html
                                                                                                                                                                             There’s an opportunity to ensure your product meets    Rethink your approach with your audience to these
                                                              2 https://www.microbizmag.co.uk/startup-statistics/
     microentrepreneurs usually work by themselves.           3 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/17/teen-entrepreneurs-defying-covid-slump                         the new demands of the microentrepreneur.              entirely new worlds.
                                                              4 https://smallbusiness.co.uk/one-in-5-brits-want-to-go-into-business-for-themselves-since-lockdown-2551266/
                                                              5 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/17/teen-entrepreneurs-defying-covid-slump
                                                              6 https://www.microbizmag.co.uk/startup-statistics/

12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            13
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
The home; as TV
     studio, as refuge,
     as theatre
     Altered relationships with our homes
     will continue to evolve next year and
     open up new doors for brands.
                                                               What this means                                          Merchandise in home
                                                                                                                        The Mini Eggs Mug from Easter or the McVitie’s
     The maxim, “a man’s home is his castle” was coined        for brands                                               biscuit tin – how can brands physically embed
     in 1628 around the sense of our homes being our                                                                    themselves into home life for longer with branded
     protection against the world. It gradually faded          Our homes now are now our personal ‘shop window’         merchandise which is stickier and more desirable?
     as society stabilised, only to see a new sharp and        to the world                                             Find your superfans and use their homes as your
     existential focus this year.                              Forty per cent of people claim ‘zoombarisment’ now       shop window.
                                                               they must reveal the inside of their homes to the
     Whilst we’re spending an extra eight hours a day          world. How can brands help consumers overcome            Experiences in the home are more important
     at home, 58% of us have developed a ‘new found            these fears and make their homes something that          than ever
     fondness’ for it. Many now demonstrate this               really represent who they are and want to be? How        Increased passive consumption of media is only one
     increased affection by lavishing more money (£7.5         can a brand help input into a person’s ‘studio set?’     aspect of the change in our domestic behaviours.
     billion more on it from candles to home security)         How can they be ‘in frame’?                              There’s a huge appetite for activities that can provide
     and attention than ever. Conversely, there has been                                                                shared moments of joy for either families or groups
     a wake-up call to the shortcomings of our personal        Self-sufficiency                                         of friends which can be delivered by brands and
     domestic settings. Some are finding that their            Twenty-one per cent of homeowners either started         facilitated by them.
     situations are unbearable and planning applications       a vegetable patch or bought a greenhouse during
     have reached 200% of pre-pandemic levels in some          lockdown, fuelled by either environmental concerns       Keep an eye on the migration pattern when
     areas as people look to extend and improve. As many       or worries about supply chain disruption. This           the lights go back on
     as 44% of Londoners even claim to be considering          has sustained as a sub-trend around the human            We’re at the beginnings of a trend around movement.
     moving out of the city.                                   truth that people get a primal sense of fulfilment by    People are moving out of cities and considering rural
                                                               growing and reusing. How can brands help with this?      life (in the face of having no longer to commute
     It’s estimated that 30% of people will still be working   How can retailers promote self-sufficiency? How can      five days a week). Brands must keep close to the
     from home in 2021. When companies do return to            they aid with garden vegetable patches and the literal   implications of this for audiences and observe
     work, it’s likely no one will be doing 100% of the time   grass roots?                                             whether cities populations begin to surge again
     in the office any longer. We will be spending more                                                                 once the lights are on. Should the trend continue,
     time in the home, even if not a full working day in it.                                                            communication in more rural communities, where
                                                                                                                        perhaps advertising options are limited, needs
14
                                                                                                                        thought.                                                  15
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
What this means for brands
                                                                                                                     Rethink your timing, your daypart and
                                                                                                                     your moments

     New
                                                                                                                     Brands must rethink the usual timing to their
                                                                                                                     campaigns. For example, are baby brands really
                                                                                                                     going to need to advertise on the tube at rush hour
                                                                                                                     anymore when expectant parents may choose

     punctuation
                                                                                                                     to either work from home more or stagger their
                                                                                                                     commute to be less about rush hour? Will the
                                                                                                                     daytime daypart for commercial radio present a
                                                                                                                     bigger opportunity for conversation as people listen
                                                                                                                     whilst at home (and we’ve seen the 1000-1600hrs
                                                                                                                     slot increase)?

     Seismic tremors to daily routine will                                                                           Brands have more opportunities to create unique
     continue long after the pandemic, and                                                                           brandable experiences in the way Oreo found a way
     provide opportunities for brands to                                                                             to make an everyday moment marketable by pairing
                                                                                                                     its Oreo biscuit with milk. There’s an opportunity for
     engage at different times of the day
                                                                                                                     brands to capitalise on these everyday moments and
     and year.                                                                                                       to make that moment synonymous with their brand.

