EMPOWER issue 9 'change and continuity' Nov 2020
Exploring the theme of creativity and collaboration in this latest issue of Marketing Society publication Empower
Issue 9 — change and continuity
'Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.' To translate: the more things change the more they remain the same. French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr said that, and it fits for this issue, where we explore 'change and continuity', with articles on a post-pandemic world, fear and innovation, brand language, the new normal, diversity and habits, the evolution of social and content platforms, and being more personal.
Michael Piggott, Editor
ESCAPISM
VMLY&R's MD, Strategy and Insights, Bediz Eker, looks to what consumers truly value after a crisis, including ways to de-stress and escape
(5 MINS)
CHANGE
Felicity Walsh, strategist at growth consultancy &us shares some exclusive research into fear and innovation at work
(5 MINS)
LANGUAGE
CEO of Verbal Identity, the brand language and tone of voice agency, Chris West, says brand owners need to take responsibility for the reality their language creates
(5 MINS)
ENGAGEMENT
Pubmatic's Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, Emma Newman, looks at what a market reset means for brands, agencies and publishers and offers four tips to maximise engagement
(5 MINS)
INCLUSION
We need to break habits formed over 66 years. DICE's Amy Kean writes about how the marketing industry continues to resist change
(5 MINS)
CONTENT
The Fitting Room's Charlotte Mair says OnlyFans offers an intimate connection between creators and fans, and is an opportunity for brands
(5 MINS)
GAMING
VCCP New York's CSO, Jonny Shaw, says platform Roblox is the biggest thing happening in media and tech today, and brands could add real value
(7 MINS)
HUMAN
Watch Me Think's CEO, Alistair Vince, says the long term effects of lockdown are yet to be fully understood, and it's time for brands to be more personal
(5 MINS)
A glimpse of the post-pandemic world is right under our noses
VMLY&R's Managing Director, Strategy and Insights, Bediz Eker, looks at what consumers value during and after a crisis, namely, going back to basics, plus ways to de-stress and escape
A GLIMPSE OF THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD IS RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES
VMLY&R's Managing Director, Strategy and Insights, Bediz Eker, looks at what consumers value during and after a crisis, namely, going back to basics, plus ways to de-stress and escape
Since Covid-19 started to fundamentally change the way we live, there has been an influx of predictions about the “new normal”.
At the heart of these efforts, there is the basic instinct to cope with the uncertainties that make it impossible to make the simplest decisions in our daily lives, let alone manage our brands. Often, these “new normal” prophecies aren’t always rooted in data and remind us of trends derived from short term observations. But making an educated guess isn’t actually all that complicated. In fact, a glimpse of the post-pandemic world is right under our noses. Although it isn’t as fun as making prophecies about the future, looking at analogous data from recent historical events that defined our societal destiny is a good starting point. Seeing our target audiences as more than just consumers/customers and using an ethnographic approach to understand the impact on them as human beings is the second important step. And finally, looking at the social data is crucial to track how people are reacting to the actions that brands are taking. These are the three simple actions we took while figuring out the strategies of our own brands at the early stages of this global pandemic. But considering that everyone can do their own social media analysis, I’d like to focus on our learnings from historical data and the human truths of today.
History repeats itself
In order to cope with the uncertainties dictated by this pandemic, we prioritized learning lessons from the past rather than prophesizing about the future. Just as scientists have been trying to understand the 100-year-old Spanish Flu to better deal with Covid-19, strategists need to look at the historical events that shaped consumer trust and expectations in order to better manage the impact of the pandemic on our brands. We looked at our BAV (Brand Asset Valuator) research’s historical data to understand how the September 11 terrorist attacks, SARS pandemic in 2003 and global financial crisis in 2008 impacted consumers’ expectations and how brands’ responses were perceived. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the most drastic changes in customer experience took place in air travel. Once passengers at the airport started to be treated more like security risks than valued customers, excitement and joy disappeared from flying. In an era like this, Southwest not only refused to compromise on its imagery attributes of Fun, Friendly and Customer-centric but invested in them to the point that those attributes in fact defined its brand. As a result, BAV showed us that Southwest enjoyed differentiation exceeding category norms when the crisis subsided. This tells us that in times of uncertainty brands should continue investing in core values consistently to strengthen their positioning.
How Southwest became the most popular airline in the United States
Like today, SARS pandemic that took place almost 20 years ago also involved an extensive lockdown in China and negatively impacted businesses and brands from various categories. When we look at BAV data from 2005, following the SARS outbreak, we see a significant erosion in imagery attributes of brands from almost every category except technology brands. Alibaba especially stands out amongst them, thanks to its innovations that address consumer expectations in this category. Although known as a B2B brand in the early 2000s when the SARS pandemic broke out, Alibaba invested in its technology to launch consumer facing Taobao during the crisis. This accelerated consumers’ adoption of e-commerce and the brand significantly improved its key imagery attributes such as Leader, Trustworthy and Customer-centric.
