Search results for: Month: December 2018

What makes great content-led advertising?

What makes for great content-led advertising? And what makes for great international content-led advertising?

As we begin to look forwards to the challenges and opportunities of the new year, I think it’s also important to take a moment to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. Twelve months of effort and determination is no small thing, and we all deserve a chance to congratulate ourselves for the work that we’ve done!

The World Media Awards were created to celebrate the ingenuity and strategic planning involved in implementing international, content-driven advertising strategy and, as we move into 2019, we are looking for the best work from the past year. Caroline Foster-Kenny, CEO EMEA at IPG Mediabrands and one of our three co-chairs on the World Media Awards Jury believes that “Creating a multi-market campaign that really resonates is lightning in a bottle. It takes big thinking, painstaking research and close collaboration between local teams.” It is for all these reasons that the World Media Awards seeks out the best and brightest international content-led marketing campaigns from across 2018 in order to celebrate the hard-work, creativity and dedication of the team behind each one.

Having convened an independent jury of senior and experienced marketers, we have the perfect opportunity to find out what they believe are the hallmarks of great content-led advertising. Our judges have numerous suggestions of what might indicate an exceptional campaign, but there were several ideas that recurred throughout their responses: originality, human truth, and tangible results.

There’s a world of content out there and it is more important than ever for a campaign to have that spark of genius that helps it stand out: as Tanya Robinson, Global Brand Director at the National Geographic, puts it “entries that make you sit back and think – that give you an “AHA!” moment since they’re unique and well-researched.”

Alison Tyrell, Head of Content (Marketing & Media) at Sparkfoundry also agreed that she was looking for “Out-of-the-box thinking… Something that demonstrates they found an alternative and different route to solving their challenge – as quite often solutions (whilst possibly effective) can be lazy and lazy doesn’t shift the standard we set.”

Original and creative work has the potential to have a genuine impact on the target audience, above and beyond meeting the KPIs. And often the key to this is another of the judges’ suggestion of what makes a great advertising strategy – engaging the consumer on an emotional level.

Alex Wood, Europe Editor at Forbes suggested a combination of originality and tapping into that human truth – he is hoping to see campaigns that “touch consumers emotionally through strong storytelling, as well as innovative uses of new technology.” However, designing an advertising campaign that connects with the target audience emotionally comes with added difficulties when thinking about a cross-border marketing strategy. Brodie Reid, Global Manager, Brand & Content, at Tourism New Zealand explained that “the very tricky challenge is finding a truth or insight that is relevant globally… Those truths are very hard to find on an international level.”

The best way to demonstrate that a content-led advertising campaign has successfully engaged with these global truths and connected emotionally with the target audience is by measuring the results of the campaigns against the objectives laid out during the initial planning stage. Richard Stokes, Global Head of Content at Wavemaker, said that he would be looking for  “meaningful content which consumers actively seek out [and] clear business outcomes of this effort and investment” whilst Thibaut Portal, Global Media Hub Leader at Pernod Ricard, suggested that winning campaigns would demonstrate “ideas or strategies that directly impact in a tangible way the business of a company by opening new business streams.”

Content-driven marketing campaigns have great potential to drive both brand awareness and engagement. As Jim Piercy, Creative Director of the Custom Studios EMEA/Asia at The Wall Street Journal and one of our co-chairs, said “When done right, content is a great way to drive a deeper engagement with an idea, a product and, by extension, a brand.”

 

We look forward to seeing how you have overcome your own challenges and created strategically clever, award-worthy campaigns.  And of course to celebrating your success!

 

Enter the World Media Awards at www.world-media-group.com/awards by 7 February 2019.

Interview with Iain Jacob

Iain Jacob, Director, Advisor and Investor, was kind enough to share his views on content-led advertising and international strategy before he joins us for the judging of the World Media Awards 2019.

WMA: Why do you think it’s important to benchmark and celebrate great international advertising strategies?

IJ: In a world increasingly driven by technology and automation, smart thinking and ideas are more important than ever if you are to really engage people.

WMA: As a judge, what are you hoping to see in the entries to the World Media Awards?

IJ: I hope to see entries that combine media, technology and creativity to answer a client’s toughest business challenges.

WMA: Why do you think there has been a growth in content-led advertising communications?

IJ: Great advertising has always been about creating great content that works in every context; retail, CRM, advertising. In today’s digitally driven environment there is a greater need than ever to create content that works at every stage of the consumer journey to build a full brand experience.

WMA: What do you think are the most important factors to consider when creating content-led advertising?

IJ: Today content is a much-abused word that often leads to commoditised, dull work simply designed to fill a space. Content that fails to inspire and motivate its audience is simply exhausting, at best ignored, at worst creating a poor reputation.

WMA: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?

IJ: Content-driven advertising should be measured in exactly the same way as any communication ie what outcomes has it delivered, either short-term engagement or long-term brand building.

WMA: What is the killer question an agency/media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?

IJ: How will this distinctively answer a human need that the brand can satisfy?

