May 16, 2017
Last week, I attended The Drum’s Future of Marketing Awards at the America Square Conference Centre in London. In keeping with my social mind-set, I chose to attend the following sessions; ‘The Future of Content’, The Future of Social, and ‘The Future of Personalisation.’ To give you an insight into the day, and a glimpse into the crystal ball of marketing, I’ve put together my top takeaways from the conference.
- ‘The power of a one liner’…a controversial snippet (within reason) with relevancy, will get you the cut through you need when it comes to content. Paul Mallon, the head of brand engagement at Paddy Power, emphasised the importance of creating content on ‘what people are talking about at home’ with a controversial spin, so that it stands out.
- Long-form content is on the rise…and when it’s done right, it works. We’re inundated with short-form content, particularly with the popularity of video, but the good news is there’s still a market out there for the right kind of long-form content.
- The dark side of social…88% of conversations now take place on channels where the customer is in control, therefore not traceable on most analytics platforms. Dark social puts the power in the consumer’s hands.
- Dom Burch, the managing director of Why Social, defined his strategy for success in four words, ‘listen’, ‘engage’, ‘appreciate’, and ‘persuade’. Enough said!
- “Anyone that just relies on traditional methods of communicating will be left behind.” Eric Schultz, President Obama’s former press secretary and special assistant, reminded us why we should be pushing the barriers and changing the norm to have any kind of lasting effect when it comes to marketing and communications. Added to this, Schultz highlighted the importance of building trust with your audience when it comes to marketing, “credibility is paramount”.
- Alfie Deyes, ‘Pointless’ blogger and YouTuber proved that influencer marketing is not dead if your content is fast-paced, and if you’re willing to develop a lasting relationship with your audience over time.
- Carolyn McCeever, the global head of loyalty at Shell, emphasised that brands actively demonstrating they care about their customers should be at the forefront of a successful strategy. This thinking is key when it comes to the content brands put out on social media, as this is where brands can truly demonstrate their loyalty to their customers.
- Rapp UK gave us ‘the tools to survive the data apocalypse’. The GDPR legislation (General Data Protection Regulation), kicks in May 2018, and will force companies to destroy ‘zombie data’. This means that the data you collect will have to fit the lifecycle of your brand and come with a specific purpose, both in the eyes of the consumer and the brand itself.
Overall, the conference was a real pick ‘n’ mix of info (think that’s what The Drum were going for!) and a great opportunity to discover what’s next for marketing according to the industry experts.