In order to understand the impacts of the 2008 global financial crisis on consumer expectations, we identified pre- and post-crisis drivers of Brand Strength, a combination of BAV imagery attributes that define Differentiation and Relevance. Pre-financial-crisis data (2005) indicated that imagery attributes such as Prestigious, Trendy, Glamorous and Stylish were driving Brand Strength. However, by 2009 data shows that consumers’ post-crash priorities reflected “back to basics” like Value, Helpfulness, Reliability, Simplicity, Customer-centricity, Trustworthiness, and Quality. This also explains why brands like Ziploc, Kraft, Walmart, Starbucks and Dyson emerged stronger after the financial crisis. In a nutshell, historical BAV data tells us that the brands that emerge stronger from times of crisis are those that invest in innovation in response to drastic changes in consumer expectations, while staying true to their core values. Improving imagery attributes related to customer-centricity drive Consideration and Usage during times of uncertainty. However, brands that interpret customer-centricity as lower prices suffer erosion in Brand Strength in the long run, even if they are seen as viable alternatives during times of crisis.
Understanding humans over consumers
Although historical quantitative data such as BAV shines a light into the future, our calculations of the post-pandemic world lack a crucial foundation until we listen to the human stories of our time. Thanks to our Research Studio at VMLY&R, we have been conducting virtual ethnographies to reflect the human aspect of Covid-19. Exposing society’s flaws, Covid-19 has impacted communities and individuals in different ways. Depending on which socio-economic class they belong to, respondents mainly talk about two different sets of challenges. While white collar workers, who can keep working from their homes, complain about losing work/life balance, front-line workers tell stories of risking their lives every day and having to go out to provide for their families. But regardless of their income levels, we see most people trying to regain control over their lives in various ways. When they have to stay home, they’re filling their free time with activities that give them a sense of control. Sometimes they’re looking for ways to de-stress to escape from the limitations dictated by the pandemic. Others try to be more productive and find small glimpses of change to feel like they’re making progress. They are constantly striving to find creative outlets to tune into and break away from the monotony of lockdown. Although people demonstrated unity and collaboration at a community level during the earlier stages of the pandemic, different views on how to prevent the spread of the virus and a lack of control over others’ actions have led to a heightened level of division, criticism and judgment more recently.
On a more personal level however, constant togetherness with their inner circles has provided many an opportunity to see themselves and their relationships through a new lens - and the constant surprise of learning something new about those they thought they knew best. Even though these connections are being tested as stress levels rise, established couples seem to be relieved their relationships have strengthened as a result of uncertainty.
Ways to de-stress... ESSENTIAL WORKERS ANTHEM, with DJ Marc Rebillet
No need to label 'normal'
While it’s our responsibility to anticipate upcoming trends and pivot our brands accordingly, rushing to conclusions from short-term observations and labelling them the “new normal” won’t help. The way we live, and how our society operates is our “normal” and it is constantly evolving.
Adapting to this evolution in the best way possible and making sure that our brands keep their special places in consumers’ hearts and minds is our primary responsibility. We will have a better chance of achieving this if we learn from the best practices of yesterday, listen to the human stories of our target audiences today and meet changing circumstances with a relentless willingness to adapt.
Covid-19: is working from home really the new normal? | The Economist
Follow VMLYR on Twitter @VMLYR
When employees fear change... do they fear the future, or the past?
Felicity Walsh, strategist at growth consultancy &us shares some exclusive research into fear at work
WHEN EMPLOYEES FEAR CHANGE... DO THEY FEAR THE FUTURE, OR THE PAST?
Felicity Walsh, strategist at growth consultancy &us shares some exclusive research into fear and innovation at work
When we think about fear, often people talk about the fear of change, as if all change is the same.
Elements of change can be daunting, sure, but when change is on our terms and under our control, it can be motivating, exciting and refreshing. What tends to be frightening is the ambiguity that too often surrounds change. Organisations are often poor at communicating transformation plans; leadership sometimes use vague language in an attempt to buy time or keep conflict at bay. Giving employees half of a story is dangerous, as they begin to fill in the gaps, circulating gossip. They may even behave differently to protect themselves, and their jobs; ‘peacock’, and overcompensate.
“The first 10 minutes of every meeting are taken up with who knows what”.
At &us, we’ve just finished a piece of research (click on the graph on this page to expand it) on fear in the workplace, because we believe that fear - and the impact of fear - is the single biggest thing holding innovation back in companies all across the country. We were astounded by the scale of fear. A third of UK office employees are scared at work. But how does it manifest itself, and how can we beat it. Alongside some hefty quantitative research conducted amongst 3000 UK workers in varying roles and industries, we needed honest conversations oozing with insight. So, we decided to anonymously interrogate some of the UKs most bright and innovative minds who have experienced and led major workplace transformation. We interviewed heads of innovation at big brand organisations. Sometimes we can look to the “Innovators”, confused as to whether they are our friends or foes. Our interviewees had been accused of being ‘glory hogs’, had felt like spare parts, and sometimes like saviours! But they helped us uncover the two biggest drivers of fear and barriers to change, at work.
1. Innovation can’t happen if it’s not defined
Defining successful innovation is difficult and brave, the outcome often transient. The result? Not enough businesses say what they mean when they say that they want innovation! Seem familiar? We found that the most fearful cultures arise when goalposts keep moving. Ever moving goalposts make it impossible to define success, and by default, failure. Vulnerability and bravery sit at the core of ideating. To grow the great ideas and destroy the troublesome ones, teams need to be vulnerable, resilient, and have a mutual understanding of their objective. Ideas are personal, so you need objective definitions that allow you to know when and how to kill them. Off the top of your head, could you articulate the definition of innovation in your business? Be honest. Especially in this mad world we’re currently in, where progress has never been more important, it’s essential you give this a go.