     As 30% of people plan to continue to work from                                                                  Find new opportunities
     home, we predict the end of the five-day working                                                                As work and home lives have converged and days
     week, nine to five commuter patterns. Journeys into                                                             of week blur, people are looking for punctuation to
     work may be staggered across the working week and                                                               make sense of their lives. Brands can help with that,
     working times staggered across the working day. This   People have supercharged the cultural events of the      be that times of day where you can intercept and help
     presents new opportunities and dilutes others.         year to cheer themselves and their communities up        people separate home and work life or day of week,
                                                            (and relieve boredom). We’ve seen an upsurge in          i.e. moments to own. What’s the new Crunchie Friday
     Converging of home and work life will continue         Christmas, Easter and Halloween decorations and          or Diet Coke break?
     as those who have and can work from home will          general paraphernalia. Whilst these moments are
     continue to in some capacity. This means people’s      likely to see some element of normality return next      Hijack supercharged moments in the year
     lives will continue to blur across a day, and home/    year, the ritual and tradition around new habits         Brands should think of a way to help communities
     work life are no longer clearly punctuated by a        and decorating are likely to stay and their visibility   enjoy the likes of Halloween, Easter, Christmas
     commuter journey.                                      heightened in communities.                               or Diwali in bigger and different ways. Can they
                                                                                                                     sponsor street lighting, find new opportunities at, say,
                                                                                                                     Halloween, when perhaps it wasn’t a festival they’d
                                                                                                                     considered?
16                                                                                                                                                                              17
The 2021 Growth Trends - People, Media and Tech - December 2020 - AMIC
The
     circular
     economy
     Recycling and re-selling gets super-
     charged with new players and brands
     finally catching up.

     Spending so much more time in our homes has
     highlighted how much stuff we have and how
     little we need. Coupled with the ever-growing
     consciousness of the impact of our endless
     consumption on the planet, and the economic
     realities of more constrained consumer spending                                                                   What this means for brands                               Use technology and innovation to re-invigorate
     power, this is rocket-fuel to the burgeoning second-                                                                                                                       people’s passion for recycling and repurposing
     hand economy.                                                                                                     Think about your products’ second life                   We all know we should reuse and recycle but it can
                                                                                                                       Recognising and encouraging the reuse and                lack the magic of buying something new. Smart
     Alongside the now ubiquitous eBay and popular                                                                     repurposing of your products means thinking more         harnessing of technology can make recycled products
     newcomers like Shpock, Depop and Preloved, there                                                                  carefully about packaging and construction. Is the       feel exciting and desirable, as well as worthy. H&M
     has been an explosion of second-hand selling sites,                                                               box something people want to keep and pass on with       has worked with the Hong Kong Research Institute
     often with niche and specialist focus. From                                                                       the product? Can your product be easily disassembled     of Textiles and Apparel to create a new in-store
     full-service high-end fashion to simple resale sites,                                                             and reassembled without causing damage?                  technology which disassembles old garments and
     there’s a service for every user’s needs. BCG estimates   Although some brands have been quietly                                                                           assembles them into new ones, meaning customers
     that the global second-hand luxury market alone will      championing in-store recycling for many years           Partner with people who can power your                   can transform an now-past-it item into a new
     be worth €31 billion by 2021.                             (H&M’s recycling for store credit, MAC’s Back to Mac    programme                                                favourite, right in front of them. Finding innovative
                                                               programme), the world’s largest furniture retailer,     The most successful recycle brand programmes             ways to create the new from the old will draw
     Charities, traditionally the beneficiaries of the         IKEA, in what could be a game-changing moment for       partner with organisations with the structures in        customers in.
     secondhand market, are making sure that they don’t        the secondhand movement, is now entering the fray,      place to manage the whole process. Walkers works
     miss out in this evolution. New charity resale models     offering to buy back its furniture and then resell or   with Teracycle to provide 1,600 public drop off points   Consider new business models
     are being developed which benefit both the customer       recycle them.                                           for crisp packets across the country. Primark works      Rental and leasing instead of full ownership. The
     and the charity alike. Thrift+, for example, is aiming                                                            with Yellow Octopus to implement its recycling           automotive and fashion industries have started to
     to become Amazon or Asos of secondhand clothes            As the desire for more sustainable ways of living       scheme. The key is to make it easy for everyone:         invest in new routes to market. Other industries will
     shopping, whilst splitting the proceeds of a sale         gathers pace, creating and embracing the circular       consumers, the business and the beneficiaries.           follow, particularly for high value goods including
     between a chosen charity and the seller (in the form      economy looks to be a growing priority for both                                                                  furniture, technology and jewellery.
     of Thrift+ credits) to continue the circular economy.     consumers and brands.

