3 TAKES: TRENDS IN BRAND MARKETING & Storytelling FOR 22’
1. Brands Thinking Like Media Companies.
No doubt more and more brands will continue to develop in-house studios. But these studios will grow more sophisticated and forward-thinking, not only in the type of content they produce, but also in the distribution strategies they employ to reach scale. The concept of developing a brand studio is not new, but the focus and strategy is evolving from just social content and traditional marketing campaigns to IP and entertainment. As forward-thinking brands expand their sights to podcasts, films and editorial, they’re also getting more sophisticated in the distribution strategies they deploy. This trend will only continue to grow as audiences seek out commercial-free platforms.
Lots of brands see the benefit of evolving their brand storytelling capabilities, but some recent examples of forerunners in the space are teasing what’s to come.
Take Salesforce for instance, the B2B powerhouse launched Salesforce+; their very own streaming platform, which bills itself as the Netflix of Business.
Nike is also charging ahead with Waffle Iron Entertainment; its own production entity created to develop and produce longform storytelling. Their debut feature doc “The Day Sports Stood Still” is currently airing on HBO.
Even file sharing company WeTransfer is thinking big picture, developing its own storytelling and creative platform for music, film, and photography called WePresent.
Brands thinking like media companies is a big picture strategy that extends beyond just content. These are companies that see the value in not only developing content that taps into culture and makes meaningful connections with consumers, but also in building and growing their own audience in an increasingly fractured media world.
2. The Creation of “Chief Storytellers”
In today’s companies, the position of CSO “Chief Storytelling Officer” is typically attached to a content or editorial executive, and in many cases it’s a self-proclaimed title. But as awareness of the need for story-driven content grows beyond the marketing suite, the need for big picture, strategic brand storytellers will make its way into mainstream C-suite vernacular.
A company that can connect to hearts and minds through storytelling will be well-positioned for the future. No matter what department it sits within, storytelling is going to be critical for both internal change management and external perception. A story-centric approach can support everything from recruiting, PR and comms to sustainability, marketing, and CSR. An executive that can build a story-driven culture will not only serve as a competitive advantage but will most certainly be good for business.
3. Three Words: Fast, Funny, Relevant
These three key words will become more and more popular in influencing content marketing strategies going forward. It’s not easy to hit all three, but if you do, it’s likely because your team didn’t overthink it or pour over insights and data for weeks. I’m not knocking my data peeps; they are a critical part of every endeavor, but as in life, everything within balance.
We are in the midst of a great revolution. Over the past few years, creativity has taken a backseat to algorithms – filling a sea of content that most humans aren’t watching much less connecting with. But it’s starting to feel like what’s old is new again, with creativity getting a prime seat at the table. Creatives that can connect culture to comedy in real-time are going to be an asset no matter the brand or platform. And in a world where moments in pop culture last for only a few days (or hours!) before getting wiped out by the next batch, content that moves at the speed of culture is key to remaining relevant. Of course, as is always the case but particularly after the last few years, laughter will be the antidote.