Our interviewees provided us with a a good starting point:
“The goal is to have a healthy lifeblood of ideas”
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“90% sweat, 10% inspiration. It’s about getting the great ideas done”
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“Thinking creatively around a problem is innovation”
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“Striving towards having complete mastery”
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“Being an innovator is about saying what you think”
2. Innovation works when it’s distributed
The Speed Camera lottery - the fun theory
In our research, ‘visibility’ was a major driver of fear at work. Within blame cultures, not enough individuals want to put their heads above the parapet and assign their name to change. To combat this, innovation needs to become everyone’s responsibility. Unless you help employees feel the positive impact of change for themselves, it’s human nature to resist. According to our quant survey 45.3% of people who feel fear at work have already been through some kind of business change, in what we’ve dubbed ‘transformational trauma.’ They don’t want the same to happen again! And your innovation shouldn’t just sit within a white middle-class guy’s remit. There is a wealth of research indicating that diversity is a key driver of innovation (Forbes 2011). One of our interviewees, the Head of Innovation at a global energy company, spoke about their inclusive lab. Individuals are invited from all areas of the business to take secondment and spend time with the innovation team. From call centre workers to data scientists, every employee’s opinion is valued and valid. For a business to successfully innovate and transform, innovative ideas need to feel contagious. We spoke to a transformation lead at a leading UK bank about their innovation initiative. They invite self-made teams across the business to pitch to the board a product or service, a piece of tech, that could improve the company. The successful pitch happens. Whether it be employee onboarding or product features, the process of ideating is celebrated and ceremonious.
The gamification of innovation is proven to work. Our favourite example of this is the ‘speed camera lottery’ Sweden, where drivers who stick within the speed limit are entered into a cash lottery. A reward of status, bonus or even fun at work taps into the psychology of positive reinforcement.
Don’t say no to something because it feels complicated, or send employees off on wild goose chases and red tape to get stuff done. Be clear, encouraging, be open, and you will see your teams become braver than ever.
Be careful - brand language shapes our reality
CEO of Verbal Identity, the brand language and tone of voice agency, Chris West, says brand owners need to take responsibility for the reality their language creates
BE CAREFUL - BRAND LANGUAGE SHAPES OUR REALITY
CEO of Verbal Identity, the brand language and tone of voice agency, Chris West, says brand owners need to take responsibility for the reality their language creates
In 1954, two linguistics researchers, Lenberg and Brown, ran an experiment on German and Japanese students.
They asked them to distinguish between different colours in a quick-fire test. Time and again, the Japanese made more mistakes than the Germans -but only when differentiating between blue and green. Why?
It wasn’t because of a lack of attention to detail. In other tasks, both nationalities were equally diligent. Obviously, it wasn’t because of any anatomical differences between the Japanese and German eyes. It was because they spoke different languages. The German language treats blue and green as two different colours. But in Japanese, they’re shades of the same colour. Without a concept in their language to distinguish between the colours, the Japanese minds couldn’t either.
So, language isn’t just words. Language is the ‘stuff of thought’ and can shape our reality even more than our lived experience. Surely this is good news for brand owners, then, as we deal with the fall out from the shitshow that was 2020? Why bother doing anything about Diversity and Inclusion? Why not just talk differently about it? Surely language will paste over the cracks, nicely?
Why do anything more than Coke did to fight climate change - just give away a few of your own PR-ready cans labelled as a tribute to the heroes?
As someone who makes a living from advising brand owners on language’s superpowers and their brand’s tone of voice, I might be expected to buy into all that. But 2020 has been such a Royal Deluxe XXL shitshow that brand owners will no longer be able to pretend they’re sitting on the sidelines watching the play: from now on they’ll be called out more often and more ardently for their role in the game. And while we can pretend that a nifty bit of writing on a pack is just some fun marketing, come the cold morning of November 4th, we’ll all see that language can lead to broken bones just as much as sticks and stones.
'I'm speaking': Kamala Harris reins in Mike Pence during VP debate
‘Politics is downstream from culture’ as Washington now knows. And it’s language which keeps culture watertight as it floats downstream.
Language, then, doesn’t just shape reality, it creates it. And responsible brand owners have to start taking responsibility for the reality that their brand language is creating. You might think you’ve done your bit by rendering your brand language gender-neutral (you have, haven’t you?) - but do you still have a ‘Chairman’? Your answer shouldn’t depend on the gender of your most senior executive. You might think that you speak equality, but would you have picked up on the micro-discrimination in the Vice-Presidential debate between ‘Vice President Pence’ and ‘Kamala Harris’? (Read the brilliant Professor Cameron’s DebUK blog for more on the de-titling of women and the ‘gender respect gap’.) For 8 months, we’ve referred to our NHS workers as heroes. But did you stop to ask them whether they’d like to be called that? Many don’t want to be seen as heroes: responsible for pulling off miracles with just a cape for help. If you’re deciding what someone’s called, you’re deciding how they’re viewed.
And what about how you let rip with language to blow off a bit of steam at work? Of course, it’s just occasionally. When the situation demands it. And it’s only language. If that’s you, then you’re gonna get called on it, just as the Co-Founder of $1.5b luggage start up AWAY did recently.
(Read Stephen Bonsignore’s blog, of brand communications strategy agency SDB, for more on that delightful story.)
John Schoolcraft of Oatly on how to crack consumer marketing without a marketing team
Language remains the quickest, most powerful, most malleable tool that a marketing person can use. Ask John Schoolcraft of Oat.ly.