18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      19
Filling
     the cultural
     vacuum
     Being divorced from cultural
     experiences for so long has unleashed
     unforeseen innovation and creativity in
     our cultural life.
                                                                                                                         What this means for brands                                 Co-create
                                                                                                                                                                                    Some of the most successful brand-arts partnerships
     Separation from loved ones and friends, and from        As we start to get a grip on the virus, and life
                                                                                                                         Support the sector                                         have gone way beyond simple financial support and
     the daily rhythms of our life, was the early shock      begins to open up again, we’ll see a flocking back to
                                                                                                                         The arts and culture sector has suffered more than         a sponsor logo. Co-creating with creative or cultural
     of lockdown. As time drew on, the absence of            cultural venues, as people seek out shared cultural
                                                                                                                         most through the pandemic, and many institutions           organisations can re-invigorate a brand identity,
     experiencing and enjoying the rich cultural life        experiences once more. However, we also expect
                                                                                                                         and artists are struggling to stay afloat. Brands can      take you to new audiences and help you to carve out
     we’re lucky enough to have access to in this country    the desire for accessible culture to continue, with
                                                                                                                         play a role in supporting artists and creators through     unique space in crowded categories.
     became one of the most challenging parts for many.      live streaming of concerts, exploring galleries online
     Without ready access to culture, institutions and       and virtual access to the vast back collections of the      innovative and unexpected partnerships which
                                                                                                                         align the brand with vibrantly creative and inventive      Encourage your audience to celebrate our cultural life
     individuals found imaginative ways to bring cultural    world’s museums carrying on. In this way, we’re
                                                                                                                         individuals and organisations, benefitting both parties.   The flourishing of armchair artists that we have seen
     experiences into their homes, from virtual museum       seeing a democratisation of culture, where it doesn’t                                                                  through 2020 speaks to a deep desire to create and
     tours, to Stay At Home choirs, to recreating artworks   matter where in the world you might be, your                                                                           participate. Brands can help to celebrate and elevate
     at home using everyday items (see the Getty Museum      curiosity and thirst for art or learning will lead you to                                                              these endeavours through initiatives, competitions
     Challenge for thousands of incredible recreations).     a treasure trove of materials.                                                                                         and showcases to share the joy and pleasure in our
                                                                                                                                                                                    nation’s collective creativity.

20                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           21
Media
What this means for brands                              Keep an eye out for advertiser funded VoD (AVoD)

     TV: the phoenix                                                                                                     Linear TV will remain the most trusted
                                                                                                                         source for news
                                                                                                                                                                                 The biggest advancement in the UK (and an
                                                                                                                                                                                 emerging threat to the UK broadcasters next
                                                                                                                                                                                 year) will come from new advertising funded VoD

     from the pandemic
                                                                                                                         The role for TV in delivering trusted local news        platforms. Several AVoD services have recently
                                                                                                                         content will remain strong going into 2021. For         launched in the UK (e.g. Pluto TV or Roko) hoping
                                                                                                                         advertisers, association with such trusted content      to benefit from the predicted future growth in online
                                                                                                                         can be very powerful. However, beware also of being     video advertising. Whilst viewing to these services is
                                                                                                                         around news you want to avoid.                          currently small, and it’s unclear to what extent these
                                                                                                                                                                                 new US-owned and operated AVoD services will
                                                                                                                         UK broadcasters will be bolstered by the return to      appeal to UK audiences, there’s certainly potential for
     Once again, TV is the national                            TV also allowed people to escape. It became the           full production capacity                                further growth.
     destination for news and homegrown                        place to seek refuge away from the news too with          With as much as 85% of the ITV shows in production
                                                               film viewing up 34% and comedy up 21%. We saw                                                                     Live events continue to be a broadcast TV experience
     British content. UK broadcasters have                                                                               now completed or back in production, the return of
                                                               this (and continue to) across live and VoD. Scripted      production to UK drama and comedy is fantastic          Whilst Amazon has dipped their toes in the water of
     re-established a critical role through                    drama and comedy, which previously dominated                                                                      live sports broadcasts, there has, so far, been very
                                                                                                                         news for the traditional broadcasters and, in
     a local connection which keeps them                       peak schedules, are now driving catch-up viewing.                                                                 little challenge made to the broadcaster TV model
                                                                                                                         particular their online platforms, providing more
     relevant.                                                 Crucially, the most successful content is primarily UK    opportunity for brands.                                 for live event content. Whilst Andrea Bocelli’s Music
                                                               produced. Only three of the top 20 viewed drama and                                                               For Hope — Live From Duomo di Milano stream
     TV took on a role of two halves during the pandemic:      comedy series on All4 came from outside the UK.           Return of the broadcasting phenomena                    on YouTube earlier this year was well publicised, it
     firstly, as the authoritative trusted national                                                                      Love Island returns in 2021, providing more             only delivered 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers
     voice, keeping the nation informed and, secondly,         Local connection has been crucial in the battle to        opportunity for brands as an on-demand                  (something broadcast TV can deliver on daily basis).
     distraction precisely from the voice of the former with   survive against the rise of US-led SVoD, especially       phenomenon.                                             So far there seems little news from the SVoD or
     homegrown British content across both linear and          with cinemas closed. Netflix and Disney+ have                                                                     AVoD platforms that there position on live content
     on-demand platforms, giving it a unique advantage         seen strong growth this year but are dominated            On demand is no longer a 16-34 behaviour and            will change.
     against the US-focused SVoD (Subscription Video on        by US content. However, the opposite is true for          future growth will be driven across all age groups
     Demand).                                                  Broadcaster VoD, with the best in UK drama now            This year, we’ve seen vast increases of new audiences
                                                               increasingly watched in this non-linear fashion.          watching video in different ways. For example, ITV
     Keeping the nation informed revolved around news          BVoD platforms now provide a vital route to growth        Hub now exceeds 30 million registered users across
     programmes and current affairs, both of which have        for the broadcasters through this content. It’s           the UK. Brands will need to implement robust
     been vital on both a national and regional level. Live    the relevance delivered through their UK content          audience segmentation through addressable targeting
     broadcast remains vital for delivering this content,      expertise that keeps UK broadcasters connected to         technology to ensure they remain efficient in what is
     with regional feeds also keeping the connection to        their audience and able to provide effective advertiser   now a mass reach channel.
     local communities. Boris Johnson’s announcement           growth opportunities. The appetite for this evidenced
     of tighter measures back in March, saw 27 million         through the launch of Britbox (a subscription video
     people tune in live. Overall news viewing was up 45%.     streaming service from the BBC and ITV.)

