82% of respondents choose to amplify content through trusted digital media channels 

The World Media Group, a strategic alliance of the world’s leading media brands, today released its annual content report: Global Content Marketing Futures. The survey, which questioned key influencers across advertisers, agencies, media brands and consultancies, focused on budgets and implementation strategies as the world emerges from the impacts of the pandemic.

Trusted digital media and paid social top platforms for amplifying content

According to the survey, the most popular platforms for amplifying content campaigns last year were trusted digital media and paid social channels, each earning votes from 82% of our respondents. Future spending, particularly across these platforms looks positive. Content-led marketing budgets are expected to rise over the next 12 months with the majority of advertisers expecting to increase their investment in paid social (47%), followed by trusted digital media channels (38%). One hundred percent of advertisers said they expect to maintain or increase their investment in trusted digital media channels in the year ahead.

The open programmatic marketplace is currently the least popular platform for amplifying content with just 24% of respondents using it, although 26% of advertisers plan to increase investment in the year ahead.

Context is still key in ‘always on’ world

The majority of advertisers (62%) believe it’s important to be ‘always on’ for their customers. The favoured strategy is to use brand storytelling to build long-term engagement with audiences, so that when the time comes for decision-making, their brand is front of mind. Fifty-six percent of advertisers said they’d implemented this approach.

There’s still a clear belief, however, that context it is important for providing the right engagement and impact for brand storytelling, with advertisers rating this at 8.8 out of 10 on a sliding scale of importance, and agencies, media owners and consultants rating it at 8.9.

“After a challenging couple of years for the industry, it’s encouraging to see advertisers choosing to increase their investment in content-led marketing, particularly across trusted digital media brands,” said Belinda Barker, Chief Executive of the World Media Group. “It is testament to the fact that, even in the ‘always on’ world, cut-through and engagement for brand storytelling can only be achieved in the right context.”

What’s a content-led campaign best for?

Whilst the majority of advertisers (41%) believe that the content-led approach is best for building brand engagement, most of our agency leaders (37%) believe that it can be best for changing brand perceptions. A small majority of media owners (33%) believe that advertisers can use the content-led approach to demonstrate thought leadership, but 31% also believe it is best for brand engagement.

What are the best KPIs for measuring content?

Given that advertisers believe that the content-led approach is best for brand engagement, it’s not surprising that time spent with the content was a main KPI for the most number (23%) of advertisers. It’s interesting to see that a shift in brand perceptions is considered a main KPI by the same number of advertisers, even though they didn’t rate that as an advantage of the content-led approach. The shift in brand perceptions was the main KPI cited by the most agencies (43%) and media owners (34%).

Creative’s next big thing

When asked to predict the most engaging creative approaches moving forward, there was consensus that success was less about specific formats, and more about concept and context, or leveraging existing formats in a new and distinctive way. That said, audio and podcasts featured strongly – notably more than AR and VR which, compared to our previous surveys, suggests a reversal of opinion. Respondents also expressed concerns about an over-cluttered branded content environment, with many respondents referencing the need for closer integration with editorial content.

New talent looks positive

Also looking to the future, respondents were asked how confident they were in the pipeline of creative and talented rising stars joining the international marketing, advertising and media sector. Sixty-six percent of respondents were quite or very confident that the creative and innovative future for international, content-led marketing was safe in the hands of the new talent entering the industry.

The research was carried out by the World Media Group, whose members include The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media Group, Business Insider, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Politico Europe, Reuters, Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and partner: Permutive, to provide context for the World Media Awards for cross-border, cross-channel content campaigns, which close for entry on 12^th May 2022. The full report can be downloaded here.

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About the Survey

The World Media Group carried out the survey between 5^th January and 9^th  February 2022.  Responses were encouraged through emails and social media outreach to our global contacts.  We received a total of 262 responses: 21% of responses were from brand advertisers, 38% were from agencies, 27% from media brands, and 14% were from other types of organisations, such as consultancies working with clients on international content marketing.  Our respondents represented a breadth of business sectors and were responsible for making decisions for marketing campaigns all around the world.

About The World Media Group

The World Media Group is an alliance of leading international media organisations that connect brands with highly influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism.  Our members share the same values and principles, and we promote their many synergies whilst championing the role of trusted international media.