And if you think different, you can create a distinctive tone of voice that creates a reality with your brand at its centre. Strive to create a brand voice that’s distinctly true to your values and you won’t just engage the world, you’ll attract more people like you from all over the world to come and work with you- just we did, when we helped shape the tone of voice for a little place called X: Alphabet’s ‘Moonshot Factory’ at the heart of Silicon Valley.
People crave language that helps them make sense of the new or unknown.
You can see it’s true in any great gallery, where someone will be transfixed momentarily by a piece of great art, only to bend down and spend more time reading the explanation on the little plaque next to it. It’s equally true in the supermarket, where you’ll see someone pull an interestingly designed new bottle off the shelf – and turn it around to read its story off the back.
Language is a slippery thing – doing its work without us even noticing. But it works everywhere inside and outside a company, and it’s at work all the time. It’s time that everyone in a position of responsibility at a brand stopped for just one hour to look at their language, what it’s really saying and the effect it’s having – and if it’s not right, change it. If they don’t do it now, then someone will do it for them in 2021.
What is a 'new normal'?
PubMatic's Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, Emma Newman, looks at what a market reset means for brands, agencies and publishers and offers four tips to maximise engagement in the coming months
WHAT IS A 'NEW NORMAL'?
PubMatic's Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, Emma Newman, looks at what a market reset means for brands, agencies and publishers and offers four tips to maximise engagement in the coming months
As we have navigated our way through lockdown, many of us wondered what the ‘new normal’ will look like.
Questions such as ‘how can I effectively work from home and maintain my children’s’ education’ and ‘will my local shops survive’ have been top of mind with varying opinions emerging from ‘life will never be the same’ to ‘everything will return to the old normal eventually’. The process of change - acceleration, forced experimentation, and market reset - that we’re seeing is well-documented and there are many learnings from previous market developments that we can apply in the coming months.
Where are we now?
The Covid-19 pandemic triggered an acceleration of many trends, such as rapid developments in e-commerce. Within weeks the acceleration phase was over, and we entered the forced experimentation phase. Nearly all aspects of day-to-day life have been disrupted to a point where we have had to find solutions to enable ourselves to work from home indefinitely, host events, and maintain our businesses. Today, we have entered the market reset phase - a change in habits - in tandem with continued forced experimentation (such as returning to the office on a rota basis, and exploring new avenues in which to purchase goods) where we will see whether these new ways of living and working will stick.
What does a market reset look like for brands, agencies, and publishers?
The enormity of the impact Covid-19 has had on consumer life has led many brands to evaluate the very reason for being – brand purpose. Over the last couple of years many brands have already shifted focus towards increasing their corporate sustainability/responsibility and we’re starting to see a second shift towards more compassionate messaging too. From a marketing perspective, this creates additional workflows from updating creative assets to redefining campaign measurement. Brands working with media agencies need to provide a clear brief of any changes in brand purpose and why it matters. Agencies need to translate this into a media strategy and measurement proposal. Both sides need to be 100% on the same page otherwise the campaign will miss the mark.
Covid-19 has impacted brands in different ways, but there are overall trends that are emerging.
Online only brands are facing more competition from businesses that were predominantly offline shifting to online, as well as increased online-only competition as copycat companies spring up wanting a slice of the rising ecommerce industry. It is paramount that brands that sell online factor in the cost of returns when calculating return on investment (ROI). With the responsibility for covering the cost of transportation of unwanted goods it is important to understand the ratio of returns for each channel and optimise budget in order to minimise the total number of returns and preserve ROI.
Many offline brands are closing stores and redeploying the cost of maintaining those stores into online marketing efforts in order to preserve (and potentially grow) sales and revenue. Brands in this situation need to be mindful to ensure that this activity is measured against new customer acquisition figures to mimic the increased footfall that a store front brings.
What does this mean for advertising?
Changes in habits and preferences mean finding alternative ways to engage consumers while maintaining yield and revenue. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a ‘medium pace change’ on online advertising - the majority of change here is still being driven by the demise of the cookie. Where we have seen a ‘fast pace change’ is in the rise in mobile ad spend, increased keyword blocking, and increased levels of contextual targeting as target audience demographics shift.
Brands that traditionally made most of their sales in-store, e.g. automotive, or brands that were on the leisure activity end of the retail sector, e.g. High Street book shops, have undergone the biggest changes. These brands had to pivot very quickly to create new, engaging online experiences across advertising and on-site user experiences. Some have done this well, some have struggled and seen initial sales but then many returns when the product failed to meet the needs of the buyer (like the car that I bought online!).
PERSIL UK Tough on stains, kinder to our planet
We’ve also seen brands such as John Lewis make fundamental changes to their messaging around brand purpose in order to meet the tone of the nation. Other brands, such as Persil, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco have changed their core marketing messaging to great effect too. To accommodate these changes publishers need to create flexible solutions that can be deployed quickly in line with shorter planning and buying cycles.
Furthermore, brands and publishers need to work together especially when it comes to using new metrics to measure campaign success when objectives have changed. Lockdowns and social distancing have resulted in consumers spending more time at home, and predictably, watching more TV content, and exploring new TV content options. There is a widespread trend of cord cutting and an emerging preference for free-to-view, ad-funded services. As a result, we’re seeing budgets shift from linear TV to connected TV (CTV), and new targeting capabilities emerging that enable advertisers to experiment and find a strategy that delivers return on investment (ROI).
