With live video streaming apps (such as the likes of
Periscope and Snapchat) prevailing as consumers’ platforms of choice
this 2016, I am excited about their scope for connecting ever more personally
to consumers. Inquisitr states that globally, 400 million snaps are sent a day - more than the number of posts on Facebook and Instagram combined. WOAH.
BusinessInsider calls it ‘Ad Tech’ - an ambition to open up
platforms to grow the ad sales business with e-commerce opportunities and build
audiences in various ways. It’s been heavily anticipated since the demand for
ad space hugely outweighed Snapchat’s supply back in 2014, after selling its
first batch. Without a doubt, these platforms will be brands’ focal arena for
the creation, promotion and engagement of content, as apps become more omnipresent and offer fresh diversity. Don't even think about overt advertising or annoying pop-ups.
Content will grow increasingly immersive and personalised whilst
targeting specific, passionate communities.
We can thank consumers growing increasingly
savvy, restless, and somewhat bored of being treated as ignorant for that... Inquisitr sees
consumers leading the way via the ‘Internet of Things,’ and I definitely agree! Brands will have no choice but to respond rapidly and innovatively to keep them
hooked. Think mainstream video storytelling with live demos of new products, a
choice of user journeys, interactive, responsive content, and content
with utility. It’s static content that seems to be halting Twitter’s growth right now anyway; their lack of video functionality is causing them to lag behind against social competitors.
2016 is where you’ll have fuller
brand experiences at the tap of your screen; see Rihanna and
Samsung’s latest mobile experience in line with the release of her new album, ANTIDiaRy for flavour. Soon enough, I bank on in-app purchasing. The
path-to-purchase journey will be so slick and organic, the journey won’t even
feel like a path - it will be an 'experience.' More commonly, the industry is
calling this new wave of advertising 'entertainment.' With regards to social advertising, I foresee it no longer being a 'for the sake of it' job or an after thought, but more a driver of change for consumer-brand relationships.
Consumers require originality and 'to feel special' (or huge media spend), in order to get brands attention. And so in a content-heavy and accessible world, entertainment seems
the enticing approach via standing out.
(^ AntiDiary snippet)
I foresee one drawback of digital- the
lack of sensuality. This is backed by Digiday’s article on how more and more
people in modern lifestyles are seeking out direct human contact, and real-life experiences. Brands may have to cultivate 4D and interactivity, entwining
the real and digital world more fully- outcome TBC...
Finally, it would be naive to ignore the
power of messaging apps, such as Whatsapp and Viber. Ever popular from the
explosion of ‘data’ and ‘being mobile,’ more personal content sharing will be
the next step to consumer-brand relationships. When time and customer service
in a 24/7 world becomes paramount (with reviews valuing like gold),
it’s going to be imperative for companies to be at customers’ beckon call...even
more than their social channels are now. Marketing Mag seems to think so anyway...
(^Image from SparkSheet Article)