About The World Media Awards

Organised by the World Media Group, the World Media Awards celebrate the creativity and effectiveness of cross-platform, cross-border content-driven advertising.  With an independent jury of international brand and agency leaders and content publishers, the Awards are recognised by the WARC Media 100.  Our co-Chairs for the 2022 Awards are Hamish Goulding, Head of Global Brand Strategy for HSBC, and Ritu Lakhanpal, Managing Partner for IPG Media Brands.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Malaria No More UK Wipes Out the Competition at the 2021 World Media Awards

‘Drawing the Line Against Malaria to Help End it for Good’ Wins Grand Prix

London, Thursday 9th September 2021 – The World Media Group is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 World Media Awards. Brands including Lombard Odier, The North Face, PlayStation, Samsung Galaxy, Shell, Can-Am On-Road, REWE Markt GmbH and Tourism Australia were amongst those receiving accolades for their impressive entries this year. Hosted by the World Media Group*, the World Media Awards, now in their sixth year, are the only global awards to recognise brands, agencies and media partners who, together, create the most effective cross platform, cross border, content-driven advertising campaigns.

The Grand Prix went to Malaria No More (MNM) UK for its Draw the Line campaign, which also won the award for Social Good, a new category introduced this year. The innovative campaign sought to galvanise the influential global youth audience to create a sense of a movement, encouraging world leaders to move malaria up the political agenda.

Partnering with Nigerian artist, activist and lawyer, Láolú Sebanjo, known worldwide for using his patterns to start conversations and shed light on important issues, MNM took inspiration from Africa’s oldest art form, traditional line painting, creating a ‘Muundo’ modular system that allowed people from all over the world to add their own line to a crowdsourced piece of art, a collective call to end malaria. This was accompanied by a video from acclaimed Nigerian music video director Meji Alabi, featuring the talent emanating from the African continent.

“Malaria No More UK wiped out the competition with its brilliant Draw the Line campaign which taps into the cultural zeitgeist around social activism and the new generation claiming their futures back from this deadly disease,” said Shula Sinclair, Global Head of Strategy, Spark Foundry and Co-Chair WMA Judges “MNM created a campaign that was authentic, allowed consumers to get involved, and delivered impressive results reaching over 540 million people. It has set an incredibly high standard as the first winner of our Social Good category and is well-deserving of this year’s Grand Prix award.

Damian Douglas, President of the World Media Group and Managing Director EMEA, TIME, said, “In my first year as president, I’ve been impressed by the quality of the shortlisted campaigns – the standard was incredibly high, and the judges had a tough job on their hands. It’s inspiring to see the many ways brands have used storytelling to stay connected with their audiences during a challenging year. I’m delighted we’ve been able to come together to celebrate their successes at the World Media Awards.”

A panel of 32 senior jurors from leading international advertisers, agencies and publishers co-chaired by Fabio Mancone, Chief Branding Officer and Partner at Lombard Odier Group and Shula Sinclair, Global Head of Strategy, Spark Foundry, were tasked with selecting the eight category winners and the Grand Prix winner from the many global submissions. The full list of judges can be seen here.

For more information on the World Media Awards and to see the winning entries in full click HERE

The winners of the World Media Awards 2021 are as follows:

AUTOMOTIVE   Winner – Can-Am On-Road: Ladies, rule the road Entered by: Touché! Credited: Anomaly, Praytell   BRAND & MEDIA OWNER PARTNERSHIP   Winner — REWE Markt GmbH: A(I)ttack of the killer tomatoes Entered by: OMD Germany GmbH Credited: Ad Alliance   Highly Commended – Bad audio is bad business Entered by: The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group Credited: Verizon Media   CORPORATE INFLUENCER   Winner – Shell: Pitch the future Entered by: MediaCom Credited: Vayner Media, UEG   FINANCIAL SERVICES   Winner – Lombard Odier: Transitioning to a CLIC economy Entered by: Lombard Odier Credited: Wavemaker, VMLY&R   LUXURY & LIFESTYLE   Winner – The North Face: Power further, together – Launching a trail running shoe during a pandemic Entered by: PHD Global Business Credited: Bigger., Mongoose, 1000heads, Runner’s World, 4running, Trails, Aktiv Laufen!, TrailRun, Like the Wind, Strava   MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT   Winner – PlayStation: PS5: 2020’s biggest entertainment launch Entered by: MediaCom Credited: Adam&Eve, GroupM SOCIAL GOOD   Winner – Malaria No More UK: Drawing the line against malaria to help end it for good Entered by: Dentsu   TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMS   Winner – Samsung Galaxy A Series phone: Samsung #danceAwesome Entered by: Starcom (US & UK) Credited: R/GA, Wieden & Kennedy, TikTok   Highly Commended – Leading in enterprise cybersecurity with Kaspersky Entered by: Gyro Credited: Wall Street Journal, The Economist, FT, Wired, IDG, Tech Target, NME Europe, C’T, iX, Infosecurity   TRAVEL AND TOURISM   Winner – Tourism Australia: LIVE from Aus Entered by: UM Sydney Credited: M&C Saatchi Sydney, Digitas Australia, Channel 10 Australia, Facebook, YouTube GRAND PRIX   Winner – Malaria No More UK: Drawing the line against malaria to help end it for good Entered by: Dentsu   CONTENT LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION   This award is for the individual recognised by peers for their talent in creating exemplary content-driven campaigns with brand bravery, creativity and innovation.   Winner – Kaat Vanderheyde, Managing Director for Brand & Customer Experience Design, FedEx Express Europe

