Let's get back to brand

NEW REPORT RELEASED

The second of our Theme Reports sets the scene on the recent industry shift back to brand

"I think it's easier for people in the short term to focus on what we call performance marketing, where there is a direct attribution and a correlation to the investment, and the return that that investment creates. That on its own, is not enough."

Jonathan Mildenhall, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand

This theme will delve into...

…how we use creativity to build brand health for the long-term rather than obsess over short-term clicks and impressions. It'll explore the brand assets and emotional connections that are integral to long-term relationship building which, applied appropriately, help brands stay front-of-mind over time.

Famously iconic brands do not make themselves. But in amongst the current obsession with clicks and impressions, brand-building and long-term brand health has been neglected. This theme is not as simplistic as performance marketing vs. creativity but it does throw up some important questions: primarily, what essence has been lost whilst the focus has been more squarely on immediate ROI?

The evidence shows that for creativity to really pay, there needs to be commitment. And patience. Getting back to brand is about focusing on building brand equity and growing brand affinity with customers. It’s not about short-lived stunts: it’s about real, hard graft. It’s about understanding what brand assets and emotional connections are integral to long-term relationship building and memory making, so that you stay front-of-mind. It’s about celebrating long-term wins and having the confidence to convince the business that brand health matters.

We will explore

  • What consumers are looking for, what represents a meaningful, relevant brand (humanity, impact, positivity) in the 21st century and how creativity can help to differentiate?
  • The manifestos of the brightest and most inspirational minds in modern marketing. Hear them discuss why we must better balance the long term with the short term.

Some of the big questions are:

  • What does a modern-day brand need to stand for and what role does creativity have in building impactful brands?
  • Have modern-day marketers lost the art of brand-building and is this because the language baffles the board? How can we regain confidence in creativity?
  • How can legacy brands reinvent themselves to maintain relevance?
  • What is the latest evidence that long-term efforts on creativity really pay off?

This is not a retrospective look back at brands from the past. But a look forward at what will matter to the future consumer.

Theme reports now available

This year a series of eight original Theme Reports dig deeper and place our themes in the context of the wider creative landscape. Each report surfaces original research, relevant data and examples of best practice Lion-winning work, combined with commentary from market experts and global brand leaders.

Let’s Get Back to Brand

The second of our Theme Reports sets the scene on the recent industry shift back to brand and unearths insights into the real value of ‘long-termism’.

Creativity is the Business Growth Engine

The first of our Theme Reports lays out the evidence behind our argument and digs down into the what, the why, the how and the ‘who’s doing it?’ of growth-driving creativity.

Explore more themes

7. Storytelling at Scale

2020 Content Themes