     In a time where trust is so important, and where          Event viewing was supercharged. It has never been
     messaging is put as important as the numbers it           easier to stay in the conversation through live viewing
     reaches, the medium saw staggering levels of viewing.     or catch up, with 41 million individuals in the UK
     In addition, people chose the medium as a key trusted     now owning connected TVs. For example, The

                                                                                                                                         Media
     source over and above other channels, namely social.      Great British Bake Off had its biggest-ever launch
     TV saw a 20% switch in preference from the end of         on Channel 4 linear this year and then also had its
     January and the start of April versus social. People      strongest ever launch on All4, with an additional 1.9
     see TV as a place for the most trusted advertising        million views in the first seven days after airing.
     (45%). Interestingly, news consumption is also
     increasing amongst the younger generation (12-15
24   year-olds).                                                                                                                                                                                                                           25
Media
     Cinema: from                                                                                                    cinemas re-opened have been 16-34s). This audience
                                                                                                                     is less afraid of going out and cinema makes up a

     sleeping to
                                                                                                                     big part of their social life. In addition, forthcoming
                                                                                                                     releases are perfect for a younger demographic.

                                                                                                                     More eyeballs

     supercharged                                                                                                    With TV, especially amongst younger audiences,
                                                                                                                     going to be inflationary next year, an Audience
                                                                                                                     Guarantee Pack (AGP) in cinema, incentivised by
                                                                                                                     DCM and Pearl & Dean, will deliver a much larger
                                                                                                                     share of 16-34s than it has historically.

     In 2021, we will see cinema back with                                                                           Diversity of format and audience
     vengeance with new opportunities for                                                                            Advertisers must think about all the innovative
     brands to take advantage of not just                                                                            product packages for cinema which have been on
                                                                                                                     pause, such as the Big Scream for mums and babies
     new footfall but an emotion in time.                                                                            and over 50s screenings, and find new ways to help
                                                                                                                     reformat their lives again with normality.
     Cinema has, without doubt, been one of the casualties
     of the pandemic, limping bruised and battered                                                                   A moment
     from a long fight with no audiences, closures and        What this means for brands                             Be there when people return, when they feel the
     high-profile films being released straight to pay-                                                              emotion of a film release at the cinema in all its
     per-view. Trolls went to Sky, Mulan was released         A dense product slate                                  sensory glory. Be there with the emotion they feel.
     onto the newly launched Disney + and Scoob! went         There’s expected to be well over 100 major films
     to Amazon Prime Video, as did the Borat sequel.          released to cinema next year, with over 50% of those    Theatre supercharged
     This was dire for a medium which relies heavily          targeting 16-34s. Despite the news that Warner Bros.    Brands must play up to the “theatre” of the cinema
     on theatrical releases (the average blockbuster can      will be releasing films simultaneously in cinema and    experience. People are going to go because they want
     expect to take 69% of its revenue from ticket sales at   on their HBO Max streaming service next year (a         to experience something special, surrounded by other
     the cinema) and the commercial opportunity in other      move that only impacts the US), next year will be a     people. How can brands enhance that experience
     distribution channels, fuelled by the usual heightened   blockbuster year with the backdated 2020 film slate,    through doing something new? Could that be a
     media coverage, publicity and merchandise sales.         such as No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick and           new product built for the cinema environment, for
                                                              Black Widow, adding to the 2021 releases.               example? Or how about Kleenex giving away special
     Despite the challenges that cinema will continue                                                                 edition tissues to the audience attending a weepie? Of
     to face in the coming months, we believe that            An audience where cinema was part of life               course, there’s also the opportunity to get involved in
     cinema will remain the first stop for distributing big   16-34s will dominate the cinema going audience         “event” cinema, like outdoor screenings, which should
     blockbusters in 2021.                                    next year as it’s clear that the younger audience       be massive next year.
                                                              have missed the cinema, attending in large numbers
                                                              when possible in 2020 (75% of all cinemagoers since
26                                                                                                                                                                              27
What this means for brands
                                                                Journalism is seeing a renaissance. Every day, UK
                                                                newsbrands are applying political scrutiny to those         Consider the ecosystem of the news brand
                                                                who hold power to account which helps to uphold             The diversification of newsbrands into areas such as
                                                                our democracy. All news platforms play a part in this.

