The ever-evolving advertising industry has new technologies and trends emerging all the time. In the year ahead, we can expect to see a continued emphasis on actual creativity in advertising, as brands look for new and innovative ways to capture the attention of consumers. However, in order for the industry to truly create something new, there are certain practices that we might want to consider doing away with.
One thing, in particular, we could think about discarding is our over-reliance on demographic targeting
While demo targeting has always been a popular way to reach specific audiences, it can also be limiting. For example, a person’s age, gender, or income level may not accurately reflect their interests or behaviours. By removing demographic targeting, advertisers may be able to reach their target audience more effectively, by focusing an emphasis on other factors, such as psychographics or passion points and interests.
Another approach that could be avoided is the overuse of data
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on data-driven advertising, with brands collecting and analysing large amounts of data to inform their advertising strategies. While data can of course be super useful, it can also be overwhelming and can sometimes lead to a lack of creativity. In order to create something truly new, advertisers may need to strike a balance between data and intuition and be willing to take risks and try new things. Someone once told me that in writing, brevity is key. I think simplicity applies in the same way for effectivity in creative.
In addition, there is an increasing pressure on the industry to create sustainable, responsible and inclusive ads, which would involve discarding practices that objectify or stereotype groups of people.
This is crucial, because in an increasingly connected world social media has become a powerful tool for amplifying voices of those who feel under-represented and wronged by the representation of certain communities in the media. Brands will benefit from being more aware of cultural sensitivity and the environmental impact of their ads.
Immersive and interactive experiences will continue to rise in popularity
In the maturing age of technology, consumers expect more from their advertising experience. They anticipate being able to interact with ads in some way, whether it be through augmented reality, virtual reality, or gamification. This creates more opportunities for brands to deliver highly engaging, interactive content that will harness the attention of target consumers.
The appetite for content creation will undoubtedly continue to rocket, with more and more brands leaning on end-to-end production specialists to help drive their message and create content with authenticity at the heart and truly reflective of their core brand values.
With this focus on creativity and innovation, the industry will continue to evolve and strive to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers. A power shift that should take us away from boring, repetitive and sometimes even irritating comms.
AI is an area of innovation and creativity that isn’t going anywhere. It’s a seriously interesting sector of rapid innovation, evolution and adoption – and full of potential. So keep your eyes and ears peeled as its use grows and evolves… in fact, this very article was created in collaboration with ChatGPT — an AI model trained to answer any question in a conversational way. It took 13 seconds, end-to-end.
Could you tell? Probably not 🙂
Featured image: Daniel Adams / diversifylens