Trends & Insights Digest - May 2015 - The Academy of Chief Marketers
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VOL Trends &
Insights Digest
May 2015
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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1 Trends &
Insights Digest
May 2015
Our members need no reminder of the rapid rate of change in
consumer behaviour, brand marketing and social media. They know The Brand Network Trends &
Insights Digest was curated
it’s essential to stay abreast of these developments in order to inform
and edited by The Centre
their strategy and marketing communications, but few have the time
for Brand Analysis (TCBA).
available to sift through the sheer volume of information available TCBA undertakes a wide
to them. Brand Network’s bi-annual ‘Trends & Insights Digest’ offers range of brand consultancy
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latest consumer trends, marketing activations and social media and external brand equity
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I hope you find this first volume both informative and inspirational; help shape brand, marketing
as always, we welcome your feedback and comments. and business strategies, in
order to enhance brand
Ben Hudson reputation and underlying
business growth. The Centre
Chief Executive
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Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
1 MACRO TRENDS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANVAS8
2 MICRO TRENDS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANVAS8
3 CAMPAIGNS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CONTAGIOUS
4 SOCIAL MEDIA
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARAT
5 IP TRENDS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTANGIBLE BUSINESS
6 OUR
PARTNERS
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TRENDS
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 1 Generation Z
Kids today were born into a different world.
Generation Z – those born since 1995 – are
very different from previous generations. With
the oldest now turning 20, this enormous teen
demographic is on the verge of adulthood.
If Gen Y were idealistic and entitled, Gen Z
are pragmatic and driven. They came of age
in a recession, and were weaned on the help-
yourself ideals of The Hunger Games rather than
the soppy romance of Titanic. Having experienced
a tough financial crisis, they are pragmatic and
value work; when asked whether they’d rather
be smarter or better looking, 69% of Gen Z
chose ‘smarter’ (Source: Maclean’s Magazine).
Already, Gen Z’s technology and media habits
have been described as one of the biggest
cross-generational shifts in history. As the first
generation to grow up making and sharing
media, they relate more to peers on Snapchat,
YouTube and Vine than typical celebrities. Able
to express themselves, promote themselves,
even educate and employ themselves online,
the digital world is their oyster – and they are
determined to make the most of it. These are not
Image source: Olivia Harmon
the square-eyed telly zombies of the past, but a
legion of consumers who expect to tinker with,
collaborate and create a new world around them.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 1 Generation Z
Examples
Image source: James Cao Image source: Subway Image source: Parker Knight Image source: Latter Farson
Gen Z want a stake in what they Gen Z prefer visual snippets of Growing up with social media With nearly 200 million users
consume. Major game developers content delivered, and often filmed, means today’s kids have shifted globally – most of them young –
like Valve and Sony Online through mobile. Food chain Subway their role models to suit; they are few channels can claim to be closer
Entertainment are looking to their has managed to speak their drawn to businesses and stars that to the evolving media landscape
fans – many of whom are self-taught language with a scripted comedy feel familiar. Take Origami Owl, a than Snapchat Discover. When US
teens – to create content for their show – The 4 to 9ers – that reached multi-million dollar brand started by telecoms brand AT&T launched its
games, using a revenue-sharing millions of teenagers across YouTube 14-year-old Bella Weems, who now first foray (SnapperHero – featuring
model to remunerate their efforts. and Hulu. has a network of 50,000 young popular stars from YouTube, Vine and
salespeople (called ‘designers’) that Snapchat) it saw 120,000 views
buy and sell customisable necklaces per episode.
to their peers.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 1 Generation Z
Evidence
2 BILLION Growing up networked, they like to
collaborate – 60% of Gen Z say they
There are two billion members of like to share their knowledge with
Generation Z worldwide. others online.
(Source: Ford Motor Company).
(Source: Wikia)
71%
72%
A generation raised by technology? In the UK, Gen Z want to make their own path. 72% of them
71% of children aged 5-15 have access to a want to start a business in the future, and the
tablet at home. majority would rather be an entrepreneur than an
(Source: Ofcom).
employee when they graduate from university.
(Source: Internships.com).
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 2 Great Expectations
The popularity of on-demand services has left
patience in short supply – people expect immediacy
as standard.
On-demand services were once limited to streaming films or
music. Today, driven by the phenomenal success of Uber, a
culture of ‘I want it, and I want it now’ is bleeding into the real
world, and it’s making consumers impatient by default. According
to one study of 6.7 million internet users, the average time
people are willing to wait for a video to load online is just two
seconds (Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst).
High smartphone penetration, busy homes and widely
available 4G and Wi-Fi networks have created an ideal
environment for on-demand services to flourish. FlyCleaners
in New York, Washbox in London and Edaixi in Beijing are just
some of the growing number of on-demand laundry services.
Hassle connects people instantly to cleaners in their area, then
there’s BarkCare for vets, Breather for reservable peace and
quiet, and parcel delivery through Shyp.
Why does it work so well? Firstly, there’s the instant
gratification. But the Uber model also makes the mechanics
of consumption – from delivery to payment – almost invisible.
People don’t care about how things work, they just want
solutions to their problems, fast.
Image source: Uber
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 2 Great Expectations
Examples
Image source: Garry Knight Image source: Uber Image source: Yelp Inc.
Magic takes the pleasure of Uber is extending its service to Internet shopping doesn’t have
on-demand service and makes it offer delivery and courier options. to slow down when it leaves
even easier. People simply send Consumers can get an emergency the website. At online retailer
a text message saying ‘Magic’, bottle opener or a spontaneous JeansOnline, couriers hang around
followed by a request for any takeaway dropped off in an instant outside while consumers try clothes
service they could need, from with UberEATS, while with UberRUSH on, so they can instantly send back
‘help getting out of court’ to people can have a driver pick up any rejects.