       The power
                                                                                                                            audio, subscriptions, premium video, ecommerce and
                                                                Most investigative news stories which hold power to         affiliates means that there are multiple touchpoints
                                                                account are broken by newsbrands which go on to be          to engage the user and to drive growth. For example,
                                                                amplified by broadcasters. For example, the Facebook        this year, the Mailonline created a discount code

       of publishing
                                                                Cambridge Analytica story was investigated and              channel reaching cost-conscious consumers, a
                                                                broken by The Guardian/The Observer but then                behaviour which advertisers can tap into in different
edia
                                                                amplified by Channel 4.                                     ways. News UK launched Times Radio allowing us to
                                                                                                                            reach an upmarket and often hard to reach audience
                                                                The broad reach and scale of newsbrands means that          in a new way.
                                                                they have the power to provoke opinion and drive
                                                                societal change through campaigning journalism. In          A closeness
       2020 has cemented print brands                           many cases, such campaigns have instigated changes          Audience affinity, ‘stickiness’ and the trusted advisor
       and journalism as a critical source of                   to UK law. For example, The Mirror campaigned and           status allows brands to get closer to people through
       verified information for all age groups,                 successfully changed the law for UK organ donation          these newsbrands, which they feel close to as brands
       providing new opportunities for                          to be opt-out rather than opt-in.                           in themselves. We will see a growth in first party
       advertisers.                                                                                                         users as non-paywall brands encourage sign-in
                                                                 Newsbrands operate at scale. The trusted advisor           allowing the serving of relevant messaging which will
                                                                 status of publisher brands means that there is a           benefit rather than contradict the user experience.
       More people trust newsbrands more, across all ages.      ‘stickiness’ in reader relationships with their chosen
       This year, 66% of adults agreed that journalism has       newsbrand and magazine brands. Subscriptions               Contextual relevance will continue to be a key theme
       become more important since the pandemic1. This           have grown in 2020. The Guardian has seen a 39%            Targeting consumers in the key moment of the
       figure rises to 77% for the under-35 age group. A         increase in digital subscriptions year on year and         purchase journey has long been possible via
       year fuelled with fear and misinformation has helped      now have 821,000 monthly supporters who pay for a          newsbrands, for example, serving auto ads to
       younger audiences to understand the importance            subscription or who donate money to fund Guardian          consumers in the priming phase around motors
       of valid sources. Social media remains a key source       journalism. Newsbrands reach 38 million people             content. We will see the development to deeper,
       for them but seven in ten under-35s said that they        daily and, whilst the majority of engagement is digital,   more emotional contextual opportunity, which will
       feel less anxious if they check out a news story via a    printed newspapers reach 11 million adults every day.      in turn drive effectiveness and harness the power of
       newsbrand having seen it on social media.
                                                                                                                            journalism further.
       1 A World Without News, Newsworks, 2020

28                                                                                                                                                                                    29
Media
                                                                          With this has come an increased demand and supply
                                                                          of personalised audio solutions. Within digital audio
                                                                          (and linear) increasingly, people want content that is
                                                                          relevant or personal to them (for example, the Kiss
                                                                          Kube app allows users to choose their own songs on
                                                                          linear radio). Spotify has driven personalisation of
                                                                          their platform through its Radar Release, Daily Mix
                                                                          and Discovery functions. Added to this, over 10.1
                                                                          million people now listen to podcasts on a weekly
                                                                                                                                     What this means for brands
                                                                          basis – a rise of 30% year-on-year – and satisfying an     Think local
                                                                          audience demand to snack on content on the go.             Increasingly, consumers are engaging with local radio.
                                                                                                                                     Partnering with highly valued content such as local
                                                                          The appetite for local as a trend is playing out across    news, traffic and weather can help a brand’s appeal to
                                                                          radio. Bauer has seen that hours listened is higher        a local audience.
                                                                          on their local versus national stations, which they
                                                                          put down to having a local presenter talking about         Get personal
                                                                          local news and topics. People spend an average of          Digital audio offers the opportunity for a personalised
                                                                          19% more time listening to networks that use local
                                                                                                                                     ad experience for the listener. Whilst brands should
                                                                          presenters and have local content, compared to
                                                                                                                                     be wary of consumer suspicion around how their
                                                                          national networks.
                                                                                                                                     data is being used, A Million Ads enables a brand to
                   Unsurprisingly, there’s been a big
                                                                                                                                     engage with their audience in a personal way. For
                   increase in loneliness and isolation                    We’re also seeing a shift in daypart listening. Digital   example, adverts can now have the location of the

