2009 has been a turbulent, but extremely interesting year. The recession still very much has its hold over UK markets and across all industries we have witnessed cut backs, redundancies and the brutal slashing of budgets.
It's a good thing to remember though that every cloud has a silver lining; and in the midst of all this turmoil, innovative technologies, a return to real value and increased consumer awareness are slowly emerging. These of course ultimately mean engagement with businesses and brands.
This year in particular saw a shift in the way that brands marketed themselves. Brand stories became less important; it was brand truths that drove things forward, which in turn drove an emphasis toward functionality and pushing sales. As a result of this, a much savvier consumer was created; one that was more aware of brand communications and more demanding in how brands communicated with them.
In 2010 I believe we will see a return to brands building a world around them, focusing on striking an emotional chord with consumers that isn't simply based on price. There will be calls for delivering real value, and an increased robustness of channel specific activity, directly impacting a client's bottom line. In preparation for this, brands are looking for more engaging, whilst still cost-effective, methods of targeting their customers.
Agencies should therefore use this as motivation to establish new ways of working that incorporate changes in their client needs. If agencies implement these new processes, they will need to also accommodate for the increased and somewhat pandemic-like equivalent of non-existent timelines as well as the lack of autonomy. These inevitably create a never ending ‘cycle of indecision' which can be difficult to handle.
In terms of client activity, we are already starting to see increased roster reviews; a trend that I only predict will increase throughout 2010. This is certainly not a bad thing. In recent years there has been inconsistency and fragmentation between work entered upon by the agency to secure a place, with the realisation of the number of agencies appointed and budget pressures.
The main trend I think 2010 will bring is a greater convergence of channels, in particular digital and experiential marketing that will work much closer together. At RPM we recently formed two new teams- Planning & Concept and Digital- to reflect and refine the increasingly varied work we do for clients. These teams help us to effectively engage and utilise all appropriate media so that campaigns have an increased and more targeted reach.
Many new and innovative ways to inspire and engage consumers have arrived in 2009. These range from the use of social media, to developments in individual tracking, and brands now have an opportunity to create really powerful experiences. In turn they can follow them up with relevant and targeted communications through the customer's chosen medium. This holistic approach has the flexibility to tell a brand's story whilst simultaneously providing real value, and keeping customers active in a two way dialogue, which ultimately, is what paves the way to long term brand loyalty.