‘deliver roses to my girlfriend’. and deliver a gift without you
getting off the sofa.
Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 2 Great Expectations
Evidence
The need for instant gratification is Immediate gratification is now the
not new, but our expectation of ‘instant’ default response. It’s difficult to overcome
has become faster, and as a result, our those urges and be patient and wait for
patience is thinner.” things to come over time.”
Narayan Janakiraman, Assistant Marketing Professor Darrell Worthy, Assistant Professor of Psychology
at the University of Texas, Arlington. at Texas A&M University.
People can only care about so many
things; ‘how’ things work probably isn’t
one of them. We care about a problem 850%
increase
being solved.”
Taylor Davidson, Technology Specialist and
Venture Capitalist. When black cab drivers in the UK went
on strike against Uber, people weren’t
willing to wait – Uber experienced an
850% spike in new sign-ups.
(Source: Uber).Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 3 Circular Economy
Brands are blending sustainability with convenience
to challenge the traditional ways consumers think
about ownership.
People want the latest stuff, and despite growing
environmental concerns, the speed of technological
advancements has only made this desire stronger. As a result
people are upgrading quicker – washing machines are now
replaced every seven years (down from 10), while smartphones
are replaced every 24 months, or quicker. But at the same
time concerns about sustainability – electronics are the fastest
growing waste-stream globally – are tempering desires.
In response to this dynamic, a new movement that creates
smarter consumption models and eliminates guilt, is gathering
pace. From retail to electronics, automotive to fashion,
businesses are adding value to their brands by exploring
what’s being described as a ‘Circular Economy’.
Innovators are exploring ‘cradle-to-cradle’ models, where
big ticket items are treated like services. Here, the vision is
that nothing is owned, goods are leased and upgraded as
necessary, dismantled when finished, and their components re-
used. Brands like Philips, Google, Epson and Audi are racing to
explore this $700 billion opportunity in consumer waste.
Image source: Oxfam ChelseaTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 3 Circular Economy
Examples
Image source: Google Image source: Toner Giant Image source: Silo Image source: Ashley Webb
Google is developing a modular Epson has responded to slowing In 2014, Britain saw the opening In the Netherlands, a new washing
smartphone called Project Ara printer sales by radically redefining of its first zero-waste restaurant, machine subscription service called
where new features and functions the way home printing works. Silo. At the same time, supermarket Bundles allows customers to have
are added or replaced as required, They’ve disposed with the razor- Sainsbury’s is launching its first store a Miele machine and pay a
turning smartphone purchases into and-blade pricing model and powered entirely by food waste. monthly fee depending on how
a series of regular, lightweight created EcoTank, a printer with an much washing they do, with service
upgrades. ink tank that lasts two years before it plans starting at 18.95 euros for
needs refilling. 15 loads.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 3 Circular Economy
Evidence
41.5M TONNES Too much stuff? ASOS Marketplace began
as a way for smaller designers to sell new
Electronic waste is rising, with
wares. Now, it’s a platform for Brits to turn
around 41.5 million tonnes
old clothes into cash; four-fifths of ASOS
generated in 2011. That figure is
sellers use the site to resell their old clothes.
expected to rise to 93.5 million (Source: ASOS).
by 2016.
$26 billion
(Source: Markets and Markets).
People are sharing and renting on an unprecedented
scale. Already the peer-to-peer rental market is worth
an estimated $26 billion.
(Source: The Economist).
Many people are seeking to
reclaim lost skills so they can
‘make do and mend’. After the While profitability is a core aim of the business model
Great British Sewing Bee in 2014, of the circular economy, its main goal is performance.
John Lewis saw sewing machine That means rethinking the idea of buying and selling
sales increase 22%. goods as services, rather than products.”
(Source: John Lewis). Walter Stahel, Industrial Analyst.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 4 Radical Transparency
People expect honesty and openness. Brands can no
longer hide from the demand for transparency.
In 2015, people openly share many things; photos, feelings,
ideas. Why should brands be any different? When the default
approach to life is public, keeping things hidden can look
suspicious. Offering up secrets is a smart way of building trust
and getting consumers on side.
That’s why McDonald’s took control of their public image
with a campaign that addressed rumours (like the idea that
their foods don’t rot) head on, while Coca-Cola released an
advert that, for the first time, confronted the issue of obesity.
And it’s how fashion brands like TOMS, Everlane and Warby
Parker – who are open about their ethical business models and
profit margins – are attracting young loyalists.
For those who’ve grown up in the information age, nothing
should be unknowable. Apps that empower the consumer are
multiplying. Label Lookup scans product labels like ‘organic’
and determines if they are truthful while Buycott scans
barcodes to unlock the ethical credentials of products and their
owners. Even workers are seeking transparency, using services
like Glassdoor and InHerSight to anonymously vet workplaces
before they turn up to the office. It’s no surprise that the
mission behind the new billion-dollar social network Slack is to
push greater transparency into the workplace by making all
communications open.
Image source: SquareTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 4 Radical Transparency
Examples
Image source: Everlane Image source: Slack Image source: Greenhouse Image source: McDonald’s
Luxury fashion brand Everlane is so Business communications platform In the US, a 16-year old coder In Canada, the McDonald’s
committed to radical transparency Slack, valued at $2.8 billion and created a browser plug-in called transparency campaign ‘Our Food,
that they list everything, from the gaining a reputation as the fastest Greenhouse to demystify corporate Your Questions’ answered 20,000
profit they’re making to the name of growing business application influence in politics. Browsers consumer questions about its food
their factory manager, on ever, is transforming offices by hover over the name of a local and operations and saw consumer
their website. replacing ‘closed’ email with ‘open’ congressman to see which corporate trust in the brand rise by 60%.
communications where everything entities he or she has relations with.
is shared openly by default.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 4 Radical Transparency
Evidence
In a more networked world, people
start to wonder where products have
17 MILLION
Glassdoor, which allows employees to
come from and they ask themselves, ‘Do
compare their wages and rate jobs and
I feel comfortable with that?’ Any brand
employers, reaches more than 17 million
that wants to be premium is going to
people a month.
have to embrace the concept of radical (Source: Glassdoor).
transparency.”
Niall Dunne, Head of Sustainability at BT.
You can’t hide from transparency.”
Andrew Harrison, Deputy Chief Executive at Dixons
Carphone.
When San Francisco start-up
Buffer published all its financial reports
– including how much it pays individual Retailer Everlane’s infographics,
employees – the company saw an increase which show the difference between
in applications to work for them. how much it costs to make a t-shirt and
(Source: Buffer).
how much it costs to buy a t-shirt, attracted
almost 20,000 notes on Tumblr.
(Source: Tumblr).Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 5 Visible Values
Public displays of good have become a status symbol.
Social psychologists use a simple rule to describe what makes
a trend catch on: visibility. People are fundamentally social, taking
cues about how to behave from those around them. In other
words, the more visible a behaviour is, the more likely it is
to spread.
In the past year, we’ve reached a tipping point around visibility
and values, with news that more people globally (55%) are willing
to pay more for socially responsible products than not. More
broadly, it’s easy to see the impact this shift is having on popular
culture. Take a brand like H&M, their Conscious collection is not
about sustainability or hemp tote bags, but making sustainability
fashionable. Similarly, last year’s Ice Bucket Challenge saw
remarkable engagement; 2.4 million videos were posted on
Facebook alone, as people jumped at the opportunity to flaunt
their values.
This principle will increasingly impact brands, particularly those
consumed publicly. People are looking to ally with brands that
signal something positive about their values, whether that’s
‘I’m eating healthily’, ‘I’m exercising’ or ‘I’m buying sustainably’.
Although, admittedly, what happens out of sight is a different
matter – we’ll eat salads at work and gorge on takeaways at
home. However, as there is no universal conception of what
Image source: Laura the Toyota Expert
constitutes social good – youth may relate to LGBT cause
marketing, seniors might not. The key to visible values is first
understanding which values your consumers are actually willing
to shout about.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 5 Visible Values
Examples
.Image source: ANZ Image source: Wikimedia
A law allowing gay marriage in Australia Last year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge marked
was overturned in December 2013. While a turning point in attitudes to showing off
most Australians had long been supportive your values, with 2.8 million videos made and
of marriage equality, their support had been uploaded to Facebook. More broadly, social
silent. National bank ANZ took this as a civic media has become a key fundraising model;
responsibility – playfully (and proudly) re-skinning from Cancer Research’s #nomakeupselfie to
ordinary ATMs as colourful and camp ‘GAYTMs’. JustGiving’s online donations – currently £2 billion
Doing so enabled public support to become... and counting. In each of these cases, popularity
public, which eventually won them a Grand Prix was driven due to interaction and sharing on
award at Cannes 2014. social media.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 5 Visible Values
Evidence
55% £2 billion
Values have reached mainstream status. Social displays of good are changing
In a global survey, 55% of respondents charity – online donations at JustGiving
said they would be willing to pay more have recently surpassed £2 billion since
for socially responsible products. launching in 2001.
(Source: Nielsen). (Source: JustGiving).
Making things more observable People give both to feel connected to
makes them easier to imitate.” a community and to signal identity both to
Jonah Berger, Professor of Marketing. themselves and others.”
Daniel Oppenheimer, Professor of Psychology
and Marketing.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TRENDSTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 1 Swipe To Decide
As brands jostle to understand mobile
consumers, the swipe interface is dominating.
Mobile is still uncharted territory for many brands,
but with mobile commerce predicted to be worth
more than $3 trillion by 2017 it’s likely to impact
every organisation. So, what’s the interface?
Look no further than Tinder. With more than one
billion swipes, it’s developed a simple interface
with wide application. For the unacquainted, the
interface presents choices one-by-one like a deck
of cards: swipe right for ‘yes’, left for ‘next’. Already,
brands are exploring how this interface can be used
in different contexts. We’ve seen music discovery
service, Next, use the swipe to help people find new
artists and mobile retailer Grabble use it to help
people browse clothes. Now, Tinder is starting to use
its own model of swiping to serve ads for brands
like Bud Light.
The success of the interface is down to simple
psychology: people are better at evaluating options
one-at-a-time than all at once. It’s also about
practicalities – for mobile users who are typically
on-the-go, swiping can be done with one hand. In
the future, as more smartwatches hit the market,
Image source: Thibaud Saintin
the limitations of small screens will only drive more
innovation around swipe and touch interfaces.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 2
High Street 3.0
Brands have embraced the online
challenge and redefined the purpose of
brick-and-mortar stores.
Many thought that online would kill the high
street. It hasn’t. Digital and physical have learnt
to complement each other – omni-channel is now
the norm and the high street is being re-imagined
for the demands of 21st century shoppers. As
Canvas8 expert David Birch points out, “People
aren’t using mobile instead of other channels,
they’re using it as well as.”