 

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*About the World Media Group:

The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media Group, Business Insider, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and associate member: The Smithsonian and partner: Permutive. Visit www.world-media-group.com for further information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]London, 2nd September: The World Media Group today announced that Kaat Vanderheyde, Managing Director for Brand & Customer Experience Design at FedEx Express Europe, is the winner of the World Media Award (WMA) for Content Leadership & Innovation for 2021. This honour is awarded to the individual recognised by peers for talent in creating exemplary content-driven campaigns that demonstrate brand bravery, creativity, and innovation. Vanderheyde will receive her special award at this year’s WMAs celebration in September.

The WMA’s international jury, comprising 30 highly respected jurors from leading advertisers, agencies, and publishers, agreed that Kaat is an outstanding marketer and true visionary. As a marketer who fundamentally understands the power of branded content, she has developed deep partnerships with a variety of media owners. She made use of her experience and know-how over the past 18 months, when she saw the opportunity to invest storytelling capital in some of the positive stories to come out of a negative global event, the COVID-19 pandemic. Her bravery paid off with ‘Made on Earth’, a successful TV series, which was accompanied by a highly impactful advertising campaign.

“As always, the contenders for this year’s Content Leadership & Innovation Award, nominated by World Media Group members, have displayed brand bravery, creativity and innovation in pushing the boundaries of content marketing to achieve outstanding results,” said Belinda Barker, Chief Executive, The World Media Group. “During what was a challenging year for the media industry, Kaat impressed the jury with her deep understanding of branded content, and her brilliant initiative that shows the positive role FedEx played in the COVID crisis.”

 “2020 was an unprecedented year in which FedEx was at the heart of efforts to keep trade flowing and deliver life-saving vaccines around the world, as part of the global fightback against COVID-19. Teaming up with a trusted media partner to tell our story was more important than ever,” said Vanderheyde. “The standard of content-driven marketing campaigns is incredibly high across all the World Media Group brands, so it really is an honour for me to receive the World Media Award for Content Leadership & Innovation and for our team to see their incredible work recognised at this level. I’m looking forward to the Awards ceremony to see what the finalists in each sector have achieved during this challenging time.”

The World Media Awards showcase the world’s best content-driven, cross-border advertising campaigns. The final category winners will be announced during an exclusive live ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 9^th September 2021 (COVID-19 restrictions permitting). The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining previous Grand Prix winners Sonos, Tata Motors, Shell, Fox, and London & Partners as the ‘best of the best’.

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About the World Media Group:

The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media Group, Business Insider, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and associate member: The Smithsonian and partner: Permutive. Visit www.world-media-group.com for further information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Strong showing of international entries despite a turbulent year for advertising

London, Tuesday 29^th June: The World Media Group has announced the shortlist for the 2021 World Media Awards (WMAs), which showcase the best in international content-driven, cross-border advertising. Despite the disruption of the pandemic, the awards drove strong international interest across APAC, EMEA and the Americas attracting entries from Chile, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Spain, UK and the USA to highlight a few.

The shortlist, which includes a wide variety of renowned brands, was determined by an international team of more than 30 heavyweight jurors from leading advertisers, agencies and publishers. The jury’s make up reflects the vital importance of collaboration between all three parties when creating effective content-driven marketing campaigns. This year’s Co-Chairs were Fabio Mancone, Chief Branding Officer and Partner at Lombard Odier Group and Shula Sinclair Global Head of Strategy, Spark Foundry. The full list of judges can be seen here.