     Radio: from
                   with 20% of people feeling these                        audio’s reach has increased 25% since March and
                                                                                                                                     listener, the weather, time of day or day of week to
                   emotions now more than before                           there has been a significant change away from the
                                                                                                                                     make the ad more personal. This can work for all
                                                                          “peak” periods of ‘Breakfast’ and ‘Drivetime’, most
                   lockdown, according to Bauer’s                          likely caused by the disruption in working patterns
                                                                                                                                     brands but can be particularly effective at driving

     companion
                   Lockdown Nation 2 study. This has led                                                                             people to a specific retail outlet.
                                                                           and school days. Next year, home working will
                   to people turning to audio for comfort,                 continue for many and, with that, radio will continue     Use talent to become more relevant
                   information and, often, company.                        to be a companion across the whole day. We have to        Presenter reads on podcasts offer an irreverent and

     to BFF
                                                                           assume (as a consequence of the lack of new RAJAR         relatable way of connecting brands to the listener
                   In the last eight years, the weekly hours spent         audience surveys taking place) that the same changes      through advertising. These bespoke adverts, created
                   listening to digital audio has increased fourfold to    we’ve seen in digital has also happened across linear     by the podcast presenters, sits in the pre- and
                   over 400 million in the UK. Whilst linear radio has     radio listening, with an increase in reach and hours      mid-roll and helps a brand stand out and drive
                   dipped slightly during this period to 817 million       listened across the daytime dayparts.                     engagement as it’s recorded in the same tone as the
                   hours per week, the majority of digital audio growth                                                              podcast itself.
                   has come exponentially.
30                                                                                                                                                                                             31
Outdoor was hit hard in 2020. As                                 What this means for brands
                   we were forced to stay home, OOH
                   became the public noticeboard for                                More flexible Ts & Cs are here to stay (for now)
                   COVID messaging. The medium has                                  OOH vendors put in place more relaxed cancellation
                                                                                    terms during 2020 to encourage confidence and
                   radically had to adapt, propelling it into
                                                                                    protect brands from potential rule changes and
                   2021 in a better position than ever.                             lockdowns. The consensus is that they are here
                                                                                    to stay for now and will show a trend of greater
                   During the pandemic, outdoor successfully offered                flexibility across the channel.
                   messages of hope and support across its digital
                   inventory. NHS Thank you and Clap for Carers                     Data will underpin OOH planning more
                   creative replaced commercial advertising as DOOH                 than ever before
                   became the public noticeboard for how the nation                 The new, and growing, levels of data sets that are
                   was feeling. TV, social and print news headlines were            available to define OOH audiences means a shift to
                   consistently led by an image of an OOH billboard                 a CPM trading model has been brought forward by a
                   message and the Government became the biggest                    few years. OOH will always be a broadcast medium
                   single advertiser using digital sites to convey updated          but buying by audience creates a new level of
                   advice and guidance to specific areas.                           granularity and efficiency that has long been heralded
                                                                                    as the future metric for the channel.
                   Ultimately, however, outdoor needed the commercial

                                                                             edia
                   spend back and fast. As the first lockdown ended and             OOH digitisation will accelerate
                   restrictions were eased, OOH audiences returned but              It would be understandable if cap-ex investment for
                   client confidence was still low and, understandably,             DOOH was defaulted with a drop in commercial
                   cautious. OOH’s universal metric, Route, was                     revenues across 2020. Instead, we’ve seen that build
                   rather exposed as its audience modelling for panels,             plans for the major OOH vendors have accelerated
                   although robust and credible, is not a ‘real-time’               towards the back end of the year and plans to