Nearly half of the UK have used a Click &
Collect service, Nationwide recently invested
£300 million to upgrade their high street
branches and 70% of students say they favour
the high street over shopping online. At the same
time, former online-only retailers Birchbox and
Bonobos have opened physical stores to enhance
the customer experience.
Image source: CredutTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 3 Dynamic Pricing
Pricing used to be stable. Now, thanks to
digitisation, it is on the move.
Airlines and hotels have used dynamic
pricing for years – hiking up prices or dropping
them according to demand. Now, technology
has opened the model up to new markets.
Organisations from retailers to cinemas can
optimise their prices in response to fluctuating
conditions.
Recently launched in the UK, Usheru tackles the
problem of 90% of cinema tickets going unsold by
letting film lovers hunt down bargain tickets during
times of low demand. This joins mobile app YPlan
which offers last-minute tickets to events often at
discounted rates and American service, Qcue,
which slashes baseball ticket prices when it rains.
What unites all of these innovations is the ability
to quickly monitor and adapt prices on-the-fly
using data and digital channels. Indeed, the same
principle flows through technology giants like
Amazon, famed for its fluid pricing strategy that
Image source: Raban Haaijk can see prices change every 10 minutes.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 4
Diagnostic Brands
From skincare to alcohol, brands are using data-
styled quizzes to help people choose.
People find decision-making hard. And with so many
decisions to make, people are looking to relinquish control of
some of them – but not completely. The model that’s emerging
encourages consumers to share personal data, most often
through a series of quiz-like questions, which is then processed
by an algorithm to deliver a personal recommendation. In
psychology, this is called ‘preference articulation’ and is linked
to greater satisfaction with decisions.
We call these brands, which help people choose by taking
them on a journey, ‘diagnostic’. They are already emerging in
a number of categories. Take wine – nine million people are
actively building a ‘wine taste profile’ on mobile app Vivino
which is being used to recommend their next bottle. And at
skincare brand GENEU’s London concept store, customers
receive a DNA test to see how they’ll age, while L’Oréal’s
‘virtual mirror’ is popping up in retailers. British politics is even
being decided through quizzes, with sites like Vote for Policies
seeing thousands of Brits take a 40-minute quiz to help decide
which party is right for them.
Image source: L’Oréal ParisTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 5 Later-Life Luxury
Seniors are splurging. What on?
According to a study by the Centre for
Economic and Business Research, Britain’s ‘grey
pound’ has seen considerable growth over
the past decade, and now accounts for £320
billion of consumer spending in the UK - £100
billion more than in 2003. And from April 2015,
new legislation allowed over-55s in the UK to
withdraw all of their pension in one go and
spend it on whatever they choose.
In terms of spending travel is top of the list,
followed by leisure, recreation and culture, with
79% of seniors planning to spend up to £10,000
each on a travel experience. Those aged over
65 already spend more on restaurants and hotels
than any other age group. Others expect a
spurt in home renovations to cater for changing
lifestyles.
For ‘ageless’ seniors, there’s a whole range of
categories that could see a boost. That L’Oréal
Paris chose 69-year-old Helen Mirren as the face
of their brand is no coincidence; one estimate has
women over 45 accounting for 41% of spending
on cosmetics and toiletries. Whether a holiday, a
home extension or a hairdo, in 2015 many seniors
may get hold of a pot of cash that will enable
Image source: Patrick
them to afford some later-life luxury.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 6
Alternative Currencies
Brands are developing novel ways to pay... and
express their personality.
Launched at the 2015 Super Bowl, the Pay With Lovin’
concept from McDonald’s saw one million customers, picked at
random, pay for their orders with a ‘random act of Lovin’’, from
fist-bumping an employee or calling a loved one. At a similar
time, UK biscuit brand McVitie’s announced a pop-up ‘Cuddle
Café’ in London, in which customers exchanged cuddles for tea
and biscuits.
These examples join the growing trend for brands to reward
positive interactions from their customers while also expressing
their brand personality. Pret A Manger recently made news
with revelations that staff are being encouraged to give free
drinks to customers they like – even fancy. Over in Australia,
upscale hotel brand Art Series Hotels took the idea even
further, rating guests’ behaviour publicly out of five. Well-
behaved guests were given a free stay, misbehaving guests
were publicly shamed.
Image source: Zach DischnerTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 7 App Habits
Technology is being used by brands and
consumers to create new habits. How?
Habits are the Holy Grail for many marketers
– the automatic reflex that comes from winning
a regular slot in a consumer’s life. According to
psychologists, for a behaviour to become a habit
it has to recur at least once a week, making
smartphones – technologies people keep within a
few feet of them for 22 hours a day and forecast
to hit 90% penetration in the UK next year – a
powerful new platform for building habits. This
explains why some apps stick – from Google
Maps to Facebook – while most don’t.
Now, attention is shifting to wearables. While
growth is expected to be modest, the potential
for these personal devices to play a role in
habit-forming is significant. From a little buzz that
reminds people to do five minutes of exercise, to a
branded buzz that rewards people (who manage
five minutes of exercise) with a free coffee. The
emerging wearable space will be dominated by
Image source: Verein für demokratische Kultur in Berlin a smart understanding of consumer habits, not
technology.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 8
Networked Niches
Smaller, niche brands are starting to collaborate
and network in exciting ways.
A niche is generally seen as a small market, characterised
by passion. They tend to be small, have limited resources and
are limited in their scope – so they’re generally not a threat to
larger players. But what happens when niche businesses start
to realise the benefits of sharing resources, and collaborate
rather than compete?