WMA: What advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work in multiple countries or regions?

IJ: The great benefit of digital is the ability to be truly customer-centric in everything a brand does. Today brands should be ready to create multiple content variations that allow them to really deliver to specific consumer needs. Personalisation at scale.

WMA: What distinguishes the “international” target audience from “domestic” audiences – and how granular can you be in your targeting?

IJ: Nobody is ‘international’ or ‘domestic’ in today’s world. This is about targeting a mindset – and it is context that delivers mindset. In a world short of trust, context is coming back as a critical component of media thinking.

Don’t forget to check out the categories for 2019 and how to enter the awards.

Interview with Thibaut Portal

Thibaut Portal, Global Media Hub Leader for Pernod Ricard, discussed his thoughts on the future of content-led marketing ahead of his involvement with the World Media Awards 2019 as one of our jurors.

WMA: Why do you think it’s important to benchmark and celebrate great international advertising strategies?

TP: Getting inspired, sharing great ideas, telling stories and rewarding the hard work of individuals are the most exciting part of our industry.

WMA: As a Judge, what are you hoping to see in the entries to the World Media Awards?

TP: Ideas or strategies that directly impact in a tangible way the business of a company by opening new business streams.

WMA: For brands in the luxury, lifestyle & fashion sector, what are the particular challenges when targeting an international or cross-border audience?

TP: It is a pure global to local challenge: being able to inspire globally and at the same time engage locally, with consumers having different behaviours, life codes, usages and perceptions.

WMA: For entries in this category, are there any particular elements you would expect to see in a winning entry?

TP: Excellence in consumer journey management.

WMA: Why do think there has been a growth in content-led advertising communications?

TP: Consumers are increasingly looking for meaningful communication and content. Brands are requested to have a “social” role and meaning. Content tells stories and consumers want to hear stories.

WMA: What do you think are the most important factors to consider when creating content-led advertising?

TP: The most important factor is the added value provided to the consumer, ie. Answering the question: Is my content bringing something useful for my consumer?

WMA: What do you think is the key to truly engaging content?

TP: Authenticity and transparency. Commitment and action.

WMA: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?

TP: Its resonance among consumers: this can be approached and measure through social listening.

WMA: What is the killer question an agency / media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?

TP: The question would “What is your consumer insight?”

Too often this question is not well covered nor thought through.

WMA: What advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work in multiple countries or regions?

TP: Make sure your content brings value to your consumers.

WMA: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border campaigns between “local” and “head” office?

TP: Head office enables to consolidate and bring coherency across many activated markets. Local is fine-tuning and adapting strategies, in close contact with local activations/commercial and sales plans.

WMA: What do you need to look for in your media partner[s] when planning an international content-driven advertising strategy?

TP: Local relevancy and local cultural fit. Diversity of teams.

Interview with Tanya Robinson

Tanya Robinson, Global Brand Director at the National Geographic will join us on the jury for the World Media Awards 2019, and ahead of this, we asked her what she consider to be the core challenges and opportunities facing international content-driven advertising.

WMA: Why do you think it’s important to benchmark and celebrate great international advertising strategies?

TR: It’s important to recognise pan-regional campaigns with great strategies that showcase well thought of, insightful and purpose-driven initiatives. These then help create benchmarks for other campaigns or partnerships to aspire towards.

WMA: As a judge, what are you hoping to see in the entries to the World Media Awards?

TR: Entries that make you sit back and think – that gives you an ‘AHA!’ moment since they’re unique and well-researched.

WMA: For brands in the automotive sector, what are the particular challenges when targeting an international or cross-border audience?

TR: This is just a cluttered market with all automotives now talking about being electric.

It’s important to understand what the key USP is, what the main challenge is and if the brand strategy helps solve the challenge in a deep, engaging way.

WMA: Why do you think there has been a growth in content-led advertising communications?

TR: Gone are the day of just 1 message driven piece of communication … now we need to story tell, to immerse the audience in a visually appealing process to take them to the final stage of communication. This doesn’t just immerse the consumer – this helps them understand the what, why and how, thereby building excitement for the brand and engagement for the communication message.

WMA: What do you think are the most important factors to consider when creating content-led advertising?

TR: – The story ( purposeful, strategic, immersive)

        – The audience you’re speaking to (if you don’t understand the target audience your message is lost

       – The platform you’re telling the story on which then dictates the length

WMA: What do you think is the key to truly engaging content?

TR: Understanding your consumer.

WMA: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?

TR: The engagement levels.

WMA: What is the killer question an agency/media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?

TR: What is the KPI of this content partnership? What does success look like to you?

WMA: What advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work in multiple countries or regions?

TR: Know your objectives. Understand your insights. Engage your audience. Flesh out the content and let it deliver.

WMA: What do you need to look for in your media partner[s] when planning an international content-driven advertising strategy?

TR: What is their footprint in your international campaign? How can you use their distribution to your advantage? Do both brands align in terms of target audience? How relevant and recognised are they to embark on this journey with you?  