     Outdoor:
                   metric and brands wanted to know the level of impact             increase panel numbers will increase next year. As a
                   they would have before investing back into the                   backdrop to this, we forecast that DOOH will make
                   medium.                                                          up c.60%+ of all OOH expenditure next year, up from

     out of
                                                                                    50% in 2019.
                   As a collective, OOH specialists and vendors invested
                   into new data sources to clearly demonstrate                     Buying DOOH as part of a cross-channel audience

     adversity
                   audience movements/behaviours and address impact                 activation will become common place
                   concerns. Kinetic invested into greater SDK and                  Flexibility, audience-led activation and greater
                   mobile data partnering with Adsquare to produce                  inventory volumes will allow for a more fluid use
                   weekly updates on the rate of audience return                    of DOOH as part of the cross-channel mix. We’re

     opportunity
                   across key segments (roadside, retail and travel)                already seeing this with DAX@Global and the ability
                   and underpin accurate pricing relative to the actual             to look at OOH and audio audiences in unison.
                   audience being achieved. Taking this a step further,

     is born
                   iDOOH (GroupM’s programmatic OOH platform)
                   enabled brands to buy DOOH based on a cost per
                   audience model with the agility to change campaign
                   scheduling in-flight.

32                                                                                                                                           33
Media
                                                                            What this means for brands                                 so, did a person watch it until completion? When
                                                                                                                                       analysing performance in this way, the results can
                                                                            Ignore headline grabbing spend reporting                   be dramatic vs when benchmarked on simple cost
                                                                            Ignore misleading macro-investment analysis of             per thousand impressions. Often digital channels
                                                                            aggregated ad spend. Such reports often contain bias,      are not as effective as they might seem, with our
                                                                            are designed to grab headlines and rarely provide          studies showing broadcast TV is still, by far, the most
                                                                            the neutral and detailed information that you need.        effective way to deliver video advertising.
                                                                            Instead, look at a specific industry analysis for your
                                                                            sector. We’ve developed investment benchmarking            Traditionally perceived long-term channels can
                   Whilst the digital media market is                       dashboards to support our clients in this area. With       actually drive results in the short-term as well

     Digital
                                                                                                                                       Pressure on short-term results can be relentless,
                   seemingly the most resilient of all the                  over £14 billion of investment across the whole of
                                                                                                                                       with this pressure intensifying during a crisis.
                   channels, the results of it need a little                GroupM (from 2016 to present), our dashboards
                                                                            anonymously represent investment from 2,000                Understandably, with real-time performance data
                   closer attention.                                                                                                   easily accessible from digital channels, advertisers

     spend
                                                                            clients and create trends across 19 tier one categories,
                                                                            16 tier two categories and two tier three categories.      can be tempted to prioritise digital to drive short-
                   There’s clearly a need for advertisers to follow the     This gives us an unprecedented, anonymised,                term results. However, digital is not the only short-
                   direction of travel and develop their capabilities       detailed view of almost a third of the UK media            term sales driver. For example, the recent and award-

     predictably
                   across digital media channels, although building         landscape with never seen before understanding of          winning Demand Generation study, conducted by
                   understanding on how much and where to invest            digital investment.                                        Wavemaker, MediaCom and Gain Theory, revealed
                   your digital marketing spend can be difficult.                                                                      that TV outperforms all channels except search as a
                                                                                                                                       short-term sales driver.

     up but the
                                                                            Look beyond basic media metrics to understand
                   This challenge is then compounded by the fact that       relative platform performance
                   most industry investment reporting platforms are         Digital media can be confusing, with various buying        It should never be about short- or long-term. An
                   flawed and inaccurate. The IAB reported digital video    models and accompanying terminologies. When                optimal strategy will look at generating both

     results say
                   advertising spend to have grown +6% year-on-year         analysing performance, it’s crucial to ensure that         short-and long-term results, balancing demand
                   across the UK during H1 2020. This is contrary to        you are standardising your approach by measuring           generation with demand fulfilment, assigning specific
                   what we know was the reality for our clients during      platforms on a like-for-like basis against a shared        budget to channels by role to deliver against this. The
                   this period, as digital video spends declined close                                                                 Demand Generator study has also provided a tool

     otherwise
                                                                            objective. This will make sure you are measuring
                   to -15% H1 year-on-year (as the pandemic hit).           what matters. For example, in a digital video              to help model the optimal mix. Taking the data from
                   Furthermore, when it comes to the effectiveness of       campaign, ensure all platforms are being measured          the study, which covered £1.4 billion of media spend
                   ad spend, we know that digital media measurement         against the same standards for what qualifies as a         across 50 anonymised clients, the tool can look at a
                   is typically biased towards the short-term. This can     view. Is it two, three or 30 seconds? We recommend         variety of variables to indicate what the optimal mix
                   lead to over investment into short-term success at the   assessing all video against a cost per completed           might be.
                   expense of long-term gain.                               viewable view. Simply put, was it possible for
                                                                            the whole advert to be seen by a person and if

