If you had told a brand 20 years ago it would be in the consumer’s pocket all day or be the first thing seen when its consumers woke up, or the last thing to be looked at when they went to bed (all of it literally) they would have gone crazy happy.
So when asked about the current situation of the brand communication market, my answer is that it is quite exciting.
Following the natural trend, as time goes by, clients have never invested as much money as they do today. And the possibilities have never been so amazing.
This information society revolution has changed everything. Or almost everything. Because the world is changing, as it always has, but in this fascinating era that we live in, there are too many tools and resources changing our behaviors drastically.
I was recently reading a very interesting article by a master in the field, Fernando Vega Olmos, who explains how we’re no longer defined (as a marketing target) by our gender, our age, our income… For some time now, what should really define audiences is the attitude. And I could not agree more.
And a company like Netflix, today, starts its year knowing what its income for that year is going to be (and therefore, roughly, its budget). That has never happened in the history of entertainment. And it goes on and on.
Yet, brand communication principles remain basically the same after all: discover and/or write interesting stories that help define the set values of a brand and find interesting ways to tell them. That remains unchanged.
But those who know how to tell stories are having hard times finding where and how to tell them. And those who know where or how to tell them have just begun to learn to tell them. And in the middle of it, you’ll find desperate clients, looking for experts in this new landscape.
But there are no experts on this new landscape yet. Just because it is new. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. As Aquarius great commercial by agency Sra. Rushmore said a long time ago: “human beings are unpredictable”.
It’s the time for pioneers. It can be scary for some. Or might not fit the calendars of others. But it is what it is. And, let’s be honest, it’s fascinating. At least for those of us whose work is to explore new landscapes. It is exciting to be at the starting line, knowing you can be one of the first to make it to the finish line because none of those next to you have more or better tools than you do.
I’ve also been working on events recently. Literally “Brand experience” (or at least one of its greatest forms), because you can use all five human senses to move an audience. Being the first one in the process myself to get a lump of emotion in my throat. And the budgets! 10 million dollars for a 30-minute event!
So yes, I truly think the current situation of the brand communication market is really exciting. I think it’s, more than ever, a time for pioneers. And I think that’s always been an important side of our job.
Cover photo by @nachetebennassar / You can find the original article in Spanish here.
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