Don’t forget to check out the categories for 2019 and how to enter the awards.

Interview with Johanna Krantz

We asked Johanna Krantz, Commercial Director of the EMEA region for Reuters, what trends she had seen in content-led advertising before she joins us as a jury member for the World Media Awards 2019.

WMA: As a judge, what are you hoping to see in the entries to the World Media Awards?

JK: I’d like to see smaller, maybe more niche/vertical (B2B) agencies/clients enter and showcase their ideas and executions as they’d be different to the larger, perhaps more money rich, B2C campaigns we see regularly.

WMA: For brands in the technology and telecommunications sector, what are the particular challenges when targeting an international or cross-border audience?

JK: To get an overall message across cultures effectively, i.e. a message that resonates internationally, not just in one market. It needs a human aspect or an emotional pull…

WMA: For entries in this category, are there any particular elements you would expect to see in a winning entry?

JK: Coming back to the above, it needs a human aspect, where it’s connecting people rather than just selling a brand (solution or service).

WMA: Why do you think there has been a growth in content-led advertising communications?

JK: I believe people want more from their experiences, not just being sold something. They want to learn, gain something for the cost of their attention. Most people don’t mind if the ad/content is sponsored so long as they get something from it.

WMA: What do you think are the most important factors to consider when creating content-led advertising?

JK: If you have the right media partner, you will get relevance and most likely the best type of content resonating with the user.

Story-telling is a buzzword at the moment but it IS important, and mainly so because people demand it as they want more and more from their experiences. Once they relate with the story (if it’s genuine), they’ll connect with the brand.

WMA: What do you think is the key to truly engaging content?

JK: A human pull, or a political stance; current examples are Iceland (palm oils/orangutans) and Nike (Colin Kaepernick).

WMA: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?

JK: Social listening, search, site traffic.

WMA: What advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work in multiple countries or regions?

JK: To think ‘big,’ and not on a message or idea that is too local, and most importantly to research the markets in detail. What sets the markets/regions apart? What pulls them together?

WMA: What distinguishes the “international” target audience from “domestic” audiences – and how granular can you be in your targeting?

JK: This depends on the markets and the sectors/industries involved. Technically, you can be as granular as you want, but does it make sense to do so in terms of messaging? Again, this depends on the messaging.

WMA: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border campaigns between “local” and “head” office?

JK: The locals should have substantial input on differences and peculiarities, but it needs to be pulled together by HQ who have a fuller overview and a “heads up” approach as opposed to a more penetrative or specialised view.

WMA: What do you need to look for in your media partner[s] when planning an international content-driven advertising strategy?

JK: DO they align with your brand ethos? Does their content support your brand messaging? Have they got previous and successful experiences?

Don’t forget to check out the categories for 2019 and how to enter the awards.

Interview with Richard Stokes

Richard Stokes, Global Head of Content at Wavemaker, will join our experienced jury for the World Media Awards 2019, but prior to that, we caught up with him to discover his take on the key trends affecting global content-led advertising.

WMA: Why do you think it’s important to benchmark and celebrate great international advertising strategies?

RS: As everyone who’s worked on international clients knows, getting really brilliant work approved and delivered across national boundaries and cultures takes, in equal measure, great strategic thinking and blood, sweat, and sometimes, tears. So, it’s really important we recognise these efforts through these awards. 

WMA: As a judge, what are you hoping to see in the entries to the World Media Awards?

RS: I’m looking forward to seeing some fresh thinking, that in turn creates brilliant and meaningful content which consumers actively seek out/share/love. And of course, clear business outcomes of this effort and investment.

WMA: For brands in the travel and tourism sector, what are the particular challenges when targeting an international or cross-border audience?

RS: Simply that what might attract one nationality or culture to visit, say, a particular country or attraction could be very different to another nationality. The insight into culture nuance in this category is vital. That makes this a really tough category to nail when we think about international campaigns. 

WMA: What do you think is the key to truly engaging content?

RS: We’re frankly overwhelmed with content choices. So, to create truly engaging commercial content (that has a business outcome) takes real skill. It has to be as good as non-commercial content – so we stop interrupting what people are interested in, and become what people are interested in. How? By having an innate understanding of the audience and what moves them. 

WMA: What is the killer question an agency/media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?

RS: Why are we doing this? What do we want our audience’s reaction to be when they consume this content?

WMA: What distinguishes the “international” target audience from “domestic” audiences – and how granular can you be in your targeting?

RS: I don’t believe there is an ‘international’ audience per se. We should apply all that we know of an audience group and ensure we personalise content to the greatest extent possible. Even, as a minimum, to a segment or tribe that can exist across markets. 

WMA: What do you need to look for in your media partner[s] when planning an international content-driven advertising strategy?

RS: Audience insight, ability to target discreetly, interesting data sets, of course, a scaled audience of viewers/readers/users, potentially the content studio to partner with to create the content in the style of. 

Don’t forget to check out the categories for 2019 and how to enter the awards.