Ideas like Hubbub, a shopping delivery service that
connects independent high street shops; Not Just A Label,
which works like a platform for independent designers; and
Penguin Random House’s My Independent Bookshop, which
aggregates independent booksellers, all blend the personality
of small brands, with the power and reach of the big players.
Meanwhile, as indie, craft brewers gain a grip on the UK
booze market, brands like Diageo and Pernod Ricard are
launching brands that feel inherently local and niche.
Image source: Pernod RicardTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 9 Live Brands
With the rise of Periscope, people are getting excited
about the potential for live-casting.
With hype surrounding live streaming apps like Periscope
and Meerkat the debate around live content online is being
reignited. Will it change journalism forever? Is it the future of
light entertainment? Maybe, but its not entirely new either.
Twitch TV live streams other people gaming to more than
35 million people a month, and teens are already happily
watching each other sleep on YouNow under the hashtag
#sleepingsquad.
For the majority of people though, live content will need
to be pretty amazing to capture their attention. Without the
creative editing tools that have made the web such a hive of
creativity, live streaming either needs to be spectacular (think
Felix Baumgartner’s Space Jump for Red Bull) or filmed by
someone who happens to be in exactly the right place at the
right time.
Image source: Chris JLTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
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TREND 10
Direct Lines
Technology is allowing brands to talk directly to
customers through their products.
Direct contact between brands and their consumers
often ends when people step out of the shop. Now NFC
technology is creating a new channel for products to carry on
the conversation. Launched at Mobile World Congress 2015,
Johnny Walker’s ‘smart bottle’ can deliver dynamic information
to consumers’ smartphones – so discounts and offers while the
bottle is still on the shelf, cocktail recipes after the lid’s been
cracked open at home.
At the same time, adidas is experimenting with clothing that,
when tapped with a smartphone, can deliver personalised
messages to consumers. “Imagine the product and its
advertising campaign are tied to a concert. What if instead
of having to queue up like everyone else, you could walk
straight through to the red carpet line because you’ve got the
right shoes on?” explains Jon Warner, Innovation Specialist
at adidas. “It’s cool things like that where we add additional
value to the purchase.”
Image source: AdifansnetTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
objective 1 Change
attitudesTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
1
Change attitudes
objective Case Study:
Love Has No Labels
Surprise and shock can be mechanisms to shake up
people’s attitudes. The ‘Love Has No Labels’ campaign in
America, which sought to highlight people’s subconscious
prejudices, certainly falls into this category. The hero
spot of the campaign – already viewed close to
43 million times – shows two ‘skeletons’ embracing behind
an x-ray screen. The stunt, filmed on Valentine’s Day in
Santa Monica, California reveals pairings that challenge
preconceptions around gender, race, sexual orientation,
religion, ability and age.
The spot, backed up by TV, banners and print ads,
was also supported by a website where people could
explore their hidden prejudice – so called Implicit Bias
– through a test featuring questions such as, ‘Have you
ever asked someone where they’re ‘really from’.’ The site
offers advice that helps people counter unintentional
prejudice or guidance on overcoming bias, for example
in segments on school bullying. Personal stories from
those experiencing prejudice furthered the emotional
pull and impact. Reach was fostered through a hashtag –
#lovehasnolabels – and by encouraging others to create
a ‘face of love’ (by captioning a photo of themselves and
a loved one with a slogan such as ‘love has no age’ or
‘love has no gender’).Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
1
Change attitudes
objective Case Study:
Buy your guns here
In a similar vein to ‘Love Has No Labels’, US NGO ‘States
United To Prevent Gun Violence’ sought to counter the
perception among 60% of Americans that owning a gun
makes their homes safer, despite the contrary being true.
A fake gun store in New York City lured customers with
hundreds of firearms on display and a big window sign
reading ‘First time buyer? We’re here to help you.’ Inside,
staff explained the specifics of each model to customers,
before revealing that the gun had been used in an
accident or a mass shooting. Each weapon contained a
tag, but instead of the price it detailed the weapon’s use
in a shooting or mass killing, how many people died and
the identity of the shooter. It also included the campaign
message: ‘Every gun has a history. Let’s not repeat it.’
An online video captured shoppers’ reactions to the
revelations, racking up more than 3 million views since 17th
March 2015. An online store was also created, replicating
the physical experience. It featured the ‘best sellers
collection’, accompanied by a photo, a short description and
a ‘history tag’ which, for example, might reveal how a nine-
year-old girl was unintentionally shot and killed by her gun
instructor with that weapon. Like ‘Love Has No Labels’ the
campaign utilizes a quiz that helps visitors understand if a
gun will make their life safer – for instance, a woman taking
the quiz will find out that ‘a woman’s chances of being killed
by her assailant increases more than seven times if he has
access to her gun.’Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
1
Change attitudes
objective Case Study:
Scandic To Go
While not changing an overarching social attitude,
northern Europe’s largest hotel chain, Scandia, needed
to change outdated perceptions of its brand to ensure
expectations matched its $123 million interior redesign
investment. Although well-known for offering good
value, functional and safe options, the brand was
increasingly deemed outdated and boring, especially
compared to boutique and design hotels. It particularly
had perception issues with younger, trendier consumers
or couples looking for a romantic break, harmed in part
by its typically old buildings and boring exteriors. Simply
put, the hotel interiors and customer experience were
now quite different to the perception generated by
the outside. As a result, returns on its huge investments
were not forthcoming, creating internal frustration.
