The world of marketing and communications moves quick. While some things change, others are here to stay. Here are some of the PR key trends and practices that we are anticipating for 2018.
1. Influencer Marketing is Here to Stay
Some of our favourite people to work with...
We have watched the rise of bloggers, and then influencers for the past decade. You already know this - influencer marketing is here to stay. As media platforms demand transparency on paid collaborations and consumers become increasingly educated in sponsored content, brands would have to evolve in their partnerships with influencers.
An influencer who shares about a different facial cleanser every other day is unlikely to have truly experienced the product, and while their flatlays with a large variety of beauty brands may be eye-catching, they lack credibility among beauty junkies on the lookout for real recommendations. It is up to brands to cultivate genuine and long-term relationships with the influencers as real users, to become genuine ambassadors for the brand, instead of fighting for the even the less than one second scroll of an Instagram post.
Brands would have to be more prudent in their partner selection. While the large following of top influencers may look good to management, working with micro-influencers who have regular conversations with their followers may generate more authentic engagement, credibility, and conversions for the business.
2. Purpose-driven Campaign
Naomi Jacob and Mayur Singh, co-founders of Coopita, a curated platform to protect and preserve the traditional crafts of Asia
Millenials have long been an enigma for marketers but one thing we have learnt in recent years is that millennials are willing spenders on businesses and products with a purpose. With the rise of sustainable living, zero-waste groups, and social enterprises globally, this news is hardly surprising. As more brands catch onto the values of the millennial spenders, we can expect to see more marketing collaborations promoting social causes. However, we would like to highlight the importance of being in it for the long haul, instead of becoming a one-off publicity stunt that leaves the social causes quickly forgotten after.
3. Bringing in the Story in Visual Content
In the past 20 years, we have watched technology take leaps and bounds into spaces we could never imagine. Special effects and filters are great, but as time goes by, it feels like we are missing stories that truly engage. For this reason, most working adults now would happily reminisce about the MediaCorp TV productions from the 80s and 90s (they were the best!!), and share viral Thai commercials (those tear jerkers!!!!). However, those 15s ad pop-ups on Facebook videos where we watch our life pass us by so that we can get to content that we are interested in, please go away.
Last year, BoBo Fish Ball launched a cinematic mini drama series, “BoBo’s 3 Wishes” which combined relatable content with beautiful imagery, and a charming tackiness that seems to have been forgotten in modern ages. The importance of storytelling is also the reason behind the success of social media platforms like Humans of New York, Millennials of Singapore, as well as Channel NewsAsia’s CNA Insider series which have generate large number of conversations on its social media platform.