34                                                                                                                                                                                               35
Media
     Mobile commerce
     will further
     dominate
     ecommerce
     By the end of 2021, mobile devices                                   What this means for brands
     will account for almost 73% of total
     ecommerce sales. Brands must have a                                  Prioritise this customer experience
     strong mobile presence or customers                                  Brands can test their site’s mobile-effectiveness with
                                                                          tools like Google mobile-friendly test.
     will abandon their baskets.
                                                                          Minimise forms
     Global mobile ecommerce sales are expected to be                     Typing is trickier on mobile, so minimise the forms
     worth $3.56 trillion by the end of 2021, with Mobile                 on the page and autofill what you can.
     sales accounting for 72.9% (up from 70% in 2020).1
     Whilst mobile sales top ecommerce sales in terms of                  Make it easy for people to log in to make payments
     quantity, sales made online through desktop payment                  Payments can be a challenge for mobile users because
     gateways are still worth significantly more on                       it is often difficult to type in long number sequences,
     average. Interestingly, the gap between desktop and                  like what is needed for a credit card or check. Instead,
     mobile transaction values is closing worldwide with                  you can offer people the chance to make an account
     a study from Monetate indicating that the difference                 on your site, where you can save their credit card
     is significantly smaller in the UK than the US and                   information. You can also make it easy for them to
     global averages.                                                     use mobile payment options, such as PayPal, Google
                                                                          Wallet or Apple Pay.
     Online shopping itself is also an omnichannel
     experience. Mobile is a crucial channel for consumers                Help customers understand the products
     and retailers alike but it’s only one part of a much                 Include mobile-friendly product videos, the ability to
     larger omnichannel shopping experience. Mobile is                    zoom in on images and high-quality visuals to help
     starting and ending more consumer journeys than                      customers understand your product and feel more
     ever before but its largest role is still the intermediary           confident before hitting the “buy” button.
     stages, joining the dots between customer
     interactions with brands. The challenge for brands                   Make it easy for people to find a physical store
     today is to understand how their customers navigate                  Enhance the shopping experience by enabling
     from the first touchpoint, all the way to the last – and             customers to find products seamlessly in-store to
     know how to measure progress.                                        try or buy.
     1 eMarketer 2018
36                                                                                                                                   37
Tech
Get in
     the game
                                                                       Tech
     The young are pulling back from social
     media. Instead, they are looking for real
     connection, driven by shared interests
     and meaning.

     Global Web Index suggests that the amount of time
     millennial and Gen Z audiences spend on many social
     platforms is either flat, declining, or not rising as greatly
     as it has previously. Anecdotally, we all hear many friends
     talk of their boredom towards traditional social media
     and the increased time they are spending on community
     platforms.

     We’re seeing the rise of fitness communities such as
     Peloton and Strava. Strava led an overall record rise in          What this means for brands                              Embed in the game
                                                                                                                               There are countless opportunities for brands to
     downloads of apps across the health and fitness category
                                                                       Put your skin in the game                               partner with games but the unique opportunities
     which increased by a whopping 47% year-over-year. The
                                                                       Community platforms will not take well to intruders.    come from embedding in game. A brand’s
     app allows users to follow fellow “athletes” and comment
                                                                       If brands turn up on these platforms, they have to be   relationships with gamers is improved when brands
     and ‘like” their posts, activities, and photos.1 People who
                                                                       prepared to put skin in the game and add real value     help the player earn more lives, gain additional
     once checked morning social feeds are now checking
                                                                       to the experience and/or community.                     ammunition or even reach a higher level.3
     Peloton to see who they can do a morning ride with.

                                                                       Embrace radical partnerships                            Win early on an underused platform
     Gaming communities, such as Twitch and Fortnite, are
                                                                       Many of these platforms haven’t launched any            Platforms like WhatsApp are not yet well used by
     multi-player experiences which are becoming social
                                                                       partnerships yet. This presents an interesting          marketers. WhatsApp is testing tools that allow
     experiences. Beyond playing the game, they are there to
                                                                       opportunity to partner in a radically different way.    users to communicate with brands they may want
     talk entertain each other and share their experiences.
                                                                       Peloton launched an artist series partnering their      to hear from. There’s an opportunity to build smart
                                                                       instructors to artists and allowing them creative       conversations and tap into early beta opportunities
      Finally, as social media has driven people to feel conflicted,
                                                                       freedom to create their own ride experience.            these platforms present.
      we see more time spent on private community platforms
      like WhatsApp. In a New Yorker piece under the headline,         Understand the community, how they like to              1 https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/how-strava-became-the-fastest-growing-fitness-app-in-

     “Group chats are making the internet fun again”, the              communicate and what you could do that would            america-2020-9-1029557391

      technology critic Max Read argued that groups have               bring value to their experience.                        2 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/02/whatsapp-groups-conspiracy-theories-disinformation-democracy

      become “an outright replacement for the defining mode of                                                                 3 https://www.marketingweek.com/in-game-advertising-mind-games/
      social organization of the past decade: the platform-centric,
      feed-based social network.”2

40                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 41
You can also read