Knowing that getting a new target group to come and
see the interiors for themselves was not viable, the brand
needed to show the audience in another way. Working
with Prime in Stockholm, the brand created a mobile
hotel room that anyone could request to be brought to a
location of their choice. They could then spend the night in
the room to see the impressive renovation for themselves.
The campaign reached 11 million people in Sweden and
generated a 20% year-on-year increase in revenue.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
1
Change attitudes
objective
Learning
Emotional response Make it personal Be bold, be different
According to Karen Nelson-Field, a The online quiz featured in the ‘Buy your Scandic had perhaps been a little
researcher at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute guns here’ campaign is extremely powerful traditional in their marketing, for example
for Marketing Science, videos that have because it encourages people to think that undertaking typical PR launches and press
a ‘high arousal response’ (i.e. provoke a gun violence accident could affect them. releases to try and talk to their client base.
strong physiological response like making We’re all prone to optimism bias, thinking To shift perception quickly and dramatically
you laugh, gasp or cry) are shared more. that we’re less likely than other people they had to go out of their comfort zone
Equally she notes that videos provoking a to experience a negative event. The quiz and be braver. Scandic are typically
positive emotional response are shared personalises news stories and statistics so quite cautious in the way they talk about
more than those with a negative emotional that people can see just how owning a gun their products whereas one of its main
response. This impact was clearly could increase the risk of injury or death for competitors, Choice Hotels, are always
highlighted in the phenomenal success of themselves or the people around them. shouting about what they are doing. The
the ‘Love Has No Labels’ campaign. Scandic To Go campaign made them
braver, more proactive and proud of
themselves, so the results delivered. It pays
to be bold.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
objective 2 Driving
FootfallTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
2
Driving Footfall
objective Case Study:
Breakfast like a king
Burger King in Korea needed to face the challenge
from rival McDonald’s, who dominated the early morning
fast food market. To boost pre-lunch sales and promote
its breakfast menu it devised a clever campaign born
from an OECD fact that Koreans sleep seven hours and
49 minutes per night on average, one of the lowest of
OECD’s member states. As a result, many people nod
off on the subway while commuting, with some missing
their stop. Solution-solving Burger King helped Koreans
have a peaceful slumber by producing a branded eye
mask with the phrase: ‘Wake me up at ABC station’.
The masks, handed out at five busy subway stations
in Seoul, let commuters nap safe in the knowledge that
a kind passenger would wake them up at the right stop.
Hidden inside the mask were two coupons for a free cup
of King Americano coffee, so the wearer could thank
the person waking them with a steaming cuppa from a
nearby Burger King outlet. According to Burger King,
participating stores saw an 18.7% morning sales increase
due to customers purchasing additional items while
claiming their free drink. The agency, Cheil Worldwide,
Seoul, reports that social media buzz about the brand
soared 44.5% in the month after the campaign launched.
The campaign has since been rolled out to other cities.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
2
Driving Footfall
objective Case Study:
It pays to behave
We all know TripAdvisor can have a big impact on hotel
bookings. Rather than worry about their ratings Aussie chain,
The Art Series Hotel Group, reversed the process. Taking
the functionality of TripAdvisor and subverting it, its Reverse
Reviews programme saw hotel staff review guests instead.
The programme invites guests staying at any of the group’s
six hotels in Melbourne from 17th April to 31st May to
have their behaviour scrutinised. Guests who opt in will
be ranked according to a point system and will have their
final score published online. Those who rank high will be
rewarded with complimentary stays, upgrades, food and
drink. Created with Melbourne-based Cummins & Partners,
Reverse Reviews is being promoted by a 15-second film.
Whether simply enjoying a challenge or believing one
is a considerate guest, this programme created for many
a clear incentive to book a stay, in the hope that they
end up qualifying for the rewards on offer. Aside from
enhancing visits, the Reverse Reviews campaign also
reiterated the quirky and unorthodox brand personality
of the Art Series Hotel Group. Interestingly, this initiative
also helped staff view guests as individuals rather than
an amorphous collective, meaning how guests conduct
themselves matters. What’s more, if guests are a little
more conscientious about their behaviour, that makes
the hotel a more pleasant place for guests and staff
alike, making the hotel a more attractive place.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
2
Driving Footfall
objective Case Study:
If the suit fits
A modern day Cinderella story it might not be
but Swedish menswear retailer, Brothers, took some
inspiration from the classic fairy tale as it sought to raise
footfall and awareness of its specially tailored off-the-
peg suits. The brand designed three suits for three
different body types, offering the prize of a trip for
two to New York, dinner at Michelin-starred restaurant
Eleven Madison Park and a new suit, to the three
people lucky enough to perfectly fit each of the suits.
By visiting any of its stores to be measured, prospective
customers could see if they matched. Even if you didn’t
win you at least had the consolation prize of having
your measurements mailed to you for future use!