Damian Douglas, President of the World Media Group and Managing Director EMEA, TIME said, “Last year was challenging in many ways and the media and marketing industries weren’t exempt from this so we are both surprised and delighted to see such strong contributions from all over the world – in terms of the quality and quantity of entries. It’s inspiring to see so many brands using storytelling to stay connected with their audiences, even in the midst of a pandemic. The campaigns demonstrate how content-driven advertising in the right media environment plays such an important role in bringing stories to life.”

World Media Awards Event: The final category winners will be announced during an exclusive live ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 9^th September 2021 (Covid restrictions permitting). The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining previous Grand Prix winners, Sonos, Tata Motors, Shell, Fox and London & Partners as the ‘best of the best’.

Winners’ Perks: The Awards are unique in that all winners not only walk away with a trophy and kudos on the night, but will also see their work celebrated in an exclusive worldwide advertising campaign valued at €650K+ which will run across the World Media Group’s leading international media brands comprising The Atlantic, BBC Global News, Bloomberg Media Group, Business Insider, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Reuters, Politico Europe, The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

The 2021 shortlist is as follows:

Automotive

Brand / Campaign	Entered by
Can-Am On-Road – Ladies, rule the road	Touché!
Toyota – Scoring the ‘Perfect 10’ for Toyota’s biggest sales model	m/SIX
Polestar – The under 30 drive	Forbes
Hyundai Motor Company: H2 economy	Bloomberg Media Studios

Brand / Media Partnership

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Samsung: The human touch	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
EPOS – Bad audio is bad business	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
REWE Markt GmbH – A(I)ttack of the killer tomatoes	OMD Germany GmbH
Iberdrola – Power to change	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
Samsung Galaxy A Series phone – Samsung #danceAwesome	Starcom (US & UK)

Corporate Influencer

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Shell – Pitch the future	Mediacom
Maersk – Setting a new course for growth	Havas International
EPOS – Bad audio is bad business	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
NTT – Building the future	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
Veolia – A new vision for plastic	The New York Times

Financial Services

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Wells Fargo – The way ahead	Bloomberg Media Studios
ING Wholesale Banking – Transforming business	Insider
UBS – Illuminate, educate, reciprocate media strategy	Spark Foundry Worldwide
UBS – Serious about sustainable investing	The Trust: The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group
Lombard Odier – Transitioning to a CLIC economy	Lombard Odier
Refinitiv – Trade secrets	Financial Times

Lifestyle, Luxury & Fashion

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
The North Face – Power further, together – Launching a trail running shoe during a pandemic	PHD Global Business
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 – Look again at the Galaxy Fold	Starcom Worldwide
Bumble – Building brand buzz in lockdown	Havas International
Meetic – Re-humanizing digital relationships	Havas Media Group
Triumph – A triumph for Triumph	Wavemaker

Media & Entertainment

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
beIN SPORTS – Love it like the first time	VMLY&R Miami
Sony Pictures Entertainment – Bad Boys for Life – Re-energising the franchise	OMD EMEA
Electronic Arts – FIFA win as one	m/SIX
PlayStation – PS5: 2020’s biggest entertainment launch	MediaCom

Social Good

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Malaria No More UK – Drawing the line against malaria to help end it for good	Dentsu
Can-Am On-Road – Ladies, rule the road	Touché!
Corteva Agriscience – Follow the Food season 2	BBC Global News
Samsung—Samsung out of the box	Starcom
WWF Chile – Footprints of extinction	Inbrax

Technology & Telecoms

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Deutsche Telekom – “What we do next”: Celebrating Gen Z’s online activism	Mindshare Germany
Samsung Galaxy A Series phone – Samsung #danceAwesome	Starcom (US & UK)
Kaspersky – Leading in enterprise cybersecurity with Kaspersky	Gyro
Microsoft – Microsoft Teams for today, Teams for tomorrow, Teams for all	Carat

Travel & Tourism

Brand/ Campaign	Entered by
Tourism Australia – LIVE from Aus	UM Sydney
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi unwrapped	BBC Global News
Marriott Bonvoy International – Trigger the escape	Spark Foundry
Kaunastic routes – Kaunas IN	Kaunastic routes

For full details of shortlisted entries go to https://world-media-group.com/finalists-2021/