How to remain relevant
Tesco Food Love Stories | ‘Not Quite’ Aunty’s Sumac Chicken
In uncertain times, it can be difficult for publishers and brands to hit the right mark with audiences as consumer opinions, emotions, and preferences vary on almost a daily basis, and are nigh on impossible to predict. For media buyers and sellers such significant, swift changes can make the difference between gaining and losing customers and audiences and thus threaten yield and revenue. In order to mitigate against the risk of declining relevance during times of change publishers and brands should ensure they have a solid understanding of how every campaign performs - its strengths and weaknesses to better understand ongoing threats and opportunities. From a media perspective, there needs to be a continuous data-driven feedback loop that includes all partners in the supply chain. Insights need to be derived almost in real time in order to understand how audiences’ behaviours, opinions, and actions are shifting and why. Direct consumer relationships are the best way to ensure you have your finger on the pulse. Both publishers and brands should not be afraid to ask their customers how they feel about changes but, as ever, this needs to be done in a considerate way that clearly articulates to the consumer the benefit of their participation. As the old adage goes, fortune favours the brave. With that in mind, here are four things that brands can do in the following months in order to maximise consumer engagement.
- Regularly evaluate consumer opinion and adjust messaging and creative accordingly to ensure that advertising is sensitive and relevant to your target audiences’ thoughts and feelings
- Go the extra mile with customer service and utilise your online presence as your first (and sometimes only) point of contact – this is incredibly important for brands selling returnable goods
- Think about your wider brand purpose over the long term and bring that into your creative/messaging and act upon it in a demonstrable way
- Incorporate the voice of your customer in your advertising – this is a brilliant option to show the human side of your brand in a highly relatable way
It takes 66 days to form a new habit
We need to break habits formed over 66 years. Co-founder of DICE, Amy Kean, writes about how the marketing industry continues to resist change
IT TAKES 66 DAYS TO FORM A NEW HABIT
We need to break habits formed over 66 years. Co-founder of DICE, Amy Kean, writes about how the marketing industry continues to resist change
Well, roughly 66 years, since the beginning of what’s referred to as the golden era of advertising, in the 1960s.
Perhaps the word ‘golden’ referred to the beige sheen of skin and rich blondness of hair of the men who dominated our industry for so long. There’s many reasons why advertising was primarily male for such a long time; traditional family structures with women staying at home took a while to evolve. And they’re still evolving. Let’s not forget that during the pandemic 46% of mothers made redundant blame the catastrophic lack of childcare provision (source: Pregnant then Screwed).
For a long time, many jobs were gendered; nurses were women, bankers were men, women worked in the arts, men worked in STEM (of course it’s not revolutionarily different today!) The skills required in marketing; negotiation, elaborate presentations and confident public speaking - are sometimes considered to be more male than female. This is all historical baggage that over time society is working to address. But here’s a radical conspiracy theory: maybe some men didn’t want women in their world, in senior positions. Perhaps they thought women weren’t equipped to deal with megabucks campaigns and the fast-paced living of account management.
Maybe… some men resisted?
Hear me out.
Resistance to change is common. I should know; I’ve worked in innovation for over a decade (after creative and strategy roles) and am aware of the fight or flight instinct that kicks in when a status quo is threatened. Not everybody wants innovation. Because it’s hard, and stressful. And when it comes to D&I, well… let’s be honest here. Being inclusive is a hassle. Diversity is a chore, right? Because it’s easier to do what you’ve always done, rather than change. If you change, you might make mistakes, or you may have to work longer hours. If you’re a white man, you may lose status. You might have to face up to the challenge that yes you might be the best man for the job; but not the best person, and recognise the playing field you are winning on is anything but a level one.
But how do we know that our industry is resisting change?
That our industry is still championing men over women and white people over people of colour? Because we can see it in our events. Even now, in 2020, when virtual events are commonplace and the only barrier to speaking is an internet connection, the all-male lineups are everywhere. And the manels! (All male panels.) And the wanels! (All white male panels.) Just this month the Mobile Marketing Association promoted an event with seven male keynotes, and ISBA ran a webinar where only one out of the 12 speakers was female. This sends a message to the industry, and it’s not a positive one.
Because the reality is: if you work in an industry (any industry!) and don’t see someone who looks, sounds or thinks like you on stage, then why on earth would you believe that you belong?
How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace | Janet Stovall
A year ago, some industry peers and I launched Diversity and Inclusion at Conferences and Events. It’s a self-regulatory charter and educational tool that sets out how an events organiser can make their products look and feel diverse. It’s based on the Protected Characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act and sets out to include people, across race, gender, age; including accessibility and disability and considering the LGBTQ+ community. The charter has 10 points, every point is worth 10%, and events companies can submit their lineups to get a % score and become DICE certified.
It’s so simple! Our certified events are already in double figures, including Advertising Week, the IAB, Bloom and The Marketing Society. We’ve also moved outside of the ad industry and outside the UK, and have an international, multi-sector initiative on our hands.
'Personally, I received a lot of nasty public and private messages from white men who said that by launching a diversity initiative I was being racist and sexist.'
