So what’s really changed?
We are now, more than ever, in the ‘persuasion’ business. Campaigns must stand out in a visual culture so richly flavoured it can give you indigestion, ranging from competitors’ traditional offerings to the opulent online visual banquet.
Viewers are sophisticated critics and demand to know why they should give up valuable time to look and listen. This is because audiences are much more visually and technically literate than at any time in the past. Research shows that younger managers prefer pictures to words and the digital media is continually retraining how they take in information. They can see through biased messages and obvious influencing techniques. It’s a cliché that younger people are more advertising and brand savvy than their parents…and it’s a cliché because it’s true.
With the coming of age of social media for example, stand alone websites, or an advertising campaign can appear predictable and formulaic. They were often beautifully produced but ineffectual. They created admiration for how they were produced but cynicism about what they were supposed to achieve. And though we’ve written in the past tense, it’s still true today.
But things are changing. Both clients and their audience have become better at understanding how the mixing and blending of multi-disciplines can impact business positively. Marketers and clients must believe in order to persuade. They must know what marketing goal they’re aiming at and what ‘vocabulary’ resonates with their audience.
