Lo and behold, the upcoming trends of advertising, marketing and promotion might not be what you’ve thought to know – we are not talking about AI, bots, cybercurrency, VR or blockchain.
Now we’ve bitten the bullet through the post-pandemic transition. While the media is obsessed in gimmicky taglines about how innovations threaten human beings and work life, here are some realistic, helpful insights for HK businesses and brands to sail through the new year:
Genre: Go Phygital but Old School
Yes, we believe the children are our future, but so are the boomers. The mandatory use of LeaveHomeSafe means boomers and the silver hair are now avid mobile app users. It calls for omnichannel strategies and tactics these age groups "understand", say, custom-published zines, microfilms, polaroid booth, souvenirs to take home, roadshows for product trials, and event sponsorship/branded event IP.
As per sports events, instead of whatever AI and immersive technologies, the convenience of venue (aka Wi-Fi connectivity and sanitisation system), smooth ticketing journey and readily sharable replays/streaming will remain the must-have.
Experience: It’s NOT about Art, It’s about Healing & Existence
Go artsy is the trend, but it’s no use just showing off your tech-savvy animation and auction-grade design on your official IG or X account. Look closer and you’d find the post-pandemic trending of “art shows” actually the thirst for experience in a physical site, with real people surrounding you. Simply put, we need an excuse to go out from the "digital bubbles".
A tiny product launch event or an international sporting event, the human touch (no pun intended) or simply the “I’m here, therefore I am” opportunity will be the key in 2024 branding and promotions.
Message: Value-Hooked Sales/Likes
Research said 80% millennials and 70+% Gen Zs would make an extra effort to buy products and services from smaller, local businesses to help them stay in business. This shows that a purchase becomes their easiest way to "save the world", to tell their own story, defend their values, and demonstrate their influence.
It can be tricky since conventional marketers look at monetary terms, but c’est la vie, campaign 3.0 should at least address a problem that the target audience cares about, be it gender, income or social inequality, sustainability, personal data privacy, tech fatigue, mental well-being, violence, relationship, or pure daily life boredom. It's purpose-led actions to make positive influence that will win hearts, drive exposure and boost reputation. One success story is Korean idol group BTS.
There, watch how mobile network provider Orange rode on gender discrimination in sports: