Five smart choices to make this month

In rather contradictory fashion, the thought of having our personal data harvested makes most of us feel pretty uncomfortable; yet when this same data is used to cater to our consumption habits, we simply can’t get enough. From customised in-store experiences to curated video suggestions, the ‘individual’ has become more important than ever when creating impactful content, campaigns and strategies.

Here are this month’s top trends, showing how you can add a personal touch to your next project.

1.  Data Transformation

If you’ve seen ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, you’ll know that companies like Netflix are experimenting with interactive content. So what value can be taken from our clicks and swipes? With deep insights on user decision making, preferences and personalities, interactive insights offer the perfect strategic foothold for marketers.

Consider how you can leverage interactive content to profile user behaviour.

Neglect the user experience to increase insight touchpoints.

2.  Content Strategy

In the online world, there’s a never-ending quest to convert browsers to buyers. Considering online purchase drivers when formulating a conversion strategy is essential. According to a GWI survey, 15% of people are motivated by exclusive content and services, while 16% consider competition entries as a driver.

Shape your strategy based on audience insights and craft content to meet their drivers.

Take a generalised apporach to content strategy and ignore motivating factors.

3.  Creative Content Delivery

Icons play a crucial role in design. From the ‘standby’ symbol to the MasterCard logo, often the most instantly recognisable are the simplest; and this is something that resonates with today’s digital audience. As Michael Bierut will testify, sometimes approaching brand design with a less-is-more approach is most effective.

Strip back unnecessary ornamentation; every element should play a part and give quick, clear information.

Be abstract for the sake of it; a complex idea can’t always be conveyed in a single, flat visual.

4.  Immersive Experiences

Industry experts predict that experience will overtake price as a key customer driver by 2020, and digital giants remain more customer-centric than ever before. But how can B2B organisations emulate this success? The answer may lie in Customer Experience Management (CXM) – unifying content, data and intelligent services to improve efficiencies.

Build intelligent personas and work collaboratively to accurately map end-to-end customer journeys.

Neglect the customer and allow your marketing approach to become disjointed.

5.  Amplification

As relationships with devices become increasingly personal, so too do the adverts servicing us. Taking this to the next level, channel 4’s ‘Dynamic TV‘ creates highly personalised ads based on demographics, location stats and even weather – crafting thousands of variations from a single creative concept to target the individual.

Make your ads work harder with effective targeting and personalisation.

Get too personal and devalue your brand with a high ‘Creep Factor’.

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