Amy Kean, co-founder of DICE
But it hasn’t been plain sailing. Some people resisted. Personally, I received a lot of nasty public and private messages from white men who said that by launching a diversity initiative I was being racist and sexist. I know some men tried to get some other men to stage a boycott and join forces to retain the norm. I was told if I wanted to see diversity on stages, I needed to ask nicely. Ignoring the fact that ‘tone policing’ is a common form of gaslighting towards those asking for change, I get it. I get why progress is so slow in events. Because when it comes to events we’re dealing with ego. Personal brand-building. Professional development. Bubbles, networks and experts.
And so only some serious stuff is going to kick these long-term habits. I don’t think asking nicely is going to help, much. We don’t have the time! Me and my DICE co-founders - Seb, Nicola, James and Faisal - are working voluntarily to try and fix this stuff, but we also need to earn a living! In my case, I’ve just launched a creativity and culture consultancy called Six Things Impossible that helps companies try to build better company cultures and come up with fresher, more inclusive ideas. This might provide another solution but it’s going to take a while, too.
But aside from putting pressure and helping event organisers, in our industry there are only two things that can drive real change; money, and reputation. Brand marketers, you need to lead the way, and insist on diverse, inclusive and respectful agencies. We need to stop attending events that have all-male lineups so that conference organisers can feel the financial hit. You - the reader - the CMOs and marketing leads, the ones with the real influence need to be loud about how this is no longer acceptable.
It’s hard to break habits, but it’s easier to take a stand. If you want to help events become more diverse, all you need to do is tweet something like the following:
“It’s 2020 and all male all white lineups at events are unacceptable. This is why I’m supporting @theDICEcharter. We want to see better representation on stages. Asked to speak at an event? Ask for DICE.”
It sends another message, and this time it’s a positive one. If we all work together, hopefully we won’t have to wait until the 2060s to see true equality in our industry.
OnlyFans: the new home of entertainment
The Fitting Room's Charlotte Mair argues OnlyFans is more than a social network, rather it's a place that offers an intimate connection between content creators and fans. Whilst it's a brave move for any brand that steps into it, the opportunity is clear.
ONLYFANS: THE NEW HOME OF ENTERTAINMENT
The Fitting Room's Charlotte Mair argues OnlyFans is more than a social network, rather it's a place that offers an intimate connection between content creators and fans. Whilst it's a brave move for any brand that steps into it, the opportunity is clear.
OnlyFans describes itself as a social network, but I think it is so much more than that.
At my agency, The Fitting Room, we refer to it as the new home of entertainment. The platform is making the transition from being initially famous for X-rated content, to now being a home for music, fitness, fashion, food, beauty and so much more. According to estimates from Business Insider, the influencer marketing industry will be worth USD $15 billion by 2022. OnlyFans already has 40 million registered users, with 500,000+ content creators. One of the things that caught our attention was a content creators’ ability to share exclusive content and make money from it.
OnlyFans content creators keep 80% of the revenue they make - so far USD $563 million+ has been paid to creators. The possibility to monetise skills starts with a monthly fee ‘fans’ pay for a subscription, to which creators can then make additional revenue from DMs, live streams and can take tips. If you have read the book ‘The Tanning of America’ by Steve Stoute, you will be familiar with the ‘Tanning Effect’. This is the impact of hip-hop driving the ‘cool’ into most things artists within the genre endorse, and that is what has already starting to influence the use of OnlyFans. In the summer, award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion released a remix of her hit single ‘Savage’. This version however, featured global songstress Beyoncé. The original song had become a TikTok sensation, but when Beyoncé joined the remix and versed “hips tik tok when I dance, on that demon time, she might start an OnlyFans”, the platform was trending on Twitter and people were really paying attention, with thousands of press cuttings writing about it globally. Recently, US rapper Cardi B joined OnlyFans to show exclusive behind the scenes content for her hit song, ‘WAP’, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, with cameos from Kylie Jenner, Normani and Rubi Rose. Cardi B shared clips of rehearsals, the run-up to the shoot and ‘real’ life content on OnlyFans. This is not just about showing content, but offering an intimate connection between the content creator and fans. The ability for DMs continually increases loyalty and brand equity. If we think about game-changing brands that have emerged and driven cultural change in their industries over the last few years, those particularly targeting the Millennial and Gen-Z audiences have all live by our values at The Fitting Room: Hype, Demand and Legacy.
Cardi B - WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion
1. Cosmetics: Kylie Lip Kits
Let’s start with Kylie Jenner’s ‘Kylie Cosmetics’, the billion-dollar beauty empire that she has built, landing her a cover on Forbes as a 'self-made making her a billionaire in her own right. If Kylie had launched her ‘lip kits’ with exclusive access to preview, ahead of an Instagram announcement, I suspect many of her followers (all 199 million of them) would have headed straight to OnlyFans for the announcements and an opportunity to buy it first.
2. Fashion: Rihanna – Savage X Fenty
Then take Rihanna, who redefining the underwear sector and changed the game. Victoria’s Secret who? Rihanna’s win was inclusion. Her recent show that previewed on Amazon Prime opened the conversation of inclusion even further featuring plus-size men. The internet lost its mind (and rightly so, it brought excellence to new levels). But if Rihanna previewed exclusive pieces and showcased her show, many would sign up for early access.
3. Chef: Gordon Ramsay
Now onto food. Gordon Ramsay, who was an early adopter to TikTok amassed 14 million followers on the platform in a matter of months, while his Instagram following sits at 10 million, accumulating across several years. His TikTok channel is a vibe, and he has managed to be culturally relevant for the next generation, while keeping his authenticity and respect as a globally renowned chef. Now, if he took a cooking show over to OnlyFans that was streamed exclusively, what could happen? The new digital version of Sunday Brunch but with more of an edge, a new generation of chefs that can DM him directly and a space where he can offer mentorship. I think it could end up becoming a multi-generational streamed show. With his language, it would also be a little blue.
Gordon Ramsay roasts bad chefs on TikTok
4. Motivational Speaker: Tony Robbins
Three years ago, I went to see the king of motivation, Tony Robbins at the ExCel Convention Centre. ‘Unleash the Power Within’ was the title, spread over three days and it was exactly that. A room of crazy, high energy and the 'American dream' running through the core of his words. OnlyFans would offer a space for Tony to truly engage with his fans, monthly content and sessions that allow people to DM him specific questions. Yes, some of these features exist on Instagram, but they can’t be monetised in the same way as OnlyFans. In a time where people are demanding purpose from brands they’re also looking for personalisation.
With the changes in algorithm on Instagram and Facebook, it now feels like expensive digital real estate. It is harder to grow an organic audience because the reach that was four years ago, can only be achieved now by boosts and ads. OnlyFans by comparison, offers a much better cost-effective P&L-friendly way for a new business to acquire customers and fans, and for larger brands to be disruptors and more personal. Although it is a brave move for any marketer or brand stepping into OnlyFans now, it is an unknown, but the numbers and opportunity do not lie.
The revolution that only your kids know about
CSO at VCCP New York, Jonny Shaw, says gaming platform Roblox is the biggest thing happening in media and tech today, and first mover mainstream brands could add real value
THE REVOLUTION THAT ONLY YOUR KIDS KNOW ABOUT
CSO at VCCP New York, Jonny Shaw, says gaming platform Roblox is the biggest thing happening in media and tech today, and first mover mainstream brands could add real value
If you were to run a poll with marketers asking ‘what’s the biggest revolution happening in media and tech today?’ you would most likely get a lot of answers about TikTok.
Some would probably also point towards gaming and the imminent launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X, or perhaps Epic Games’ epic fight with Apple about how Fortnite should be able to make money from their products on their platform. These are undoubtedly big, juicy topics. But there is a bigger revolution going on that hardly any marketers are noticing or talking about. And it’s a revolution that provides a far greater insight into how media and media and technology are evolving in a cloud based, multi device world.
That revolution is Roblox. If you’ve heard of Roblox you’re most likely a parent of a child aged somewhere between 5 and 14. And if you’re one of those parents you’re probably annoyed that your kids want to spend so much time on it, and are constantly pestering you to buy them Robux (the in-game currency). But Roblux needs to be taken seriously. Its user base has exploded by 40% since the beginning of lockdown to reach 150 MAUs (monthly active users). At the end of February the makers raised $150m at a $4bn valuation. The lead investor in the round was Andreeson Horowitz, the most successful and influential Silicon Valley venture capital firm of the past decade. The smart money is following Roblox as it represents something truly new. At first glance you might underestimate Roblox as it looks unpolished and chaotic, but this is precisely why it’s so powerful. It’s far more than a game - it’s a vibrant community and economy of play.
Roblox is a platform upon which pretty much anyone can build a game.
The millions of free to play games that have been built on the platform work as a kind of social network, with users able to engage and collaborate with each other across all of the games. The games that are built on the platform can be monetized with the addition of premium items that players buy with Robux. Roblox is on course to pay its community of developers $250m this year alone. But the best thing about Roblox is its pure, unadulterated and joyous form of play. While the adult world stresses itself sick by playing questionable games with their real lives on social media, Roblox is a purely imaginary world where the only objective is to experiment and have fun. It’s unstructured play for a generation of kids who are getting less and less opportunity to play freely in the real world.
But to think that Roblox is only relevant for kids is to miss a vitally important underlying point.
The online world that we have today is really just the first version of the online world we’ve known, and there is absolutely no reason to believe that it’s the best version. Kids don’t end up in Roblox because it’s marketed to them (the platform does virtually no outbound marketing) or because of peer pressure. They gravitate towards it because it’s fun and the basic system just works better.
Us adults would do well to learn from our kids. We all know the social platforms we use are making us feel confused and inadequate, but we continue wasting our time on them nevertheless. The promise of the internet was to connect the world and create new experiences that make our lives better. Today Facebook is not delivering on that promise, but Roblox most certainly is. Moreover, this revolution is happening now and offers exciting new challenges and opportunities for marketers. Roblox itself is relatively untouched by mainstream brands, and there is potential for first movers to add real value. LEGO has benefited from brand collaborations for years, but Roblox is a far more powerful platform and ecosystem than LEGO has ever been. If CMOs want to help with education in a locked down world then there is no better place to head to than Roblox. Brands could experiment with original game creation on the platform, or they could work with some of the more established publishers. It would, naturally, be inappropriate to try and use Roblox as a traditional ad buy to raise awareness, but progressive marketers would do well to think of creative ways of collaborating to bring value to the communities they serve.
GUCCI, the first ever fashion brand to officially create clothes on Roblox
But the implications of Roblox for marketers go beyond Roblox itself.
The rise of the platform is an indication of how play is the basis for a form of online engagement that is more healthy and sustainable than social media has been able to deliver. Most promotions and loyalty programs, for example, are ultimately just basic games, but they are held back by being so badly designed and executed. The next generation of brilliant marketers will be the ones who start taking play and game design seriously.
