The more we depend on artificial intelligence and the more prevalent it becomes in mainstream society, the more important and timely it will be to look within ourselves, the people around us and even brands, to help us create connections deeper humans. and adopt our human values. The brands and people who help us achieve this will gain a more meaningful and important place in our lives.
According to Mintel forecasts on global consumer trends, 2024 will be the year when “being human” becomes a priority in marketing and communications. In fact, all the 2024 trend forecasts I’ve seen so far touch on a similar theme.
But what does this mean in practice?
We will further promote the human impact of a brand
“We are witnessing a transformative shift in the meaning of value. Consumers no longer make purchasing decisions based solely on traditional considerations of price and quality. – Google Trends Report 2024.
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Brand strategy, brand values, storytelling and brand communications will increasingly take precedence over transactional content and purely paid performance. People will choose brands more for what they stand for, how they interact with others, and what they convey about our own personal values, not just their functional purpose or price.
For this reason, brands will need to reconsider how engaging the content they create is. Why is this useful or important to people? How does this make people feel and why? Correcting the balance between brand messaging, human interest and performance reach will be essential.
Giving up brand control will increase engagement
“Brands need to move away from their sanitized representation of reality and embrace a more honest representation. » –Mintel.
“Consumers also form a stronger emotional attachment to brands that exhibit high levels of authenticity. Such emotional attachment also facilitates the spread of information about the brand through word of mouth. – Psychology today.
We’ll see less inauthentic brand influencer content and less ad-driven social content that’s less polished and unrealistic. Because if everything can be faked now, what is real and often imperfect has more value.
Overly prescriptive influencer briefs and short-term sales focused solely on content are not only an inefficient use of budget, they are also potentially damaging to brand perception. Brands need to relinquish some control and create or co-create authentic content in order to connect with people.
In PR terms, finding someone (a real person) who can speak on behalf of a brand in a “deeply human” and relatable way will be a huge benefit to the brand. But many brands are too risk averse, to their detriment. In a crisis situation, demonstrating a human response and reacting in a real and authentic way is hopefully a given these days, but there are still brands that get it wrong.
Brands that help people become better people will gain more love
“Whether it is creating reflective shopping moments or supporting customers in difficult circumstances (illness, mental fatigue, bereavement), brands will need to integrate care into their offering. People eliminate toxic things from their lives – don’t let your business get caught in that mix. – Worth Global Style Network Future Consumer 2024 Report.
“Brands have played a role in accelerating consumers’ personal development. » – Trend hunter.
Brands that act as catalysts to help us become better versions of ourselves, whether through use and efficiency or self-actualization, will be valued more than others.
Post-Covid, we are all looking for more meaning, in ourselves and in our work. Brands that can help us achieve this, whether through exercise, connection, travel, time management, or any other personalized way, will earn a more meaningful, long-term place in our lives.
The Value of Creativity in Marketing Will Continue to Rise
“Budget for innovation is usually one of the first cuts when times are tough, but newness creates excitement and emotional connection and is a key differentiator in any market. » – Accenture Life Trends 2024.
Algorithms and technology are creating ever more effective ways to introduce people to brands. But this sometimes comes at the expense of creativity. Creativity and human insight are necessary to inspire an emotional response through imagination and human connection. Without it, marketing is just noise.
Brands that continue to invest in creativity and innovation, despite tougher economic times, will stand out from competitors who do not.
We will see more experiential and immersive brand experiences
“Creating experiences that capture and engage customers’ attention in new ways will remain essential to delivering memorable experiences. » – Forbes 10 Most Important Customer Experience Trends for 2024.
Whether in real life, online or virtual (AR/VR), brands that are able to offer people engaging experiences that add to their lives in some way, that inspire emotions by being entertaining, informative, new or adding to their social status, will do so. live in people’s memories and earn a place in their lives.
The enormous success of agencies like Amplify and Akcelo in recent years is testament to this. Last year, Warner Brothers’ experiential campaign for Barbie was also a shining example, using Barbie Selfie apps, an innovative giant AR Barbie, city signage campaigns and more, making the film a cultural phenomenon, even before its publication.
Besides our campaigns, marketers also have work to do to become better human beings, not only for our brands and their consumers, but for each other. We need to be better bosses, better colleagues, better clients and better agencies. The most successful brands (and agencies) will have the best human beings working alongside them, creating the best relationships, and having engaged and enthusiastic teams working around them.
2024 is the year brands and marketers need to be more human and create deeper, more meaningful connections with each other and their customers, something (I hope) AI can never do as well as humans.
Rob Lowe is the founder of the communications agency Poem.
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