Brothers also toured the three suits, setting up stands
in Swedish malls from April to May. Participants could
find information about the tour and the suits on the
campaign website, even sharing the details of any suit
they felt might fit a friend via Twitter, Facebook or
email. Nearly 1,200 people had their measurements
taken as part of the campaign, with 51% of all store
traffic during the campaign period driven there by
the outreach. 30% of all men in Sweden noticed the
campaign and the ‘net promoter score’ increased
from -2.5 to +45%. The intention among the target
group to visit a Brothers store rose by 243%.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
2
Driving Footfall
objective
Learning
Solve a problem Play on your personality Don’t centre on an offer
One of the best ways to engender brand Some brands treat anything that Brothers’ campaign, used a competition
equity, as well as footfall, is to use insights encourages footfall as separate to its mechanism, but avoided any additional
to find problems that exist and solve ‘brand marketing’. It is assumed that being direct promotional or value orientated
them – rather than the brand dream up tactical and dull is ok, as that suits the call to action. By making getting your
an issue – as Burger King did in Korea. functionality of this aspect of consumer measurements taken the mechanic of
This problem solver not only aids impact outreach; for consumers that is clearly not entering the competition it encouraged
on the person targeted but is more likely true. In the example of Reverse Review, store visit without the need to go down a
to generate buzz, as people share with we see a programme that not only value based route, thereby gaining footfall
others something that has proved beneficial encouraged visits but also reaffirmed and without eroding margins. To boot, it gained
to them and has the potential to do the built the brand’s wider personality and contact details and access to individuals’
same to those they know. credentials, meaning even those not taking measurements, thereby removing a hurdle
up the offer hopefully have a clearer and toward future purchases (at full price
more positive view of the brand. no doubt).Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
objective 3 Product
LaunchTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
3
Product Launch
objective Case Study:
Hey Future Me
Middle Eastern bank Emirates NBD needed to attract
affluent parents and encourage them to save for their
kids’ futures using the bank’s new Children’s Savings
Plans. In devising a suitable campaign the brand took
an emotional approach, in a sector typically beset by
more logical arguments and messaging. The resulting
‘Hey Future Me...’ campaign centered on school children
recording a message to their future selves. Parents
were invited to parent/teacher sessions to watch the
videos, which highlighted their children’s aspirations
and future plans, as they were being recorded. At
the end of the video, Emirates NBD’s representatives
engaged the parents in a one-to-one session about
their child’s future, covering life stage planning and
introducing the bank’s savings plan options.
Over 30 of the UAE’s leading schools conducted
the experiment, each with groups of approximately
30 students per school. The upshot was a 34% increase
in online visits for savings plans, and a 20% increase
in savings plans actually being taken out, compared
with figures from 2013. Consumer engagement in
the campaign beat regional benchmarks by 40%.
The campaign also won a Grand Prix in direct
marketing at the 2015 Dubai Lynx awards.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
3
Product Launch
objective Case Study:
Volvo reality
Swedish auto brand Volvo recently created a virtual
reality experience using low-cost VR head-set, Google
Cardboard, to maximise excitement and interest in the new
XC90 before it hit the dealerships. Volvo Reality takes users
on a virtual test drive through scenic countryside, with a
range of episodes featuring different locations and weather
conditions. Volvo created a limited number of branded
Cardboard headsets that were given away via the
campaign website. Fans also had the option of buying and
building their own Google headset. Once assembled, users
slide their smartphone into the viewer of the headset before
starting the app, which works on both iOS and Android.
The campaign was essential in reinvigorating a brand
struggling in the US, with the new XC90 aiming to enable
the brand to compete with the likes of BMW and Audi.
The campaign sought not only to stir excitement ahead of
the launch but also to ‘express the joy in the innovation of
the car before anyone could actually see the car itself’.
Purposefully using Cardboard kept costs low and allowed
for greater access to the experience; it also resisted spoiling
the seamless drive experience by trying to pack in and
show off all of the car’s features. The campaign generated
PR buzz, while providing a functional experience for
potential customers to get behind the wheel. Making the
programme episodic kept buzz and interaction going.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
3
Product Launch
objective Case Study:
A brief encounter
French clothing brand, Le Slip Francais, best known
for its underwear range, launched a cheeky campaign
asking the public to fund its quest to open a pop-up
store in Los Angeles. Rather than asking people to
simply fund the new shop, however, the brand created
a tongue-in-cheek love story. In the campaign video a
professional shop window mannequin, Leo, describes
how he’s been separated from his love, Sherry, and
asks the public to help him find her. Le Slip Francais’
Kickstarter page then set out the strategy to help
Leo get his girl – launching a limited edition ‘Very
Love Trip’ collection to pay for the adventure; driving
across America, ensuring that Sherry hears about the
trip before they arrive; and then setting up a pop-up
shop in LA, so that Leo can settle there with Sherry.
The $30,000 Kickstarter funding goal breaks down
into different elements, with fans able to choose to fund
the trip in the usual Kickstarter way, selecting whether
they’d like to give $2 to have their name appear on
a wall of fame in the shop; $140 for a limited edition
pair of swim shorts; or go all out and spend $3,000
on a VIP trip to meet Leo in LA. As well as helping fund
the actual store launch, the campaign enabled the
brand to create a longer, more engaging run-up to the
opening, as fans follow Leo’s journey across America.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
3
Product Launch
objective
Learning
Drop the logic Suitable tech drives halo Content adds character
We know that brands are bought emotively and Volvo saw its Volvo Reality campaign as The brief encounter campaign illustrates
then only justified post-purchase with more rational an opportunity to create an innovation the role content has in injecting a story into
arguments. This does not stop many brands, particularly halo for the brand; this was essential in an otherwise fairly run-of-the-mill event.