If we are moving to an era where engagement trumps interruption, then it’s imperative that we learn the fundamental mechanics of rich engagement. Social media plays with engagement like a rudimentary slot machine - it’s nowhere near as smart or intelligent as we all like to think it is. Engaging customers with play experiences that are thoughtfully and intentionally designed is the brave new future for marketers. Those who write off play as something that’s just for kids are nothing short of negligent. And at this rate the kids may well create the new future for business because most of the parents are asleep at the (roulette) wheel.
Follow VCCP on Twitter @VCCP
It's time to get personal
Watch Me Think's CEO, Alistair Vince, says the long term effects of lockdown are yet to be fully understood, and we should look to a work-life blend, not balance. And it's time for brands to be more personal and less transactional
IT'S TIME TO GET PERSONAL
Watch Me Think's CEO, Alistair Vince, says the long term effects of lockdown are yet to be fully understood, and we should look to a work-life blend, not balance. And it's time for brands to be more personal and less transactional
Fags and Bags.
I can classify change in terms of fags and bags. You see, up until recently, one of my biggest behavioural shifts involved me taking my own bags to the supermarket. Then, on carrying it home, I can avoid multiple dog-mines on the path, safe(ish) in the knowledge they’re all in little plastic poo bags. My guilty pleasure would be to stop by the pub on the way. Secure in the knowledge that on finally arriving back home (“where've you been all this time?!”) that the only tell existed on my breath, and no longer on my clothes courtesy of the 40-a-day chap who was always propping up the end of the bar.
Of course, these shifts had the benefit of a law to make them happen. And everyone had plenty of warning they were on their way. Compare that to some of the biggest changes we’ve ever seen, a mere 7 months ago, which happened in the blink of an eye. Mary Shelley said ‘Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change’. She was right. The rate of change was unsettling for many. Dangling the risk of death (of others, not just ourselves) in front of people seemed to help the transition. Not that it ever worked for smoking.
Do we fear change? I’m not so sure, it’s just damned annoying when it isn’t on our terms. There are multiple theories that this change has merely accelerated things that were going to happen anyway. Take business for example. We’ve seen a rise in the use of video conferencing. A reduction in pointless travel. More flexible ways of working. You know all this.
Whilst this ‘change’ is true at a gen-pop level, many “changes” were previously present. Arguably more progressive, more trusting companies already had plenty of people working from home, working flexibly, in “clouds”.
So maybe it’s all just one big reset to allow others to catch up?
Let’s face it, the factory mentality this country has had for years was crying out for a bit of change. I’m sure many people are craving for their old behaviours. And while the commute is unlikely to be missed, I’d wager at least some office interaction is. I myself (now and again) enjoy the buzz of an office. The casual chat. The knowledge picked up in a conversation. The collective excitement in winning a contract. Being able to see if someone is okay (especially important). An occasional pub lunch. A team BBQ. A joke, a handshake, celebrating someone’s birthday. But with the imposed changes, work has become less personal and more transactional. Of course, the permanency of everything can be questioned. Are we really not going to avoid cities? Our places of work? Of course not. But it’s also not as black and white as that.
As much as it’s ridiculous that we were all holed up in offices 5 days a week, it’s ridiculous that we’d want to be holed up at home 5 days a week. It’s only working at the moment because everyone is in the same boat. When things open up more widely, that’s when the chattering will start. It’s as I’ve been saying for a while now, let’s look at a work/life blend, not balance. It’s worth remembering we are only 7 months into this. Do businesses really know the impact yet of remote teams? How it’s affected the quality of their recruitment? The effect it has on mental and physical health, etc.?
Do employees think that by working remotely their jobs are more at risk? Equally, do employers now think that if a job can be done remotely, why would they restrict themselves to people within commuting distance of the office? There’s a global workforce at their disposal, with some willing to work at a fraction of the cost.
Less personal, more transactional
Lost credit card complaint
What about sales? The client relationships? Especially where the dog and pony show would normally be front and centre. Or new business? No one I know has done an in-person sales pitch for 7 months. Cold calling via reception has gone (yay, I hear you all shout). But all visiting of people in-person has gone. Meeting at an event has pretty much gone - it’s not quite the same in a virtual breakout lounge (ugh). The lunches, the coffees, all gone. With email skyrocketing in volume, how do we make ourselves stand out? How do we sell? How do we communicate effectively? Most of us have 30 min zoom/meet/teams sessions. Will this work long term? We don’t know yet. All we know is that the entire sales process has become more transactional, less personal. In-person shopping now resembles scenes from Shaun of the Dead. Everyone masked up has impersonalized the experience even more. We interact with no-one. Everything we touch is sprayed after we touch it. In pubs and restaurants we order from our perspex separated tables, via an app - but at least the QR code now has a raison d’etre. We’re being forced to be less personal, more transactional.
What does this mean for brands?
Well, we already had plenty of transactional relationships before: the chat bots, the tick box self-help-sequences, the automated everything. Brands can win where they fill a demand that exists now, as before, but today more than ever: to become more personal, more human. There is/will be a demand for this through the delivery driver. The person on the end of a phone.
The staff in whatever bricks and mortar stores are left open. These brands will be remembered more: the person that helped, the person that smiled, the person who fixed something that wasn’t in the rule book. Value instilled. Loyalty ingrained. Go get ‘em tiger. Some changes need to change. It’s time to be more personal, and less transactional.