in certain sectors, focusing almost entirely on logical matching the innovation that had gone into Pop-up shops are pretty commonplace
messages. Emirates NBD’s campaign shows that this its new car. As virtual reality is relatively these days, especially in major retail cities
need not be the case. By not focusing on product new and, certainly on a smartphone, very like LA and Paris. So simply opening up a
benefits – such as superior rates – like its rivals, the new, there were a lot of firsts happening new store is unlikely to excite the media
bank was able to convey a powerful message that in terms of how to use the medium to tell or cause a stir beyond diehard brand
emotionally resonates with the target group. The bank stories, how to use the medium for utility advocates. Dressing up the launch with
is exploiting the fact that a parent – who has already and how to use the medium for ongoing a comical, tongue-in-cheek storyline,
invested in their child by sending them to a leading content as opposed to just a one off stunt. however, creates more buzz and interest
school – is likely to want to continue to invest in their When technology can be used to enhance around the opening. It has the potential to
future. Equally the campaign enabled parents to become a campaign and the user experience while evolve beyond a pure play retail story and
better aware of the paths their kids might take, surely also building wider brand associations its into more of a cultural meme.
a useful exercise in its own right, especially considering use should be considered a must. Early
that 73% of parents in the UAE have not had a adoption is key – would this campaign
conversation with their children about their future. have worked had other car marques
already used the same approach?Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
objective 4 Dramatise
The ProductTrends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
4
Dramatise The Product
objective Case Study:
Snow Problem
Not everyone owns a Quattro, but Audi is
helping everyone in Sweden experience the
benefits of its four-wheel drive model with
its latest campaign. The Svenska Snöräddare
(Swedish Snow Rescuers) app enables drivers
stranded in the snow to call for assistance from
a squad of volunteer Quattro owners. Users
struck by adverse weather conditions simply
need to open the app and log the location
of their breakdown. The app then puts them in
touch with a nearby member of Audi’s Snow
Rescue force, supplying them with the number
of their designated hero, who they can then
text, call or message through the app.
The app builds on Audi’s previous attempts to
align its four-wheel drive model with extreme
weather conditions – a previous TV ad shows
a father and son team rescuing drivers in their
Quattro. The Snow Rescuers app is a neat
continuation of this strategy and acts as the
perfect product demonstration, creating an
opportunity for non-Audi owners to experience
the capabilities of a Quattro exactly at the
moment that current vehicle has failed them,
and without having to visit a dealership.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
4
Dramatise The Product
objective Case Study:
Always looking out
for you
Feminine hygiene brand, Always, has created
an app that helps women walk home alone
safely when it’s dark. BackMeApp powerfully
restates the brand position as being on
the side of women, promoting a sense of
alliance and reinforcing the message that
Always isn’t a purely functional brand.
BackMeApp, an update to the brand’s
menstrual cycle calculator app, connects you
with a friend to protect you on your way home.
It lets you pick a route, send it to a mate, and
alerts them if you deviate from the path or stop
for longer than two minutes. Once you reach
your destination, the app will let your friend
know, so that they can wish you goodnight. The
app, which was launched in Israel, has been
downloaded 1.8 million times so far, and has
about 3,000 unique users on a daily basis. While
there are plenty of unbranded apps, for example
EyeOnMe and Track me home, that do almost
exactly what BackMeApp is offering, it’s smart
for a brand whose entire marketing premise
centres on protection to develop its own service.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
4
Dramatise The Product
objective Case Study:
You’re about to read
a case study
Volkswagen in South Africa has created an integrated
campaign to demonstrate its Side Assist technology by
predicting the content of other brands’ ads. The car brand
created a series of press, TV, radio and outdoor ads
that described what ads people would see or hear next.
On a highway, VW placed one billboard with the words
‘Volkswagen knows what’s coming’, followed by another
saying ‘You’re about to see an ad for baked beanz’. The next
billboard then indeed advertised Heinz Baked Beanz. The
same formula was replicated across various forms of media,
so the brand would, for instance, predict a radio ad featuring
the sounds of the ocean in a storm, and lo and behold
that would be the next ad that radio listener would hear.
It is hard to make tech accessible and understood but this
campaign does so in a visual, immediately clear and friendly
way. The lack of complicated jargon or safety simulations
is well received. The campaign, as with many great
campaigns, is not a one-hit wonder but part of a longer
running series that includes an office version of Side Assist
that can predict when your boss is behind you, so you won’t
get caught online looking at something you shouldn’t be.Trends & Insights Digest | May 2015 | VOL 1
campaign
4
Dramatise The Product
objective
Learning
Show up where rivals fail Build in the need to share Playing with others
Audi’s Snow Problem campaign is not only The BackMeApp and campaign relies VW’s ‘You’re about to’ campaign has
a clever way to capture attention but it on two people to work, so users have a managed to use other brand’s advertising
builds on a long-running centrepiece of real incentive to promote the app among to get its own message across. This tactical
its communications, namely its product’s their network of female friends. The app media placement strategy, currently being
superior performance regardless of the is clearly focused on a female user group, employed successfully by Carlsberg in
weather. The brilliance of the campaign but even though few men would want response to the controversial best beach
is that those using the app are doing so to download a menstrual cycle app it body campaign from Protein World, is both
at the very moment their own vehicle fails doesn’t mean that the BackMeApp service fun and accessible. The surprise element here
them, reminding them starkly of the benefit wouldn’t be useful for concerned male makes this campaign particularly memorable.
of owning an Audi. It also activates brand friends/boyfriends/fathers. Considering that The ads themselves are plain and grey,
evangelists, who are best placed to teach Always’ parent company P&G has a history but by abandoning advertising norms by
people about your product, which feels of brand bundling (partnering brands from making its spots and posters purposefully
much more effective than a corporate across it portfolio in its marketing) perhaps bland, Volkswagen has managed to be
employee praising the products. P&G will in due course link this service to heard among the advertising noise. And by
another P&G app, making a genuinely repeating the same tactic across a variety of
useful branded service available to a media, Volkswagen has really drummed its
wider audience. point home.You can also read
